Story on the front page of DS.

May I just say - PC bullshit!

He let a MAN go early in the series 'cos he missed his family.

He asked all the candidates about moving location in the boardroom this week.

So to whoever made those comments - stop talking out of your anus!

Carl

I completely agree. As soon as anyone asks a woman a very legitimate question about her plans to commit to his company all hell breaks lose. What should he have done, employ her and risk a very big investment? Just because we are women does not mean that we need to be protected by overzealous PC people who haven't got anything better to do. Of course there still are neanderthals out there who will use just about every excuse not to employ a woman, and specifically any women of childbearing age, but that is not the case here. This was a man looking to protect his investment and making sure he chose the right person this year after the debacle of Michelle last year.

The cold hard reality of it is that if you are a single mother you need to have a good support system in place because there is no partner to help out when unexpected situations arise. I know because I am a working mother of three with a husband who is abroad most of the time. However careerorientated you might be, your children will always be your first priority. If not by choice, then purely by instinct. A good support system is vital. The same applies not just to working single mothers, but also for working single fathers!

OK, start shooting.......

Question for you. As a mum, if you were to take part in something like the Apprentice and it meant you might have to move, wouldn't you discuss the implications with those who help you before you start?

For me, thats why I didn't believe Katie on that. It proved she was just playing games.

Carl

Firstly I would like to make clear that I hold the single mothers participating in this program in high praise, because it is very difficult to have a real career when you have young children. My children are great, but they have all had their healthissues which in some cases still last. The stress this puts on you as a carer is humongous! As I said earlier you need to have ironclad arrangements to deal with all the situations.

In another thread there is talk of the politically incorrect and illegal questions asked in the interview round. Personally I think this is just a load of toot (in the wise words of SAS). I think SAS was justified in calling Katie out. She had just been telling how everything was arranged and that her parents were thinking about moving halfway between her and her sister anyway. The moment SAS questioned her again she turned around and said she hadn't talked to her parents.

I think they used these questions to root out any inconsistency in all of their stories. I find it very difficult to believe that Katie tried to make us believe she chose her children over the job. The woman who uttered the words 'If I am meant to be pregnant I still will be after finishing the marathon'.

It was just a question of saving face for all involved. Katie didn't go through the humiliation of getting fired in national television, SAS didn't make a fool of himself two years in a row by hiring the one person who was guaranteed to shove hus job where the sun doesn't shine and the producers of the show can breathe a little easier since they let a contestant enter who didn't want the job from the beginning.

Sorry for the lenght of my post but I have just been reading the "politically incorrect interviews" thread. I am still shocked to see how many woman see themselves as in need of protecting against the big bad business world. My honest opinion is ask the damn questions and ask them to anyone, be it male or female. The people who want to discriminate will do it regardless of some rules.

"My honest opinion is ask the damn questions and ask them to anyone, be it male or female. The people who want to discriminate will do it regardless of some rules."

That's the whole point! Take my example. I have a high powered job and so does my hubby. we have two small children. Is it fair that if we both go for an interview I don't get the job because "She's got small kids" and he doesn't even get asked about it? Some employers won't employ women of childbearing age because they are too much hassle. I am highly qualified with an expensive tax payer funded education ( I work in the public sector) should this be wasted because I've got kids?. Because my employer is very clued up on this stuff I am allowed to work flexibly...this results in me being very dedicated and I have much less time off than some staff (men included) who drop days with sniffles and hangovers. The economy cannot afford to turn it's back on 50% of the workforce. The reason I am so angry with the apprentice is that it is not a real job interview but it has shown to some people that women with children are more trouble than they're worth and you shouldn't employ them. It's nothing to do with being PC - it's to do with recognising that in the corporate world work/life balance has a place for men and women and a happy workforce is a hard working workforce.

That just isn't true.

Katie WAS through to the final. She decided against it.

You've also got Kristina who made it quite clear she's a mum first and foremost.

Had it not been for Katie deciding against going through, its quite probable that we could have had a women only final.

Last year, Michelle won.

I think that once you have your mindset on a subject you look for evidence to backup your assertion. In this case, I don't think that's correct.

Carl

I think we have to realise that it was not SAS who decided not to hire Katie, it was Katie who herself decided against taking the place in the final. IMHO she used her children as an excuse to step back without losing face. SAS just used what he saw in front of him (or what was whispered in his ear).

Of course it is horrendous that women don't get jobs because of men (and in many cases) women think they lost their brain in childbirth. I quit my job because my boss thought I would not be able to function as well after birth as I did before. I had to prove myself much more than my male colleagues when I started my new job all the while earning less money then the boys..... I know all the imbecile behaviour that goes on I have dealt with it myself.

I do however still believe that nothing gets solved by avoiding issues in interviews. We should strive to reach a situation where both men and women are treated equally regardless of age, sex, religion, etc. The only way I see how is to learn from each other's opinions. That means asking men a lot of awkward questions as well.

My husband works fulltime (he owns a company) and hasn't worked a day less since becoming a father. He is starting to become an exception. One of my best friends is married to a teacher, the other one is married to a policeman. Both work parttime (the men) and both were passed over for promotions many times. The polivefriend just made detective after almost 10 years of waiting and watching the fulltimes getting all the good jobs. It does not happen to women alone.

Good point. I am sure there are men who would prefer a better home/life balance but are scared to 'drop the ball'. Will there ever be such a seismic shift in business culture?
And Carl....it's not just me 'looking for evidence'. If this was all in my head surely I'd be a lone 'Millie Tant' voice rather than it being a front page DS story?

On the bright side - At least he didn't award Katie with a copy of...
"MAVIS Beacon teaches typing". A useful skill for either sex...

When I was watching last week's show it never even crossed my mind that SAS was being sexist - it was Katie's doing for not considering how she was going to organise her life should she get picked for the final. She went on there wanting to win (for whatever reason), so surely she would have put some form of plan in place and spoken to her parents before she went on the show?

All this just makes me think she's doing it purely for exposure, especially in light of the stories that she applied for Big Brother. She is a bizarre woman. (And, although I was spitting feathers at her Mavis comments, it didn't half make me laugh. Especially when they tackled her about it on You're Fired.)