icon
Home icon

Home

Jobs icon

Jobs

Reviews icon

Reviews

Network icon

Network

Resources icon

Resources

|For Employers icon

For Employers

logo
about
careers
FAQs
privacy policyterms & conditionsfor employers
112k
20k
icon
© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
My ProfileMy MessagesMy NetworkMy SettingsGroupsEventsMy PostsLog Out
Mystery Woman
Tell us more for better jobs, advice
and connections
YOUR GROUPS
Discover and join groups with like-minded women who share your interests, profession, and lifestyle.
COMPANIES YOU FOLLOW
Get alerted when there are new employee reviews.
YOUR JOB ALERTS
Get notified when new jobs are posted.
Your post is published!
Anonymous
10/22/19 at 4:32AM UTC
in
Career

Too risky to hire a single parent?

Why is it too risky to hire a single parent?

Share

Join the conversation...
Laura Talon
star-svg
156
AV specialist with management experience
10/22/19 at 11:37PM UTC
Two things: First, it's illegal to even consider a person's status as a parent or an unmarried person when making hiring decisions. Second, I'm a single mom. I am an extremely competent professional. I work at work. I work at home. I work once my daughter is in bed. I work so hard BECAUSE I'm a single mom. I want her to develop a strong work ethic. I want her to have a nice home and ballet lessons. There is no safety net. If I don't work, our expenses aren't covered. Childfree women can disagree if they choose, but a single parent has a lot more at stake and is probably aware that people question their ability to be an excellent employee because of their (legally protected) marital and family status.
LEANNE TOBIAS
star-svg
4.05k
Investment real estate/sustainability
10/22/19 at 10:12PM UTC
I don’t think that it is too risky to hire a single parent. Being a single parent requires dedication, organization and resourcefulness. The only downside is that a single parent may have fewer people available to help him/her cope with a family emergency— and even this is not necessarily the case.
Yi-Hsian Godfrey
star-svg
355
CEO, Co-Founder, Wife, Mom, Daughter, Friend
10/22/19 at 11:57AM UTC
I would ask why are you worried about hiring a single parent? Is it fearing they would miss a lot of days due to a sick child/school holidays? If so, similar events can easily happen to any of your employees with or without children, with or without partners. (such as getting ill themselves, having to take care of elderly parents, etc). Perhaps by assuming this single parent will need more flexibility will help you think more about what systems, processes and benefits you is needed in your division/organization to better support all employees work-life needs.
Nakia Whittaker-Woody
star-svg
94
Virtual Assistant who embraces her inner geek
10/22/19 at 11:29AM UTC
I have been a single parent and I think not but it can be hard to get in the door to prove this fact, I have been very fortunate.
Annetta Moses
star-svg
1.31k
Consumer Insights and Strategy Leader
10/22/19 at 4:21AM UTC
In general, if you are applying for a job, keep your personal life to yourself. The company should not be asking questions that are unrelated to the position. We should also realize that parents with children at may have less control over their schedule than an employee without children. Image a situation in which you are at work at 4:30 p.m. and a Sr VP want to have a meeting at 5:00 p.m. to brainstorm on a topic for something she is working on. If you have to pick up your child from school and can't find someone else to pick up your child, what do you do? Or consider a situation in which you are scheduled to leave at 9:00 a.m. for a 7-days international business trip and that morning your child wakes up with a fever of 102 degrees. What do you do? People without children don't have these types of situations.
Anonymous
10/21/19 at 8:17PM UTC
It shouldn't be! We shouldn't judge a person's performance based on their marital status or their family status. There is no evidence that shows a person's performance is heavily affected by this.
Charmaine Fuller
star-svg
12
10/21/19 at 5:49PM UTC
No more risky then it is to hire a mom with a partner lol.
Sabrina Butler
star-svg
216
Connecting businesses to the communities
10/21/19 at 5:39PM UTC
Its not! Its too risky not too since they could file discrimination.
Ruzana Glaeser
star-svg
950
Co-founder of brightmeetsbrave.com
10/21/19 at 5:21PM UTC
It isn't! Your marital or family status is completely irrelevant to your abilities and potential as an employee!
Benjamin Davis
star-svg
12
10/21/19 at 5:17PM UTC
no it is not

You're invited.

See what women are sharing on Fairygodboss.
What's new today
wand-button
Personalize your jobs
Get recommendations for recent and relevant jobs.
Employer Reviews
SF-Marin Food Bank
4.5
Set clear boundaries about your time to help normalize more...
Penn Medicine
3.5
You will learn a lot of great skills. Additionally, there...
Recent Content
5 Impactful Steps You Can Take to Become a Better Ally in the Workplace
Be Open Minded, Ask Questions, & Find a Company that Encourages Growth: From a Young Professional
How I’m Helping My Company ‘Move Toward a Brighter, More Equitable Future’ — From a Director
icon
© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
  • about
  • careers
  • FAQs
  • privacy policy
  • terms & conditions
112k
20k