Abstract
Public service agencies’ impact on society is strongly related to how well their employees collaborate. In these contexts, authorities are responsible for developing policies and properly communicating information to the population. It will impact how incidents in the business are handled in light of the many characteristics of the community.
Maternal workplace discrimination is among the significant concerns that affect injustice and inequality. Mothers and pregnant women are perceived as worse employees who cannot cope with tasks and distract their children more than when working. The “Scribe-X Northwest v. EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination” illustrates these claims and foregrounds the need for equal treatment of mothers at work.
Keywords: maternal workplace discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, inequality, public administration sector.
Introduction
Workplace discrimination and injustice are significant concerns that require precise attention and solutions that consider the interests of all sides. For this paper, the problem of workplace discrimination against mothers with children is discussed as an issue of concern. The legal case “Scribe-X Northwest v. EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination” is an example of maternal stereotyping affecting the professional interactions of the person (EEOC, 2019). It focuses on the problem of parental discrimination in the American public administration sector, which is among the relevant topics that have been widely discussed in recent years (EEOC, 2019). The company rejected hiring the employee because she was pregnant and could not combine her duties as a mother with the job.
The case shows that stereotypical claims that parenting and work are incompatible prove that gender has a role in the choice to hire someone. The prejudicial view of women as carers may serve as proof of improper, sex-based intentions, which is incorrect from the employer’s side (EEOC, 2019). Mothers, in turn, are venerated in the Bible, making the respectful attitude to them vital. It is written in Proverbs 31:31: “Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate” (“English Standard Version Bible,” 2001, Proverbs 31:31). It states that equal treatment of women with children at the workplace is essential in eliminating discrimination in human resource management in the public sector.
Facts
Many mothers with jobs never approach the glass ceiling due to the maternal wall. Coworkers and superiors frequently believe that compassion and expertise apply to all employees except mothers and pregnant women. They are typically perceived as individuals who cannot work like others because their attention is constantly distracted by their children, and fulfilling job responsibilities is not their priority. Companies with this unequal policy towards mothers typically do not hire them voluntarily, which is a vivid example of maternal workplace discrimination (Conwell & Ye, 2021). There is no need to say that this attitude towards pregnant women and mothers makes their position at the workplace vulnerable and does not allow many of them to find decent employment.
“Scribe-X Northwest v. EEOC Pregnancy Discrimination” is one of the recent cases that interact with the topic of maternal discrimination in the workplace. In May 2019, the EEOC settled a pregnancy-related discrimination case brought by a twenty-eight-year-old job candidate for $80,000 (EEOC, 2019). The woman submitted a job application to Scribe-X Northwest, a company that provides services connected with medical records (EEOC, 2019). She obtained a position offer after passing the pre-employment examination.
Scribe-X Northwest canceled her request after she informed the business that she was expecting a child (EEOC, 2019). The CEO advised her that she should have told the organization sooner that she would have had an infant, since they would not have employed her if they had known it (EEOC, 2019). These facts about the case show that the behavior of the company was discriminatory towards the woman expecting a child, who had all the necessary professional qualities for this position.
Decision/Findings
As mentioned, the company accused of maternal discrimination was obliged by the court to pay the woman $80,000. Along with paying a fine, Scribe-X Northwest also agreed to create anti-discrimination rules that expressly inform workers of their rights, educate employees and leadership, and provide periodic reports to the EEOC regarding their progress (EEOC, 2019). This information shows that American laws protect women with children and pregnant women. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is one organization that focuses on legally protecting mothers and pregnant women who are treated unequally at the workplace and whose rights are violated due to their state (EEOC, 2019). The main problem is that not all employers want to follow these rules and recommendations until they are controlled deliberately on this issue.
There is a legal basis surrounding the discussed issue of workplace discrimination. A suitable candidate being turned down due to pregnancy constitutes discrimination based on gender and is against Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (EEOC, 2019). After an EEOC Investigator, Isabel Jeremiah, conducted an investigation and sought to achieve a pre-litigation settlement through its mediation procedure, the EEOC initiated the case in the U.S (EEOC, 2019). District Court for the District of Oregon, Case No. 3:17-cv-01520-SI (EEOC, 2019). Therefore, similar precedents in American legal practice show the unacceptability of discrimination against mothers and pregnant women.
Reasonable Solutions
Even though the monetary compensation for Scribe-X Northwest is an adequate response to the violation of the rights of the employees, it is not a solution that can prevent such cases from happening. Inequality may be detected while investigating the services, mindsets, and regulations fostering the interactions between service providers and consumers at every administrative level (Conwell & Ye, 2021). There is some prejudice regarding developing suitable advantages for families, time flexibility, and daycare services for children, which is discussed when the theme of discrimination is raised (Conwell & Ye, 2021). Therefore, the organization should have a comprehensive policy that considers the needs of mothers and pregnant women who continue working.
In general, a variety of benefits contribute to the equality of the employees at the workplace, which is essential from the perspective of public administration. It is challenging to address all minor details to allow all people at the workplace to achieve the ideal balance between their family life and employee duties and to give the same opportunities for professional development and personal expression to individuals of varied backgrounds (Doran et al., 2019). It is written in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (“English Standard Version Bible,” 2001, Galatians 3:28). In other words, God does not divide people into better and worse people, and people of all nations, genders, or social statuses are equal to him. It is an example of the way the faithful person in public administration should behave, promoting the values of justice and equality that are genuinely Christian by their essence.
Alternative Recommendations/Solutions
Employers are unaware that discrimination based on parenthood or motherhood can be gender-based. The bias against gender roles among managers is particularly pernicious. It is typical for employers to pass over women for difficult jobs because they believe mothers are unlikely to want to go on trips or manage the added workload (Nieuwenhuis & Maldonado, 2018).
At the same time, they tend to disregard the fact that men with children can also have similar responsibilities in their families and will refuse to work extra hours or leave home for weeks (Nieuwenhuis & Maldonado, 2018). It is essential to make universal rules in the company’s policy that satisfy the needs of parents who must combine work and care for their children (Huntington, 2018). In all cases, a single employee without a personal life dedicated to their work should not be the ideal candidate for the company.
Biblical Worldview
From the Christian perspective, people should be treated equally, and discrimination is against the views that Jesus taught his disciples. The famous lines from Genesis 1:27 state that the Lord created all human beings after his image, supporting the claim that all individuals are equal in the face of God. As it is said in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (“English Standard Version Bible,” 2001, Philippians 2:3). These lines show that people should think about the impact of their decisions and actions on others who can be less potent or need additional help.
Mothers and pregnant women are responsible for their children, which is considered sacred by the Christian religion. It is written in Exodus 20:12 that every person should honor their mother and father (“English Standard Version Bible,” 2001). However, when it comes to practical actions from the organization’s side, the honor for mothers can suddenly disappear because it is controversial from the financial perspective of the business.
In all cases, a Christian should follow the rules of God and apply them to their daily decisions. The Bible has numerous instances when God rewards his obedient servants with a just reward. According to 1 Samuel 2:9, “He guards the steps of his faithful ones, while the wicked are made silent in darkness. He grants the request of the one who prays. He blesses the year of the righteous” (“English Standard Version Bible,” 2001, 1 Samuel 2:9).
The numerous achievement tales from charitable organizations that successfully obtain grant money through establishing a solid foundation for helping those in need consistently laud the generosity of God that he gives to the believers (Sifunda-Evelia, 2017). Even though businesses and companies that do not want to hire mothers and pregnant women or discriminate against them at the workplace focus on their economic development and profitability, it is critical to remember ethics and morality (Nigro et al., 2014). Discriminating against pregnant women and mothers with children makes the company’s image worse from the Christian point of view.
Conclusion
When a policy does not prioritize inclusion, there may be a subliminal sense of unfair treatment, leading to increased demand for an organization to have an equitable structure. It may result in problems with individual and organizational performance, which may need the employment of a multifaceted model for managing workplace discrimination. The typical practice of excluding candidates or workers from employment has been made socially inappropriate by lawmakers due to this method. Employers engage with staff members via various methods that enable them to identify and highlight key elements in the general efficiency of businesses across all spheres of the country’s economy.
References
Conwell, J. A., & Ye, L. Z. (2021). All wealth is not created equal: Race, parental net worth, and children’s achievement. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 7(3), 101–121. Web.
Doran, E. L., Bartel, A. P., & Waldfogel, J. (2019). Gender in the labor market: The role of equal opportunity and family-friendly policies. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 5(5), 168–197. Web.
EEOC. (2019). Scribe-X Northwest to pay $80,000 to settle EEOC pregnancy discrimination lawsuit. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Web.
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). ESV Online. Web.
Huntington, C. (2018). The empirical turn in family law. Columbia Law Review, 118(1), 227–314. Web.
Nieuwenhuis, R., & Maldonado, L. C. (Eds.). (2018). The triple bind of single-parent families: Resources, employment and policies to improve wellbeing. Bristol University Press.
Nigro, L., Nigro, F., and Kellough, J. (2014). The new public personnel administration. (7th ed.) Cengage.
Sifunda-Evelia, M. (2017). Human resource management practices: A Biblical perspective. Partridge.
