37% of employers in Israel have testified that they would prefer not to hire Haredi men. This is according to data that will be presented tomorrow (Monday) as part of the 'Motivations for Equality' conference to be held by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at the Ministry of Economy. The data reveals a grim picture of widespread discrimination against Haredi, women and minorities.
According to the survey, 42% of employers in Israel testified that they would prefer not to employ Arab men. 60% of the women who contacted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complained that they were exposed to discrimination in their workplace on the grounds of having children and raising them.
In preparation for the conference, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission completed a series of recent surveys that reveal the public's and employers' attitudes toward the status of minorities in the workplace. A particularly grim picture emerges from the comprehensive survey, which shows that 411% of employers would prefer not to employ Arab women who are mothers. 271% said they would prefer not to employ Haredi women who are mothers.
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In recent years, government ministries have defined the integration of Arab and ultra-Orthodox women in the workplace as a central goal.
The survey results also show that 46% of the respondents in the total sample, who are both employers and employees, expressed a reluctance to work alongside an Arab man. This, while 30% of the respondents expressed a reluctance to work alongside an ultra-Orthodox man and 28% expressed a reluctance to work alongside an educated Arab woman. In contrast, those who are treated much better are women over the age of 50. The survey shows that 93% of the employers and 95% of the employees would prefer, or at least see no problem, working alongside a female employee over the age of 50.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner, Ziona Koenig Yair, said of the survey results: "The survey data raises difficult questions regarding the attitudes of the public and employers in particular towards employees from different populations. Although half of the survey participants were women, there was high opposition to employing women with children and worrying wage gaps between women and men were reported. Although most of those surveyed are highly educated, their answers are based on prejudices and stereotypes when it comes to examining the employment of Arabs or Haredim.".
The survey was conducted by 'Interlocking Tools' and included approximately 500 respondents.
