Private schools allegedly require women to submit pregnancy tests before employment

AMMAN — The new academic year began with a number of irregularities observed at private school establishments, according to a sector representative.

The irregularities varied from salary issues to violations regarding employment conditions. According to Luay Al Ramahi, chairman of the teachers’ committee at the General Syndicate of Workers in Private Education, some teachers were required to submit pregnancy tests and papers in order to be hired, particularly at the beginning of a new academic year.

Labour violations such as non-compliance with minimum wage requirements have been recently detected by relevant authorities, Ramahi said. Additionally, many teachers have been asked to take on additional work outside the scope of their contracts, he added.

Furthermore, he told The Jordan Times that “contractual violations and employment discrimination still exist in private school institutions, and there is an urgent need to address this problem through the cooperation of all relevant parties”.

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times on Thursday, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Labour Mohammad Zyoud said that “the termination of an employment contract due to pregnancy is prohibited”, adding that schools are not permitted to terminate a teacher’s contract during maternity leave.

Zyoud called on all teachers to report any violations via the ministry’s “Himaya” platform.

Speaking with The Jordan Times over the phone, Jordanian science teacher Dana Laham said that “many female teachers and other school personnel work additional hours, especially during the beginning of a new semester, without receiving their pay.”

“We are asked to work overtime and we are assigned work that is not even a part of our contract,” she further explained.