Feminists: if you had a small business, would you employ a recently married woman in her 20s or 30s?

Question

I know feminists don't run businesses - they just watch other people do it and then whine about it.

But imagine that you do. Given all the maternity "rights" and payments which you would be responsible for, would you honestly employ a young woman if you thought it was likely she would become pregnant?

Answer 1

If she was good enough for the job then yes. And as for feminists not running businesses- I pity you, I really really do.

Answer 2

Of course I would. This isn't 1973. If she gets pregnant, she gets pregnant, and it won't be any of my business until (if) it happens.

Answer 3

In the US, there are not many maternity rights but sure I would.

Answer 4

That is not to me a femanist question.....of course I would employ the right person for the job.

Answer 5

why not?

Answer 6

you're a bit of a charmer aren't you David.  I can tell by your level of insight and tact.

Firstly, I was not aware of the statistic that 0 feminists in the world run a business.  That is amazing.  Would love to know where you sourced this stat.

To answer your question though-  I would employ the best person for the job.  

A very good friend of mine runs a business in the UK that is very well known and very success full.  A large percentage of the people they employ are between 25 and 35 and a large percentage of these are women.

Yes they have to face the payments that come with maternity rights. In fact they are about to introduce these same rights for their male staff as well.

Why are they doing this??

simple.

To attract the best.  You don't want to miss out on some talent just because they might leave in a couple of years of a period of a year or so.  They attract, use and respect all the talent they can get.

This has worked pretty bloody well for them.  They are a very respectable 150 million pound company that the cream of the crop want to work for.

I guess in order to understand this you need to think with your business mind fully engaged and not be so emotional about it.

In order to understand it you need to think long term.  Oh and yes......... I guess you need to see the value in respect for your staff.  Let me appeal to your greed.......... respect for staff often equals a better business.

Answer 7

Wow. It hurts you inside, doesn't it? : )

Poor downtrodden man.

Answer 8

yes, assuming that a woman would become pregnant just because shes in her twenties is ridicules. especially because it is more and more common for people to get married and have children later. if you believed that then you could never higher a woman older than 13 who has been through puberty because they 'could get pregnant'

Answer 9

Well if the only other applicant was a man who was equally qualified she will soon have to hire her by law http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/pol...

This is obviously discrimination whether you want to call it 'positive' or not. But will the UK economy benefit from having more women in jobs taking more time out? Of course its not a woman's fault if she needs time off work to have a baby, but what impact is all this extra time at work going to have on her growing family? Sure she can afford a childminder or creche, but not many mothers are happy about their child being raised by someone else.  This whole situation is a total nightmare in the making, and all done in the name of equality.

Answer 10

For a non-critical role, yes, or if the company needed to balance things out genderwise.  To hire someone for a critical role knowing full well that they won't be able to work for one or several years just doesn't make sense for a small business.  Decisions like that could put the company under.

Answer 11

If I had a small business then I would probably not because it is too much of a burden on a small business.

Myself I would not want to put a very small business in this position so will try and get a job with a big company when I graduate (since I'll want to get pregnant a few years down the line).

Its just one of those things - you have to try and be fair and reasonable and look at it from the employer's point of view.

I believe in equal rights for women but i do not expect a few hard working people to pay for me to have children, a big company can afford to so thats fair.

Answer 12

Yes they would. They have no business sense. Their business would fail. Then they would blame it on the patriarchy.

Answer 13

Mothers and mothers-to-be on this side of the pond get practically nothing.  Check out what the Europeans are entitled to by law.  The Germans, the Austrians... and you will need to immediately stop insulting North American AND BRITISH women because you will be making a fool out of yourself.

Its a joke over here, truly pathetic.  Its a wonder that women continue to reproduce at all.   Why bother? They're heavily penalised for giving birth to the next generation of taxpayers.  Its a lose-lose proposition for women and it doesn't much matter what they try to do about it.

Which is why women start so many small businesses of their own, especially on this side of the pond:

'Women see balance in working for themselves'

http://www.management-issues.com/2006/5/...

"Starting up a business can be a rewarding experience for many reasons. Our research has shown that for women in particular it is the opportunity to achieve an optimum work-life balance that is seen as the greatest benefit."

*Last time I checked a map I observed that the UK was not located in continental Europe.

Answer 14

Yes, of course.

Answer 15

What as marriage got to do with getting pregnant???

you may as well say that NO woman of child bearing years, that is 16-45 years old should be employed in case they get pregnant.  who would do the jobs?  there will not be enough men around and the economy will suffer because a lot of households need two incomes.

Answer 16

If she was the best person for the job, absolutely.

There are great maternity law provisions which enable employers to 'bookmark' a job for a woman on maternity leave, or a man taking paternity leave, employ a temporary person for a year or so, and then give the new parent the option of returning.

Very often, the employer ends up with two fully trained, excellent staff members and, as every small business employer knows, the most dedicated workers of all are very often mothers who are offered flexible conditions of employment.

Cheers :-)

Answer 17

Feminists are more interested in poking their biased snouts into other people's business than running their own businesses.

If however, they did run businesses then they would not burden themselves with newly married women because they would derive a great deal more pleasure in employing men to lord it over and abuse.

Answer 18

This is a very good question and thank you for highlighting the discrimination that women in their 20s and 30s suffer in the job application process due to our stupid maternity/paternity laws. There is still a very long way to go before child minding is seen as the responsibility of BOTH parents.

To answer your question though - yes, I would.

Doodlebug, once again employers will not be REQUIRED to do anything of the sort.

Answer 19

To ask really challenging questions, which would make all hateful, useless feminists quake in their multi coloured doc marten boots, you would have to be a great deal smarter...as you obviously are not and simply enjoy being antagonistic, I would prefer to employ any women so fertile she would get pregnant by rubbing up against the nearest sperm donor rather than one imbecile like you simply because they have a p***s!

If it costs me money well hey! its for the feminist cause!

And while the backlash continues against employing women of childbearing age, ask yourself, how convenient are these attitudes when hurtling towards an economic recession, driving women out of the workplace? Do you think we sit and plan our own economic penury?

Answer 20

Hire all lesbians and g*y boys -- and problem solved in your perfect world.  I'm being partly sarcastic, kind sir.  

If you live in a rural, poorly educated, or low income area (I think I'm hitting the nail on the head, David) then couples tend to breed a little younger.  Most of the women I know with advanced degrees are putting their careers first so you have little to fear.  Not every one is a reckless breeder David.  And not all women have the cooties.  Frankly, I'd worry more about macro issues, the faltering economy and the Administration's 8-year desecration of domestic policy, than whether or not you'd hire a recently married lady, but if you wanna be a man on man only company, more power to you sister.

Answer 21

It's funny to watch your daily diatribe of bitterness, knowing you can do nothing about it and it sends your blood pressure soaring.

Feminism has created a generation of women who succeed, don't care about your misogynistic opinions and think you are pathetic. Too bad there's nothing whatsoever you can do about it. Have a nice day.

Answer 22

Why wouldn't someone do that. I am not a feminist but I am a business owner and have hired women that got married in her 20s and 30s.

Answer 23

You are correct. Normally feminists can only get funding at universities and government - two places where being productive is not important.

In the business world, a corporation cannot survive because any that caters to feminist belief, is quickly bankrupt.

Answer 24

David G, You have asked a lot of good questions but come on. Me and you both know a feminist could not run a business. They'd be trying so hard to make all the men (if they employed them) work after the woman that their business would fall to be pieces and go into liquidation.

Answer 25

What kind of business?