"Grattis, till jobbet hos oss. Förresten, du tänker väl inte skaffa barn inom kort?"Såhär kan det gå till när man börjar nytt jobb. En undersökning som fackförbundet Unionen låtit göra med tillfrågade 1800 personer säger att sju procent av alla kvinnor vid en anställningsintervju lovat att inte skaffa barn. Dock fick hela 30 procent av de tillfrågade kvinnorna frågan om de tänker skaffa barn, medan bara 11 procent av de tillfrågade männen fick samma fråga. De flesta kvinnor säger att de har blivit bra bemötta när de berättar om sin graviditet, medan fyra procent säger det motsatta. Däremot säger 14 procent av de mammalediga kvinnorna att de har blivit missgynnade på grund av graviditeten. En tredjedel av både män och kvinnor säger att det är svårt att kombinera arbetsliv med familjeliv. Där talas det om att det är svårt att kombinera arbetsliv med familjeliv, då man ofta tvingas prioritera familj. Därigenom blir det svårt att jobba övertid, åka på tjänsteresor samt att passa tider på dagis. En lösning som undersökningen lyfter upp är flexiblare och kortare arbetstider, men även möjligheten att jobba hemifrån.
Vad säger då denna rapport? Jo, det som tyvärr inte lyfts upp för diskussion i samhället så mycket som det skulle behövas. Att det inte är okej alls att som rekryterare behöva vara tvungen att ställa en sådan fråga. Och att det är lika lite okej som den arbetssökande/anställda att behöva ställas inför en sådan fråga. Vilka drivkrafter får rekryteraren att ens tänka tanken? Lämnar man som arbetsgivare det sunda förnuftet utanför entrén så fort man kommit till jobbet? Kan det vara så att man piskas till blindhet av jakten på schyssta siffror? Det låter ju inte alls gemytligt och speciellt lätt att vara arbetsgivare i dagens rådande läge. Över till den anställdes utsatthet. Att behöva lova att inte skaffa barn till förmån för en anställning låter ju helt absurt. Ska man oroa sig för sitt uppehälle om man hellre vill infria sin innersta och djupaste dröm, som ett föräldraskap kan innebära? Lika absurt (om inte ännu mer) är varför kvinnor än män oftare ställs inför en sådan frågeställning. Har männen mindre ansvar än kvinnorna när det gäller familjeliv? Och varför ska man inte kunna kombinera familjelivet med yrkeslivet? Är det kortsiktiga vinstintresset så överordnat de långsiktiga fördelarna som barnafödande medför i rådande samhällssystem?
Har en personlig erfarenhet av ämnet själv. Jag var på jobbintervju hos ett företag som jag tyckte var mycket intressant att vilja jobba hos. Företaget i fråga expanderade så det knakade i fogarna och var väldigt välmående. Jag var verkligen intresserad av att få anställningen och hade rent ut väldigt bra odds att få det också. I sista intervjun där även en högre chef hade tillkallats till får jag helt plötsligt en skämtsam fråga om jag tänkte skaffa barn. Frågan kom så överraskande och tog mig fullkomligt på bar gärning att jag för en sekund blev mållös. Av ren reflex och med största ärlighet och övertygelse svarar jag honom att en sådan frågeställning bör han inte fråga i en anställningsintervju eftersom det missgynnar folk, oftast tjejer, att faktiskt få anställning. Han underströk att det var lite på skämt, eftersom han insåg att jag faktiskt inte alls var road utan var allvarligt oroad av detta samhällsproblem i mitt svar. Jag kunde och kan fortfarande inte låta bli att fundera på om detta faktiskt (dock inte uttalat) var orsaken till varför jag inte fick anställningen. Synd, för jag ville verkligen ha jobbet. Men tyvärr inte till priset av mina ideal och värderingar. Ju mer jag tänker och skriver om detta ju mer frågetecken uppkommer.
Men sist, men inte minst: Är det inte vi som ska styra marknaden, inte tvärtom?
NO KIDS ALLOWED!
"Congratulations to your employment here at our place. Oh, by the way, you aren't going to get kids someday soon, are you?"
This is a possible scenario when you get a new job. A survey made by the labour union, Unionen, where 1800 persons were asked, 7% of all women made promises that they wouldn't get kids. Although 30% of the women did get the question wether they were going to get kids, while only 11% of the men got the same question. The majority of the women are saying in this survey that the reactions where positive when announcing their pregnancies, while 4% are saying the opposite. However 14% of the pregnant women are saying that they've been missfavoured due to their choice of having children when returning to their jobs. A third of both men and women are saying that it's difficult of combining career with family life. They explain that one must often make priorities, and therefore they find it difficult to work overtime, participate in business travels and pick up or drop the kids off at the kindergarden. According to the survey a possible solution to this might be more flexible work and shorter wording days as well as having the opportunity of working temporary from home.
What does this survey tells us? Well, it tells us exactely what should be discussed more than it really does. That it isn't ok for employers to be forced to ask these kinds of questions as much as it isn't ok for (future) employees to be subjected to these questions. What exactely drives an employer to even think think way? I wonder, do employers leave the common sence outside the main entrence when entering the job every day? Are the employers whipped into total blindness by increasing the profit when it comes to this? Well, in that case it can't be easy to be an employer in todays society. Let's look at the employee for a change. To make a promise not to have kids in favour of getting a job sounds surrealistic to me. Are you going to wonder if you're going to get dinner on the table or not from day to day if you rather want to achieve your biggest dream ever, which parenthood in many cases can mean? It's just as surrealistic (if not more) why women are subjected to these questions more often than men. I mean, does the men have less responsability when it comes to parenthood? And why should it be difficult to combine family life with a career? I wonder if the short term profit hunger is above the long term advantages as having kids means for todays society?
I have a personal experience myself. I was at a jobinterview at a company I found (and still do) interesting. The company was expanding and it was going very well. I had great odds of getting that specific employment, I should add. When I attended the last interview of many, one senior chief was also attending that interview. Suddenly he asked me, although with a slight sence of humour if I were to have kids. The question was so suddenly asked and it caught me by surprise and I was speechless for a second. The next second I replied by reflex, but with the highest of conviction and honesty that a question like that is not suitable for a jobinterview. I explained that these kinds of questions, no matter if there're asked with a sence of humour or not, often missfavour people (women mostly) to get an employment. He understated that it was with a sence of humour he asked this question, since he noticed that I wasn't amused by his question but more worried. I couldn't help to wonder if my response disqualified me from getting the job. Too bad, because I was really really wanted that job. But if this meant selling out my principles and values, no thanks. The more I think of this topic, the more questions I tend to ask myself.
Last, but not least: Aren't we suppose to rule the market, not the other way around?
This is a possible scenario when you get a new job. A survey made by the labour union, Unionen, where 1800 persons were asked, 7% of all women made promises that they wouldn't get kids. Although 30% of the women did get the question wether they were going to get kids, while only 11% of the men got the same question. The majority of the women are saying in this survey that the reactions where positive when announcing their pregnancies, while 4% are saying the opposite. However 14% of the pregnant women are saying that they've been missfavoured due to their choice of having children when returning to their jobs. A third of both men and women are saying that it's difficult of combining career with family life. They explain that one must often make priorities, and therefore they find it difficult to work overtime, participate in business travels and pick up or drop the kids off at the kindergarden. According to the survey a possible solution to this might be more flexible work and shorter wording days as well as having the opportunity of working temporary from home.
What does this survey tells us? Well, it tells us exactely what should be discussed more than it really does. That it isn't ok for employers to be forced to ask these kinds of questions as much as it isn't ok for (future) employees to be subjected to these questions. What exactely drives an employer to even think think way? I wonder, do employers leave the common sence outside the main entrence when entering the job every day? Are the employers whipped into total blindness by increasing the profit when it comes to this? Well, in that case it can't be easy to be an employer in todays society. Let's look at the employee for a change. To make a promise not to have kids in favour of getting a job sounds surrealistic to me. Are you going to wonder if you're going to get dinner on the table or not from day to day if you rather want to achieve your biggest dream ever, which parenthood in many cases can mean? It's just as surrealistic (if not more) why women are subjected to these questions more often than men. I mean, does the men have less responsability when it comes to parenthood? And why should it be difficult to combine family life with a career? I wonder if the short term profit hunger is above the long term advantages as having kids means for todays society?
I have a personal experience myself. I was at a jobinterview at a company I found (and still do) interesting. The company was expanding and it was going very well. I had great odds of getting that specific employment, I should add. When I attended the last interview of many, one senior chief was also attending that interview. Suddenly he asked me, although with a slight sence of humour if I were to have kids. The question was so suddenly asked and it caught me by surprise and I was speechless for a second. The next second I replied by reflex, but with the highest of conviction and honesty that a question like that is not suitable for a jobinterview. I explained that these kinds of questions, no matter if there're asked with a sence of humour or not, often missfavour people (women mostly) to get an employment. He understated that it was with a sence of humour he asked this question, since he noticed that I wasn't amused by his question but more worried. I couldn't help to wonder if my response disqualified me from getting the job. Too bad, because I was really really wanted that job. But if this meant selling out my principles and values, no thanks. The more I think of this topic, the more questions I tend to ask myself.
Last, but not least: Aren't we suppose to rule the market, not the other way around?
Inlägg
2 kommentarer:
Hej Elisa!
Jag vet inte fan. Om papporna skulle ta lika stort ansvar inför barnen som mammorna så skulle mycket av problemet vara redan löst. Jag håller absolut med dig att själva frågan i sig signalerar om en helt absurt verklighet som alla kvinnor idag handskas med dagligen? Behåll ditt hjärta och din ärlighet så kanske kan vi förändra alltihopa någon dag.
Hej där!
Elisa? Ja, kärt barn har många namn ;) Tack för din kommentar. Det värmer. För att komma tillrätta med detta så behövs gemensamma ansträngningar, både män och kvinnor. Jag är hoppfull om att en förändring är möjlig, men då behövs mer kritiskt tänkande och en talförmåga man inte ska vara rädd för att använda.
/ Elias
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