The stories conjure up images of Ebenezer Scrooge: poor, working mothers whose employers fire them for “absenteeism due to a sick child.” Or an employer who refuses to make flex-time available or accommodate employees who have difficulty arranging child care. These are the scenarios low-income women reported to the 1,700 job trainers and service providers who helped compile a recent nationwide survey, “Detours on the Road to Employment: Obstacles Facing Low-Income Women,” conducted by the National Partnership for Women & Families.
“Persistent job discrimination and a profound lack of work/family supports still stand between far too many low-income women and the jobs they want and need,” said Jocelyn Frye, director of legal and public policy for the Partnership.
More than 54 percent of the service providers said that employers’ unwillingness to accommodate family and medical needs “often” makes it hard for non-welfare clients to find and keep jobs.
