In Tongzhou district, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, 16 companies are in hot water for making women take pregnancy tests before hiring them. This practice goes against Chinese law, which clearly says employers can't do this.
The lawsuits came after an investigation started by an anonymous tip.
Prosecutors found out that these companies were trying to dodge the costs of maternity leave and benefits by ensuring the women they hired weren't pregnant. This is a big no-no and violates women's rights to equal job opportunities.
What the Investigation Revealed
The investigation showed that these companies did pregnancy tests without the women’s written consent and even turned down at least one woman because she was pregnant. Prosecutors found that two hospitals and a physical exam center did 168 pregnancy tests for these companies.
Most of the women weren't given written information about the tests; they were just given verbal hints. In one case, a woman who was a few months pregnant didn't get the job because of her pregnancy. After the investigation, the company finally hired her and gave her compensation.
“We can see from this evidence that the pregnancy tests were required by these companies, and it violated women’s rights to equal work opportunities,” the prosecutors concluded.
This development was covered in a report by CNN.
