The business case for asking about pregnancy

SIR – You report (February 19) that a third of private sector employers surveyed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission think it acceptable to ask a female job applicant if she plans to have children.

While it seems reasonable to expect larger firms to avoid asking such questions, perhaps we should also consider the situation of an employer in a small organisation who may be interviewing a candidate for a crucial role. Not all jobs can be readily deputed for maternity cover, so perhaps an applicant should be prepared to indicate at the time of an application if she is already pregnant, or is planning a pregnancy within the next 12 months.

As a compromise, employers could apply for exemption from the present restrictions on asking such questions if they employ fewer than 10 staff, or if the role is such that a single person in the organisation must be specifically trained to do it, and the experience required is not generally available.

A fair question for all genders might be: “Are you aware of any medical or personal reason that could affect your ability to work in our organisation over the next 12 months?” Dr Martin Shutkever

Pontefract, West Yorkshire