I recently learned that if we tried to obtain a job, we would be immediately turned down because of our race, not because our views. This is completely unacceptable discrimination, and I'm sick of it.

I'm the only person in my office. My supervisor has accused me of bringing my children to work, even going as far as to put it in my review and docking me for it. My children,19 mo. and 5 mo.) attend daycare. My children have never come with me to the office. What can I do?

I am a 42-year-old divorced mom in Connecticut. I have a son who is now aged 18 and ,actualy living on his own, and a daughter who is 12. To try and make a long story short, most of my adult life I was as stay-at-home mom/homemaker other than between the ages of 18-22 at which point I Was totally single and working clerical jobs for a few tem agencies here in CT, as well as, a couple full time jobs. When I was in the middle of my divorce from my son's father, I temped for a few weeks tha got a full time cashier/clerk job at a local well-know retail pharmacy chain. After 2 months, they required mandatory Sunday meetings, and also since my son started full-time kindergarten, I was no longer able to work until 5PM, thus I felt I had no choice but to quit. 2 months later, I got a part time ofice job at a local electrical company. That lasted for about 2-3 months until the office manager got tired of my son's school calling to say "You need to pick Michael up; he's sick", or "early dismissal today due to snowstorm", etc,etc. So, so much for that job. By Spring of the folloiwng year I became pregnant with my daughter so I said "forget it" as far as working for awhile. In late Fall of 2002, I got a part-time job telemarketing for a replacement window company-yes the kind of place where they bug you during dinner (LOL) . Granted I am not crazy about this type of work, but none the less it was a job, with good, and supposedly flexible hours which were really what mattered to me. 3 months went by and all seemed well oter than getting hung up on or swore at by some irrate people. However once December hit the "do-do" hit the fan! 3 weeks before Christmas, my son came home with an earache, and missed teh rest of teh week of school as it turned out he had a bad ear infection. Terefore I stayed home with him. The following week, he was fine but my daughter after going to school 2 days, got an earache and ended up with an ear infection as well and was out all the rest of that week! Finally the next week my ex DH came home from work very, very sick, took him to Dr's next day, was worse day after ad finally had to go in the hospital and I had to take care of him when he got out, etc. To make a VERY long story short, when it was FINALLY time for me to go back to work, i went in and my boss wouldnt even let me come in the phone room-she told me "wait here" outside the door. When she came out she said she had to let me go because if she didn't her boss (co owner) would fire her and she couldn't afford to have that happen. Turning the clock ahead to more recent times...June 2007-I file for divorce from DH #2 after 12 years in a verbally/physically abusive marriage, and start the job hunt. In July I get a job doing business to business telemarketing for a company and an affluent town in CT. after 3 weeks they let me go because I wasn't "up to quota" with calls-something noone told me about until my second day-go figure! After this I joined a staffing co which after 2 months, was able to give me what seemed like the "perfect" job for me: 5 minutes from my old house, great "Mom's Hours"-9am-2PM Mon-Fri, $10 per hour which was good $$ for me combined with my child supports. Well the week of T/giving my daughter who was 11, came home with a sore throat and fever and by the next day was worse, so I had to call out...staffing co said "no problem". The next week on a Monday my than 17-year old stayed home with some type of flue-bug and about a 100 degree temp. Being that he was 17, I went to work, even though I felt kind of guilty leaving him home alone. On my 15-minute break I ever ran home just to see he was ok. The nest day he wentto school even though he didnt feel well as he had a test he said he couldn't niss. However by the next day he was in HORRIBLE shape, and his sister AND MYSELF had caught it! I called teh staffing co to say we were ALL sick...they said again, no problem. ABout 45 minutes later they called me apologizing but the co I had been temping at said they didnt want me back...he it was, Christmas around the corner and "Mom" lost her job-I was devastated! I went back to work for a former employer of mine from late January-late February only to discover he was no more family freindly at that point than he had been in 0ct 2003-May 04, so I left there again. After yet another fiasco with that company, I left never to work anywhere since! To make ends meet along with my child supports all last Spring & Summer I did "odd jobs" like shop for people, give people rides locally, etc. However after meeting a really GREAT guy who, I have to say, treats me like a Queen I decided to put my old house up for sale as I did not have nor could I obtain the money I would need to repair it to where I could of gotten alot more than I sold it for. Had I of not sold it when I did I would of almost certainly have been in foreclosure right about now. So I took what I could get, which wasn't squat after paying atty fees, late property taxes, realtor fees, etc. We left the town I had lived in for 13 years and are now renting a nice 3 bedroom 2-full bath small farm built in 1910 on almost an acre of land. Sounds nice, right? It is-in fact it's beautiful, but the problem is we are late on our rent because I am not working, though I have once again been looking, and my boyfirend has been out of work for a few months. If we were as rich in money as we are in love, believe me we'd be BILLIONARES, but sadly love doesn't pay the rent.
At any rate companies need to WAKE UP and hire moms, and just realize that with moms in their employ things will come up with their kids, or allow the moms to work at home if she has the proper equipment, or even provide the equipment! However if a mom has a non-clerical type job such as in a store, restaraunt, etc the employer should just "suck it up" and do their best to try to comver the moms shift, and if not-deal with it!

Have you ever been discriminated? Well I have when I was walking to school this guy in his car rod by me and called me na BLACK NIGGA I didn't like that very much and I took it very affensive so if someone ever discrinates you should tell someone to get it off your back no matter how bad it hurts BUT don't tell a stranger tell someone you love dearly and tell them what they should do too DON'T let hurt the inside take it to the outside. by the way I am 15 yrs old and I have exsperiences too.

i went into a job interview today and they boss or manager told me people with children didnt apeal to him and i didnt get the job