Caregivers in the Courtroom: The Growing Trend of Family Responsibilities Discrimination

21 Pages Posted: 18 Aug 2013 Last revised: 9 Sep 2015

See all articles by Joan Williams

Joan Williams

UC Law, San Francisco

Stephanie Bornstein

University of Florida Levin College of Law; University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law

Date Written: 2006

Abstract

When people think of sex discrimination, they tend to think of glass-ceiling discrimination and sexual harassment. This article describes and documents a rapidly expanding area of employment discrimination law: family responsibilities discrimination, or "FRD." FRD is employment discrimination against people based on their caregiving responsibilities, whether for children, elderly parents, or ill partners. FRD includes both "maternal wall" discrimination -- the equivalent of the glass ceiling for mothers -- and discrimination against men who participate in childcare or provide care for other family members.

Suggested Citation

Williams, Joan and Bornstein, Stephanie, Caregivers in the Courtroom: The Growing Trend of Family Responsibilities Discrimination (2006). University of San Francisco Law Review, Vol. 41, 2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2311718

Joan Williams

UC Law, San Francisco ( email )

200 McAllister Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
United States

Stephanie Bornstein (Contact Author)

University of Florida Levin College of Law ( email )

P.O. Box 117625
Gainesville, FL 32611-7625
United States

University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley Center on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law ( email )

Berkeley, CA 94720-7200
United States

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