Most Employers Would not Hire the Pregnant, or Pregnant within 6 months
By Danell Swim
April 21, 2008
Manchester-based Employment Law Advisory Services commissioned the poll of 1,100 company bosses and personnel managers after finding it was dealing with an increase in the number of cases involving pregnancy and new employees.
These included cases where candidates were asked in interview if they had plans for a family - something banned under sex discrimination law - and jobs withdrawn between interview and starting the post because of a pregnancy.
The UK-wide survey of male and female bosses and personnel managers found that during the selection process just over half will weigh up the chances of a candidate getting pregnant.
They will taking into account age and whether the interviewee has just got married - although a direct question to a prospective member of staff cannot be asked.
The ELAS survey found 68% would like more rights to quiz candidates about their plans for a family.
Only 5% of the bosses have employed someone knowing the candidate is pregnant and 86% said they would feel cheated if someone started a job and announced within weeks they were pregnant.
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