Are males protected from discrimination if they become fathers?
The laws enforced by EEOC do not prohibit discrimination based on parental status, although some state and local laws may. However, an employer generally may not treat male employees with children differently than it treats female employees with children. For example, an employer may not refuse to provide a male employee with time off to attend a child’s school function when it regularly allows female employees time off for the same reason. Male employees who are new fathers may have additional rights under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides certain employees up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave. For more information on the FMLA, which is enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor, see http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/benefits-leave/fmla.htm.
