Over 160 women were reportedly subjected to the practice, which is illegal under the country’s laws protecting women’s rights
More than a dozen companies in China have been accused of requiring female job applicants to undergo pregnancy tests, a practice prohibited by Chinese law, according to the country’s official Procuratorate Daily news outlet.
The Tongzhou District prosecutor’s office in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, initiated an investigation into the matter in January, prompted by a local public welfare group.
Investigators examined records from two major public hospitals and a medical exam center, discovering that 168 female job seekers at 16 different companies had taken pregnancy tests as part of pre-employment health checks. The companies’ recruitment and staff insurance records indicated that these tests were requested from the women. Although the requests were often not formally documented, they were verbally conveyed during job interviews.
The rationale behind this practice, as stated by potential employers, was the significant cost of maternity benefits they would incur after a new employee takes maternity leave.
The probe revealed that at least one woman, who was found to be pregnant during the health check, was not hired. Following the investigation, prosecutors filed a lawsuit against the companies, alleging that the practice “violated women’s rights to equal work opportunities.”
The report did not disclose the names of the companies sued or whether they faced any penalties. Under Chinese law, companies that violate gender equality regulations can be fined up to 50,000 yuan ($6,900).
The report indicated that four of the 16 companies under investigation were officially ordered to rectify their violations. Additionally, the three medical institutions involved in the case were “recommended” to refrain from including pregnancy tests in pre-employment health examinations at the request of prospective employers. The woman who had been denied employment after testing positive for pregnancy was subsequently hired and offered compensation.
Chinese law prohibits employers from incorporating pregnancy tests into pre-employment physical checks and other forms of gender discrimination, such as inquiring about female applicants’ marital status or plans to have children. However, research conducted last year by the Inspection Squad for Workplace Gender Discrimination watchdog revealed that male applicants still enjoy an advantage over women in certain sectors, including government jobs. The research found that out of nearly 40,000 national civil service positions, 10,981 were designated for men only, compared to 7,550 for women.