Employers and co-workers treat singles differently at work.
Singles face a hostile society that loves romance and couples. It stereotypes and stigmatizes single people for not being in a relationship. Along with those problems, there is workplace bias. Workplace bias hurts singles and does not help to cultivate a healthy work environment for employees.
Workplace Bias, Singlism, and Discrimination Of Singles At Work
Singlism
Politics, society, and employers have an unfavorable view of singles. Singles are treated differently because of being single. Singlism is real and it evades culture and work. This discrimination does not make sense and should not be tolerated since singles are nearly half of the American population. Workplace bias is rooted in singlism.
Second Class Employees
Employers and co-workers treat single workers as second class employees. Employers should realize singles have the same professional needs as married employees Work is work. Marital status, or lack of a marital status, does not equate to someone being a good or bad employee.
Longer Hours
Society and employers assume since singles don’t have a spouse and are childfree they can pick up the slack for married colleagues. Co-workers expect their single co-workers to be there to work, without asking, when they ask for time off. This places burdens on singles to work more while their married co-workers expect vacation. This results in employers, and co-workers, making singles work longer hours because they don’t have kids. The expectations for singles to work longer hours is another example of workplace bias.
Flexibility
Longer hours result in less flexibility. Employers expect singles to be free, flexible, and willing to work. Employers and colleagues expect single employees to trade their time, life, and flexibility to work more hours compared to married employees. This is unfair because singles benefit society outside of work . Singles should not be penalized for being unmarried and childfree. Single employees can decide for themselves if they want to work late or work more hours because they want to, not because their married co-workers expect them to.
Workplace Discrimination
The result of the workplace bias is workplace discrimination against single people for their single status. Employers, whether private or public, should treat single employees the same as married employees. Marriage is not a qualifier to being a good employee. Employers need to realize that demographics have changed and are changing. Employers and co-workers need to recognize that there is a workplace bias and work to change how single employees are treated at work.
