Too risky to hire a single parent?

Question

Why is it too risky to hire a single parent?

Laura Talon · Answer

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.

Nakia Whittaker-Woody · Answer

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 · Answer

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.

Charmaine Fuller · Answer

No more risky then it is to hire a mom with a partner lol.

Sabrina Butler · Answer

Its not! Its too risky not too since they could file discrimination.

Ruzana Glaeser · Answer

It isn't! Your marital or family status is completely irrelevant to your abilities and potential as an employee!

Benjamin Davis · Answer

no it is not

LEANNE TOBIAS · Answer

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 · Answer

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.

Anonymous · Answer

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.

Too risky to hire a single parent?

You're invited.

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