# I have absolutely no pregnancy-dar or how my small business is going to crash and burn **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189 "2015-01-29T02:40:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/41 "2015-09-06T08:49:40Z")
It’s just **Nava** ’s ova estimation, **Fear Itself**. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/42 "2015-09-06T13:41:48Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > 😕 How very urban and redneck of you. So you tell me what a small business owner is supposed to do? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/43 "2015-09-06T14:20:05Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > So you tell me what a small business owner is supposed to do? No matter what you do, Never Ever say, "…Dang… when I said to get busy, _That’s Not What I Meant…!"_ 😛 -d&r- ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/44 "2015-09-06T14:31:28Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Hire a man. > [@Urbanredneck](#): > > So I hate to say it but maybe you should just hire women over age 40 or just men? Is this type of discrimination in hiring legal in the United States? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/45 "2015-09-06T15:43:42Z")
No, it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/46 "2015-09-06T16:00:12Z")
> [@psychobunny](#): > > I know I hold all the cards here but I still feel like crap. I hate saying to somebody that if they go on maternity leave (which is unpaid) that they won’t have a job to come back to afterwards. I think you’re being too hard on yourself, business is business. You have a responsibility to do what is in the best interest of your business while complying with the law. From what I’ve experienced in life, you’re not even scratching the surface of scumminess that many small business owners resort to to stay afloat. People should avoid working for small businesses for this reason - they have far fewer protections such as FMLA, and small businesses cannot usually afford to make the accommodations that larger businesses are legality required to make. ---
**Author:** ![AnaMen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/47 "2015-09-06T16:21:07Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > So you tell me what a small business owner is supposed to do? They are supposed to just reach into their pockets and pass out money, duh. If you own a business, you are obviously a fat-cat-one-percenter who got rich off the backs of hardworking Americans. Quit being greedy. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/48 "2015-09-06T17:20:49Z")
I think there’s some room in the middle here. Perhaps at least a direct phone call or email is the bare minimum, especially for someone you think’s a good employee, that doesn’t quite go into throwing money at the masses territory. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/49 "2015-09-06T18:34:53Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > No, it’s not. Actually, if you have less than 15 full-time employees, it is perfectly legal: [http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/06CFinalDraft.pdf](http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/06CFinalDraft.pdf) > [@](#): > > The [Pregancy Discrimination Act] does not apply to employers of fewer than 15 people. This true not just for pregnancy, but for gender, race, disability, religion, etc. Federal laws prohibiting discrimination in hiring only apply if you have at least 15 or 20 full-time employees, depending on exactly what discriminatory factor is prohibited. Another cite, from the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission: [Coverage of Business/Private Employers | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission](http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/coverage_private.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/50 "2015-09-06T19:30:48Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > This is part of the reason many companies wont hire young women. Yes its sexist but you cannot have your business shut down. > > So I hate to say it but maybe you should just hire women over age 40 or just men? > > But then, why did you need to hire young women in the first place? I can’t believe this is real. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/51 "2015-09-06T19:47:06Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Actually, if you have less than 15 full-time employees, it is perfectly legal: > > [http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/06CFinalDraft.pdf](http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/06CFinalDraft.pdf) > > This true not just for pregnancy, but for gender, race, disability, religion, etc. > > Federal laws prohibiting discrimination in hiring only apply if you have at least 15 or 20 full-time employees, depending on exactly what discriminatory factor is prohibited. > > Another cite, from the US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission: [Coverage of Business/Private Employers | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission](http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/coverage_private.cfm) These, among many other legal disadvantages, are what I was was referring to in my post upthread. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/52 "2015-09-07T01:11:05Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > Actually, if you have less than 15 full-time employees, it is perfectly legal: > > [http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/06CFinalDraft.pdf](http://advocatesforpregnantwomen.org/06CFinalDraft.pdf) > … > Federal laws prohibiting discrimination in hiring only apply if you have at least 15 or 20 full-time employees, depending on exactly what discriminatory factor is prohibited. What about state laws? Do they have a similar threshold for number of employees before anti-discrimination laws kick in? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/53 "2015-09-07T04:13:35Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I can’t believe this is real. Have you ever been a small business owner? This all goes back to the basic 4 of what an employer is looking for in a worker: 1. What is their experience or training? 2. Will they fit in? 3. How long are they going to stay? 4. How much will they cost them? When you hire someone you hope to train them and hope they will stay with you. And you want someone who’s going to work their butt off for you. If you only have 2-3 employees you cant have one miss work for maternity leave. And that goes even further, they dont want a person who is going to put their kids first before their job. And before you scream “sexist” their are women owned businesses and woman bosses who will do the same as a man. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/54 "2015-09-07T09:50:08Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > What about state laws? Do they have a similar threshold for number of employees before anti-discrimination laws kick in? Is it discrimination to pick an employee that you feel will stay with the company longer than another or will be a better fit? This is an issue you see in schools where the school districts like to hire teachers in their 20’s (and mostly women at the elementary schools) but these same young women are more likely to want to start a family and you have issues of several teachers at maternity leave at the same time (I know, it must be something in the water). Up until my son was in 4th grade and had a male teacher 3 of his previous 5 teachers in elementary school had babies during the year and had gone on maternity leave which can really disrupt the classroom when they get alot of subs. Plus then once a woman has a baby she will need more time off to take the baby in to doctors and such and his 3rd grade teacher had to take have about an hour a day off to go pump. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/55 "2015-09-07T11:35:13Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Is it discrimination to pick an employee that you feel will stay with the company longer than another or will be a better fit? Yes, if the reason you think they’ll stay with the company longer or be a better fit is their sex, or that they’re pregnant or likely to become pregnant. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/56 "2015-09-07T13:44:44Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Is it discrimination to pick an employee that you feel will stay with the company longer than another or will be a better fit? > > This is an issue you see in schools where the school districts like to hire teachers in their 20’s (and mostly women at the elementary schools) but these same young women are more likely to want to start a family and you have issues of several teachers at maternity leave at the same time (I know, it must be something in the water). > > Up until my son was in 4th grade and had a male teacher 3 of his previous 5 teachers in elementary school had babies during the year and had gone on maternity leave which can really disrupt the classroom when they get alot of subs. Plus then once a woman has a baby she will need more time off to take the baby in to doctors and such and his 3rd grade teacher had to take have about an hour a day off to go pump. See, but that’s based on assumptions you’re making. You’re ignoring that a male teacher may take a child care leave when his wife/partner has a baby or any teacher might take one when adopting a child, ignoring that any teacher may need time of to take someone (whether it’s a newborn baby, the grandchild they have custody of , a spouse or an elderly parent) to the doctor, ignoring that any teacher may become ill or injured and need a disability leave. None of them are going to be any less disruptive than the 26 year old female teacher’s leave. It’s easy to say a 20- something year female old is more likely to need maternity leave - but I’ve never seen anyone compare that to the rate of of 50-something year old men who need time off due to a heart attack or the rate of employees needing any kind of extended leave in general. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/57 "2015-09-07T14:00:29Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > And before you scream “sexist” their are women owned businesses and woman bosses who will do the same as a man. It’s sexist because you are assuming that men don’t have children, or that if a man does have children, it won’t affect his employment. Women are out for a few weeks around the time of giving birth, but men of child-bearing age could be out equally long for a sports injury. Both parents equally have child-minding duty, or might take time off for a sick child. Sexists assume that women have a disproportionate share of child-care duty. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/58 "2015-09-07T14:08:33Z")
Yeah, fuck, **Urbanredneck**. As a parent affected by someone becoming a parent, you should be outraged. The fucking inconvenience of female biology. Even when we’ve managed to manipulate it through birth control and IVF and elective caesareans and snap-back deliveries, the fucking thing STILL gets in the way of someone fucker wanting SOMETHING. Is Apple working on iWomb yet? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/59 "2015-09-07T15:02:49Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > Is Apple working on iWomb yet? Someday it will be available. You’ll have to enter a 20-digit key of upper, lower, and special characters 3 times perfectly to get the iWomb epidural to work though. Apple still isn’t saying what year they’ll be get it to market though, because the prototypes keep getting smashed during the clinical trials… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Nylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mr.Nylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Nylock)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189/60 "2015-09-07T15:26:39Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > See, but that’s based on assumptions you’re making. You’re ignoring that a male teacher may take a child care leave when his wife/partner has a baby or any teacher might take one when adopting a child, ignoring that any teacher may need time of to take someone (whether it’s a newborn baby, the grandchild they have custody of , a spouse or an elderly parent) to the doctor, ignoring that any teacher may become ill or injured and need a disability leave. None of them are going to be any less disruptive than the 26 year old female teacher’s leave. It’s easy to say a 20- something year female old is more likely to need maternity leave - but I’ve never seen anyone compare that to the rate of of 50-something year old men who need time off due to a heart attack or the rate of employees needing any kind of extended leave in general. The teacher comparison is inaccurate; the business the OP has does not offer paternity or disability leave, (FMLA), and has no legal requirements to do so due to the small size. It is generally known that 50 year old people will have more health issues than younger workers on the whole, this data is not difficult to find. The legal starting point to claim age discrimination is 40 years old. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-absolutely-no-pregnancy-dar-or-how-my-small-business-is-going-to-crash-and-burn/711189.md?page=4)