Q: Why do lots of companies not hire single parents?

A: This is a question from one of our readers, Relena.

First of all, technically speaking, it is against the law for employers to discriminate against applicants or employees based on civil status, gender, etc. Most of the time though, no one complains, minds or makes an effort to enforce the law. Moreover, there is no clear way to confirm applicant discrimination because an interviewer can always claim that an applicant failed to make the cut due purely to his lack of qualifications.

I cannot speak for all employers but I have worked for some who really do not hire single parents. Some employers may have religious reasons for this preference. Others however avoid hiring single parents because they think single parents have more responsibilities that could take them away from their main duties as employees. In other words, some employers may have the notion that single parents are more prone to making absences because of their situation in life.