What do I do if i think I am facing discrimination for being PG?

[JessJess3908]

Will try to make this short & simple...

I am 30 weeks PG and recently applied for promotion at work (say I'm band B and new job is band A).

The new job is very similar to mine (same job title, very similar duties). So although it wasn't good timing, I applied for it for the experience of applying and on the off chance that I would have a better job to go back to after mat leave.

It is being advertised both internally & externally. I submitted my application form - I'm very good at writing, had it sanity checked by colleagues and am confident that I answered all the questions and should have got an interview.

My boss is having trouble back filling my post - he contacted boss of new job and said that if they have any good applicants who they don't offer the new job to, please can they tell him as he will then offer them my job as I'm just about to go on mat leave.

Got letter today to say I haven't even got an interview

I am very upset and confused. I cannot for the life of me work out why they wouldn't have interviewed me based on my application alone.

So.... what do I do?

Contact HR - many firms automatically interview internal candidates so ask why you weren't considered.

Thank you lala - I know that you can request to see the notes made at interview but I wasn't sure how it worked at the paper sifting stage...

absolutely ask them to justify the sift. I shortlist as part of my role and everything I decide is documented. If there is a genuine reason they should be able to tell you. I don't think there is though. It's crap isn't it? My experience was slightly different from you - I was about 34 weeks when the awaited opportunity came up. Before I told my manager I was pregnant the job was talked about as a permanet opening which I might want to go for. By the time it went out to advert months later it was a 9 mth secondment. My manager knew I planned to take a years maternity leave and told me that whilst i was welcome to apply she wouldn't be able to appoint me because she needed someone in post for the next 9 mths. She said they would definately have other opportunities coming up and was very positive. Now it's over a year later and those opportunities have not come up - the one job that did come up just as was finishing my maternity leave was very firmly described as a full time role (I do about 3/4 of 1 WTE and have no plans to do more) I applied but was not successful. The (male) candidate who was successful was somebody who I interviewed, trained and managed up to going onto maternity leave. I am now totally miserable at work and wish to goodness I had made a fuss when this all started off. I wanted to continue working there and thought if I had faith in them they would 'see me right'. That was a huge mistake on my part - don't make the same mistake!

Thanks Northern - I just feel so upset that i wasn't even given the chance of an interveiw.

It is a fixed term post. I think it was advertised for 1 to 2 years with possible extention to 3. Doesn this make a difference to how they can discriminate?

The part time thing is difficult, isn't it? I'm already worried how I'm ever going to get promoted if I'm working pt. Oh lord - I'm 30 and I feel like my career is over

I don't know if the fixed term thing makes a difference - I actually suspect not but hopefully someone will be able to advise. I know what you mean about fearing your career is over - I have caught myself thinking 'if I hadn't had the baby....' and then I hate myself and them for making me think like that

Oh and what makes me particularly mad is that this was my third child. The whole time I've worked for my employers I have been a mother and I've done a bloody good job at both sides of my life I think - but it doesn't seem to have got me that far.

Hi JessJess, I agree with northern, talk to HR for starters (assuming they are a good HR who will do a proper job and give you a proper answer). I would also put it very casually in writing, like send an email asking why you did not even get an interview?

You might need the email one day.

(Can you hear my cynicism that all cos are run by middleaged men who fing hate us troublesome women??)

Thanks NL & OLI...

Do you know how much they're obliged to tell me? I'm worried they could say yes you answered questions x,y,z ok but the other candidates answered them much better and no you can't see their answers because they're confidential.

It would be so simple if they just emailed back and said your form was great but we're not going to interview you becauase you're a big pregnant moo...

NL is right, the fixed term nature of the post makes no difference. If you have not been shortlisted because you are pregnant that is sex discrimination regardless of the fact that you may not be able to work for a large proportion of the contract.

Agree with everyone that your first step is to ascertain what their reason is for not shortlisting you. Put a request for this in writing to whoever was responsible for the shortlisting and copy in someone reasonably senior in HR. They may well not give you the real reason, but you do need to get this information from them.

Equality Human Rights website is very accessible and has a good section on what do to if you feel you have been discriminated against. As you will see, there are strict time limits and you must put in an internal grievance first. Have a read of that section.

In terms of what information they are obliged to provide. If you bring a claim for sex discrimination you (or your legal adviser) will normally put in a special questionnaire which goes to the employer requesting documentation. Interview notes for candidates other than yourself can be included in this. So they are not confidential in that sense but there is a formal process to go through to get them - you can't just ask. Well you could, but they'd say no!

Have a look at the link and do come back with any more questions if you have them.