When most people think of sexual discrimination at work, a scene right out of Mad Men probably comes to mind – rude male bosses making demeaning comments to their female coworkers, or passing women over for promotions because of their gender. However, a recently released report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that it’s not always women who are the victims of employment discrimination.
The report shows that there has recently been an increase in the number of employee discrimination claims made by both men and women who are caregivers of children, the elderly and the disabled. The EEOC reports that the trend has emerged because of changes in the economy, the recession, and changing gender expectations. The trend is also due to an increase in the number of stay-at-home dads, which has more than doubled in the past 10 years. A recent analysis shows that male caregivers make up 45 percent of all family caregivers in the country. Between 2007 and 2009, more men lost more than twice as many jobs as women, which has also led to an increase in stay-at-home dads.
Although men becoming caregivers is more common now than ever, some employers are making it hard for men who want to serve as caregivers. Many employers who will allow women to take parental leave or to work part time or alternate work schedules aren’t as flexible with men. Between 1989 and 2008, the number of employment discrimination lawsuits related to family responsibility discrimination increased from 444 to 2,207, while overall employment discrimination lawsuits declined.
Micha Star Liberty at Liberty Law believes that men and women should be treated equally in the workplace. If you are a man in the San Francisco area and you believe you have been wrongly discriminated against in the workplace, call Micha Star Liberty, Oakland employment discrimination attorney at 415-896-1000. You may have a federal discrimination case, a state case, or both. Call today to learn more.
