Moms Make Less Money

Moms work hard, and working moms essentially have two (if not more!) jobs.  With that kind of work ethic, you'd think mothers would be compensated well in the workplace.  Unfortunately, you'd be wrong.

Most people are aware that there is a substantial wage gap between the genders.  Studies show that women make about 75 cents on the dollar for the same work that men do (women of color make even less).  But a new study shows that moms are penalized, seemingly simply for being mothers.

Business Week reports that mothers, on average, make $11,000 a year less than their childless counterparts.  In fact, the gap between mothers and the child free is greater than the gap between the genders.  What's more disturbing is the study found that non-moms were hired 100% of the time over moms.  That's right: 100%.

Having a child does not harm men's chances to be hired, nor does it affect their salary.  Fathers actually earned higher ratings than men without children.

What does this say about the perception of mothers in the workplace?  Are they viewed as less reliable ("Sorry, Timmy is sick today!"), less dedicated?  And how are father's family roles perceived?  Finally, what does this say about how businesses treat their employees and their families?

What do you think is fair?