NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

Rebecca Kamm: Employers still asking women about baby plans

Herald online
5 Nov, 2013 08:24 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

It's illegal for employers to ask women about their baby plans.Photo / Thinkstock

It's illegal for employers to ask women about their baby plans.Photo / Thinkstock

Opinion by

It occurred to me some months ago I'd reached an age that, for many employers, might spell trouble. Or: p.r.e.g.n.a.n.c.y.

"Planning children any time soon?"

Ask around: you're bound to know a (female) someone who's been asked that loaded and

prohibited

question. And even when it's not verbalised, what's to stop an employer choosing a 30-year-old male candidate over his female counterpart, for that very reason?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

. Nothing.

Obviously there's zero way of knowing how often it's asked - evidence can only ever be anecdotal. So here's mine, direct from the mouths of women I know:

"I've been asked directly, 'I know I'm not allowed to ask this, but are you planning on having kids soon?'"

"An interviewer asked me what I 'thought' about babies."

"I've been asked. I've also been told I was a liability to the business when I was pregnant, and recently missed out on a potential job because my child is 'too young' - nearly three."

"I've been asked by an employer what my childcare arrangements were going to be when I was three months pregnant and freelance."

Discover more

Opinion

Rebecca Kamm: I am terrified of childbirth

04 Jul 03:46 AM
Lifestyle

No kids, no kidding

19 Apr 11:00 PM
Opinion

Do we need maternity wear?

06 May 09:30 PM
Lifestyle

Shift work makes women less fertile - research

09 Jul 10:05 PM

"I've been asked about childcare arrangements, specifically if I had to work nights or weekends since I'm a single working mother."

So how are women dealing?

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Experienced recruiter Emma Espiner says she's witnessed female candidates address the issue proactively, as though to tackle the elephant in the room before it can tackle them:

"I have interviewed plenty of women who have volunteered that information. Usually it's prefaced by 'I'll be really upfront and tell you.' I always wondered if it was a preemptive thing, as my area of recruitment [at that stage] tended to be mostly youngish women. As in, perhaps they felt pressure to answer that unspoken - and illegal - question because of their age and stage."

A recent study of 1,712 married and engaged women found 35 per cent frequently take off their wedding or engagement rings at work, in case they decrease the chance of a promotion.

An additional third said they take their rings off when going for a job interview.

Is hiding the "evidence" of your (presumed) life plan necessary? Does the perceived risk reflect reality? One thing is undeniable: whether employers avoid female employees of "child bearing age" once in a while, or far more frequently that we could ever imagine, damaging assumptions around women and childcare are reinforced each and every time.

That babies are women's work. That women will ultimately lose interest in their careers - or be unable to commit to regular work - with a family. That a fulfilling work-life is only ever, and can only ever be, a second priority for women, after family and the home.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's not hard to see it from an employers' perspective: hiring requires resources, energy and time. You want to minimise risk; make life easier for yourself. That makes perfect, albeit unfortunate, sense. But it also makes an entire demographic feel genuine panic with the fear of forced professional suicide.

Imagine if employers loosened their fearful grip on immediate gain, and recognised their role in shaping a female-friendly economy. The traditional linear career model - cultivated by and geared towards men's uninterrupted working lives - might begin to morph. Flexibility in the workplace might increase. The notion that unalterable working hours are the ideal working prototype might vanish.

There's little value trying to predict who will breed when, anyway. Not all married women want children, and single women have been known to get pregnant too (shocker!). As have older women - and women who already have grown up children. And that 45-year-old guy you just hired? He might suddenly take off for a better paid job, or decide to do the OE he never ticked off in his 20s. He might even leave to be a stay-at-home dad, if you can fathom that.

Ironically, a female applicant yet to start a family could be the best bet of all: hyper aware of keeping her career on track, and hyper vigilant when it comes to to proving her commitment. Fear will do that to a girl.

Follow Rebecca Kamm on Twitter.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
Lifestyle

My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

09 Jul 06:00 AM
Travel

What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

Lifestyle

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

08 Jul 10:00 PM

Get your kids involved in your reno

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Premium
My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

My weight ballooned after I gave up drinking - here’s how I finally quit both addictions

09 Jul 06:00 AM

Telegraph: Battling sugar cravings after giving booze the boot.

What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

What happens to passengers who are refused entry to New Zealand

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

The secret sauce of the bar named NZ's best

08 Jul 10:00 PM
King Charles hosts state visit with burst blood vessel in eye

King Charles hosts state visit with burst blood vessel in eye

08 Jul 08:59 PM
Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper
sponsored

Sponsored: Why heat pumps make winter cheaper

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP