05 / 2024
EpTalk
Family responsibilities discrimination
The Bridget Jones effect
Why aren’t you married yet? Isn't it bad
that you have obligations because of
marriage? Do you plan having kids?
Why do you have so many kids?
Family responsibilities discrimination
(“FRD”) is employment discrimination
that is based on workers’
responsibilities to care for their family
members. This type of discrimination
may happen to pregnant employees,
employees caring for aging parents,
parents with young children or workers
who have a family member with a
disability. It may also co-exist with
marital status or family status
discrimination, when unmarried and
married couples are treated differently.
If these employees face unfair
discrimination in the workplace based
on responsibilities such as this, they
may be experiencing FRD.
While caregiving responsibilities
disproportionately affect working
women, protections apply to all
employees, including men. Relevant
terms including “family,” “caregiver”
and “caregiving responsibilities” extend
beyond children and spouses and covers
any individual that the employee has
primary caretaking responsibilities.
Businesses are often unaware that the
employment actions they are taking
are illegal.
1
T o p i cs wh i c h m a t t e r
Employers (regardless of outcome)
are subject to high litigation costs
and also face the risk of high
turnover rates for not recognizing
the needs of employees with
certain caregiving responsibilities
It is essential for businesses to have
a prevention program in place.
Employers should review their
hiring, attendance, promotion,
incentive pay, benefits, and leave
policies to ensure they are not
negatively impacting employees.
Businesses should train supervisors
and HR personnel about what
constitutes FRD and how to handle
complaints. Employers should also
become aware of common
stereotypes and treat all FRD
complaints equally and seriously.
If you have a job and family
caregiving responsibilities, you
may be affected by FRD. Women
with children are most likely to
encounter FRD: they are 79% less
likely to be recommended for hire,
100% less likely to be promoted,
and are generally offered at least
$10,000 less in salary (U.S., 2021)
for the same position as a similarly
situated male.
Increasingly, men face family
responsibilities
discrimination in
the workplace
when they seek
to actively care
for their children
or other family
members. FDR
against men can
take a variety of
forms, for example some employers
have denied male employee’s requests
for leave for childcare purposes even
while granting female employee’s
requests.
And what about singles?
Are single people treated as second-
class citizens in the workplace? What
about singles being paid less, or
having to pick up the slack for their
married colleagues? The Cambridge
English Dictionary added a new word
in 2022: singlism, which is defined as
the “unfair treatment of people who
are single.” Single people report lower
levels of well-being compared to
coupled adults, which researchers
find is at least partially attributable to
negative treatment and
discrimination. Apart from
organizational policies, there are
many other ways that single
employees in the workplace
experience bias. Much of this is
unseen, and for the most part,
unconscious. For example, a woman
was once asked by a male colleague
why she should get a raise, because as
far as he was concerned, she had no
need for the extra money as a single
woman. Other example when a man
has had extra work thrown his way
because it was assumed that he could
work longer and later hours just
because he had no own family.
It is important to acknowledge that
single employees also have a life
outside of work, with responsibilities
and similar emotional, psychological,
and financial needs.
 05 / 2024

4. Foster a culture of respect and

tolerance
This can be done by promoting
open communication and dialogue
between employees. Encourage
employees to share their beliefs and
practices without fear of judgment
or discrimination. Employers can
also establish policies that prohibit
discrimination based on religion
and ensure that all employees are
Religious diversity treated with respect and dignity.
The rabbi, the priest and the muezzin enter the pub…

1. Educate employees
One of the most important steps towards
Many think that faith or religion should creating a more inclusive workplace is
be a taboo subject at work, not to be to raise awareness among employees
mentioned on the chance that it could about different faiths. This can be done
cause offence or create unwanted debate. by hosting diversity and inclusion
Educating ourselves and each other on 5. Celebrate diversity and inclusion
training sessions, or by bringing in guest Employers can celebrate diversity
our different beliefs, faiths or religions is speakers from different faith
essential in creating a more inclusive and inclusion in the workplace by
communities. By providing employees hosting events and activities that
working environment for people of any with information on different faiths,
faith. promote cultural awareness and
they can better understand and appreciation. This can include
appreciate the beliefs and practices of cultural food fairs, diversity and
It’s important to recognise that people of
their colleagues. inclusion workshops, and
different faiths have unique beliefs,
practices, and traditions that can impact 2. Establish arrangements celebrations of different religious
their work and personal lives. holidays. By celebrating diversity,
Religious practices often require specific
employers can create a sense of
arrangements, such as time off for
Therefore, it’s crucial to implement belonging and unity among
holidays or daily prayers. Employers can
strategies that promote respect, employees, regardless of their faith
create a more inclusive workplace by
tolerance, and understanding towards or cultural background.
providing these arrangements and
different faiths in the workplace.
ensuring that employees are not
penalised for practicing their faith. Other
Implementing flexible arrangements that
arrangements could be access to prayer
cater to diverse beliefs requires a
rooms or information on local faith
proactive approach from companies.
communities
Companies can create a workplace that
3. Develop flexible policies and avoid
supports the diverse beliefs and practices
scheduling conflicts with religious
of their employees by:
holidays
• assessing the needs of employees Once the needs of employees are
• developing flexible policies identified, companies can develop
• communicating them clearly flexible policies that cater to diverse
• training managers and supervisors beliefs. This can include flexible working
• monitoring and evaluating the hours or remote work arrangements.
policies Companies can also provide employees
with paid time off for religious
This not only promotes a culture of holidays or allow them to use personal
respect and inclusion but also improves days for religious observances.
employee morale, productivity, and Scheduling conflicts can be avoided by
retention. creating a calendar that lists all religious
holidays and ensuring that work events
and meetings don’t fall on these days. By
doing so, employees can feel supported
and participate fully in their religious
celebrations without worrying about
work commitments.

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 05 / 2024

What to celebrate or commemorate in May?

International Days to remember

15th May - International Day of Families

16th May - International Day of Living Together in Peace

21st May - World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development

22nd May - International Day for Biological Diversity

If you would like to read more about their background, follow the link below.
https://www.internationaldays.org/