JACKSONVILLE SHIPYARDS

Case Study - Jacksonville Shipyards

Case Study - Jacksonville Shipyards

Introduction

In many countries of the world, motherhood is the most primary reason why women workers are prohibited to work, when experiencing the phases of pregnancy and care-giving. Even in modern societies, we see that motherhood and pregnancy relates to a lay-off from work, and women are assumed to be quitting their professional routines in these stages. Despite various socio-economic changes experienced by the countries, in which both men and women participate in the state activities, women continue to face barriers that prevent them from achieving their developmental goals, and hence delaying the country's progress. One such obstacle is the discrimination of women in education, recruitment, training and wage discrimination due to the physical states of either having child or about to giving birth.

Discussion

The law is clear that discrimination against a female employee on the grounds of her pregnancy is unlawful. But many employers complain of the cost, disruption and administrative burden of dealing with pregnant employees and those on maternity leave (Boatright, 2009). It would seem that these concerns combined with an ignorance of the legal position have combined to leave working mothers at continuing risk of discrimination and employers at risk of costly compensation clams.

In the face of these ongoing problems, the Government has continued to champion the cause of working parents and the right to a proper work-life balance. However, recent proposals to extend maternity benefits and flexible working arrangements have already faced criticism from employer organizations. In this article we take a basic look at the legal protection presently afforded to pregnant employees and those on maternity leave and look at some interesting practical cases as well as the proposals for future developments.

One question for an employer is whether an employer can be liable for automatically ...