Parents@Work: Changing Perceptions!

Parents are disadvantaged in workplaces because of their parenting or childcare responsibilities. This has been shown in research as well as through experience gained by counselling agencies such as state equality bodies.

Discrimination often begins in pregnancy and later women continue to do the majority of childcare tasks. Thus, they are much more negatively affected than men. If men want to take on family responsibilities they do not meet the “masculine” role perception and are then also discriminated against in the workplace. Discrimination may include pejorative remarks, deterioration in work atmospheres, designation to inferior tasks and even termination of employment.

Discrimination usually occurs due to prejudices: parents are seen as being less flexible, productive and professionally involved and causing organisational difficulties to the employers because of their parenting responsibilities. Changing attitudes of companies, parenting employees themselves and society in general is necessary. This would lead to more positive perception and reduce discrimination against parents in the workplace.

In the scope of the project “Parents@work“: Changing Perceptions!” the following activities are planned:

• increasing awareness of (hidden) discrimination of mothers and fathers in the workplace and in job applications among employees and employers as well as a broader public;
• developing new strategies to support employers and employees to combat discriminatory practices;
• support gender equality bodies and other counselling organisations with materials and tools for their counselling work and their awareness-raising activities and
• involve companies and their representatives in research and in awareness-raising activities.

Project Partners:

• L&R Social Research
• Ombud for Equal Treatment Austria
• CESI – Center for Education, Counseling and Research
• Ombudsperson for Gender Equality Croatia

This project was co-funded by the European Union in the context of PROGRESS.

For futher information, please visit our project website: https://parentsatwork.eu

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Parents@Work
– Gleichbehandlungsanwaltschaft