There is an article in the Wall Street Journal by Sue Shellenbarger about Pregnancy Discrimination explaining that claims are up and pregnant women are shocked to learn they have very few rights.

“Pregnancy-bias complaints recorded by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission surged 14% last year to 5,587, up 40% from a decade ago and the biggest annual increase in 13 years.

The agency also received 20,400 pregnancy-bias inquiries at its call center last year, the center’s first full year of operation; that doesn’t include thousands more walk-ins asking about the same topic at fair-employment offices.

“I thought we were protected,” said an advertising executive during a recent gathering of 100 working mothers. “Then I find out we can be fired while we’re pregnant, employers can refuse to hire us — what exactly are our rights?”

While employers can indeed fire, lay off or refuse to hire pregnant women, they can’t single them out for worse treatment.

Many hotline callers also don’t realize they aren’t entitled by federal law to paid childbirth leave, says Melissa Josephs of Women Employed, an advocacy group that runs a hotline,” the article states.

The Family Medical Leave Act only guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid leave and only if they have over 50 employees. Many women use their disability insurance and vacation days to keep getting a paycheck for 6-8 weeks.

Both times I was pregnant I experienced pregnancy discrimination. The second time I was fired at 8 months after repeated comments about my pregnancy being inconvenient to them and losing their training investment. My final firable infraction? Placing labels on a newsletter I wrote for them crooked. What I could do about it? Nothing.

‘”Employers can’t justify adverse actions by using stereotypes, either, such as “now that you’re pregnant, the best thing for you to do is go raise your kid,” says Elizabeth Grossman, an EEOC regional attorney,”‘ says the article.

Oh, you mean like when my boss told me that No I couldn’t work from home, even though he allowed one male editor to work from his San Francisco home and then explained when I quit that he respected my decision to stay home with my baby cause he believed that was best.

It was shocking to me too how few rights pregnant women have against discrimination. Perhaps you too have been thinking you have more rights than you do?

What action can we take? Join MomsRising.org and join the Mother’s Movement to end pregnancy discrimination and expand the Family Medical Leave Act.

Here’s MY family values - Stop Sacrificing MOM!

Post from: Blisstree

Stop Sacrificing Mom!

How cool is that?

I’ve never been able to participate quite this deeply in politics before because I was always reporting on it for newspapers. Reporters report, they don’t participate. So this year, I’ll participate and then report on what it’s like to participate – to you.

So, I got up and made a little speech and got elected to go be a Hillary delegate.

I have cousin in Austin, I’m hoping I can crash at his place so I don’t have to pay for a hotel. It’s delegates pay your own way, which is cost prohibitive if you’re poor. No wonder poor people don’t participate. They can’t afford it.

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to go represent the State of Texas at the , but . . .

Post from: Blisstree

State Delegate – Me

The stimulus has been this election season which has made clear that women are underrepresented in politics. Out of 50 (52?) states only 9 governors are women. We’ve fallen to 71st in the world according to female representation in political office. 71! It’s not just political, less than 3% of Fortune 500 companies are headed by women, only ONE Fortune 50 company is headed by a woman.

Our free market capitalism all too often capitalizes on OUR sexuality with advertising and games designed to convince girls their highest aspiration should be to be the best MissBimbo. We need to get involved in all aspects of our own society and lay some claim to our own damn values and stop allowing them to define us in such derogatory ways.

Come on, Ladies, I want to see some housewives run for office and be heard. Take charge of your local school board or city council! I want to see more companies run by women. I want – crazy – a 50% female congress that represents our equal stake in our country.I want women to be part of the creative process in the media so my daughter and I aren’t stuck with “ultra-sexy seductress” or “traditional homemaker” as characters in movies, advertising and marketing. I want women to get into science labs and include females equally in research.

Women Rule Leadership Training Program aims to provide 80 women with a dream of change the resources and training they need to seek it. I have applied to be one of the 80 women to expand my dream of sparking a Girl Revolution. My dream and vision is to use So Sioux Me to reach parents and give them powerful resources and action steps that empower their daughters to grow up and be confident leaders. Please put your good thoughts, prayers, powers of attraction into my application because I know I can make a huge impact on how we perceive the value of girls in this country.

That leaves 79 slots open to a woman exactly like YOU.

Yeah, YOU.

Why not you?

If not you, then who?

Yet another man who doesn’t understand the value of the feminine perspective? We have the girl-minimizing Disney Princess Culture because Disney had a policy against women in the creative process. We’re left with medications designed for men and ineffective for women because they never thought to include women in medical research. It’s so absurd it’s stupid.

Surely, you can see how ADD WOMEN CHANGE EVERYTHING can literally, well, change everything. For us. For our daughters. Hell, for our men and boys who love us and want the best for us. I want my son to marry a girl that hasn’t been minimized, victimized or damaged by gender inequity. Is that so crazy?

Come on women this is no time for apathy. 

You fill out an online application outlining your dream and experience. Submit a resume or biography and a headshot and hit “submit.” (It’s a rare instance when I take pleasure and hope out of that loaded word.) 

Friday, April 11 is the deadline.  Attendees get free hotel, food and training. Attendees have to pay their own flights. 10 travel scholarships will be awarded based on financial need. Apply Here Now.

Post from: Blisstree

Add Women Change Everything!