“Do you have any children?”
It’s a question often asked casually in conversation, usually out of curiosity or as a way to get to know someone. However, in employment settings, this question can carry far more weight. While it may appear harmless, the mindset behind it can be damaging, even when the intent is not malicious. An individual’s family status is not relevant in the workplace and should not determine how employees are valued. What matters is that employees are treated fairly across different life circumstances, without discrimination or mistreatment.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Visibility
Family status is a sensitive topic, and many people fail to recognize appropriate boundaries for discussion. There are countless reasons someone may or may not have children, but ultimately, the reasons are irrelevant. Many childless and child-free employees report facing bias in work environments. A Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) survey found that 74% believe that people with children receive preferential treatment at work. Childless and child-free employees are frequently perceived as more available, as they do not have the same “commitments” as employees with children. This perception often leads to expectations that they pick up extra shifts, work holidays, or respond to last-minute demands.
This bias is frequently dismissed as harmless or even logical, yet it places childless employees at a structural disadvantage and pushes them toward increased workloads and burnout. Notably, this belief was not limited only to employees without children, as 80% of those survey respondents were parents, meaning there is a shared awareness of the family status disparity.
A Fine Line: Accommodating versus Prioritizing
63% of SHRM respondents reported being denied time off due to their childless status, while 69% were required to work overtime, and 70% were given a heavier workload to accommodate the needs of colleagues with children.
This issue becomes particularly visible during holidays. Dr. Giula Giunti of the University of St. Andrews Business School has found in her research that during the year-end holidays, managers and colleagues with children do not hesitate to ask childless employees to work longer hours and stay late through less desirable working times because their free time outside of working hours is not valued.
Data: ResumeLab via SRHM.org
To Challenge Unconscious Bias, You Must First Recognize It
This discrimination is subtle, rarely codified in policy, and frequently justified as “common sense,” allowing it to go largely unchallenged. At the core of the issue lies the cultural assumption that parenting represents a more legitimate or demanding life role than any non-parent commitment. However, employees without children have lives filled with responsibilities, boundaries, and personal priorities that are just as meaningful as anyone else’s. As more people, particularly women, are increasingly choosing to remain unattached and begin speaking openly about their choices, we will see a broad societal shift that will impact workplace norms.
The topic of workplace bias both for and against parents and people without children is still emerging within Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) conversations. Recognizing discrimination against child-free workers is not about taking anything away from parents; it is about ensuring that there is no group that silently absorbs burdens that others are excused from. Only by acknowledging these biases can workplaces become truly fair, inclusive, and sustainable environments for everyone.
This article was written by a guest contributor, F. Makoni.
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