The Mama Bee says the media is failing working mothers. As evidence, she cites Working Mother’s list of Best Companies for Women. Included is Novartis, the drug company that was just ordered to pay $250 million in a sex discrimination suit. Also on the list, Goldman Sachs and Citi, both of which have been sued for pregnancy-related discrimination.
Sharon Lerner, author of the fantastic new book, The War on Moms, writes at Slate, “Thirty-six companies that have been on Working Mother’s 100 Best Companies list have faced “family responsibilities discrimination” suits filed by employees who are pregnant or care for young children, sick family members, or aging parents…” Deloitte and Ernst & Young were two of them.
Then there is Wal-Mart, named one of the Top 10 Best Companies for Women” by PINK magazine. Wal-Mart is embroiled in a massive class action suit involving thousands of female employees. They claim the giant retailer paid them less than men and offered them fewer promotion opportunities.
The Mama Bee is right. (She usually is.) There is very little quality content for working mothers in the media. She writes, “… there are exponentially more publications that tell you how to make the best cupcake or decorate the ideal nursery or plan the perfect birthday party than there are about how to manage your career.” Is it any wonder Working Mother is also reporting that 57 percent of working mothers feel guilty every single day? When frosting and bed skirts get more coverage than the Paycheck Fairness Act, what do we expect?
A few key takeaways from all of this:
- First, companies need to smarten up. There are more women than men on the national payroll and they are a valuable resource. Gender discrimination isn’t just wrong, it’s expensive. According to a report from The Center for WorkLife Law titled, “Family Responsibilities Discrimination Litigation Update 2010“, the number of lawsuits filed by employees with family caregiving obligations has increased almost 400 percent in the past decade. And, employees win in almost half of these cases to an average tune of $500,000.
- Second, women need to do their own homework when they evaluate places to work. “Best companies to work” lists can be starting points, but they often lack any real analysis. Don’t rely on them as your sole data point.
- And third, other women can be the best sources of good information. We just need to start talking to each other – and telling it like it is. So tell me ladies, what do you want to talk about? Use the comment section to suggest future topics for Hello Ladies.
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