Does society favor couples?

NBC4-TV, Washington, DC

Census figures show singles make up more than 40% of the U.S. population.

You would think that would equate to strength in numbers. However, singles increasingly say they are getting a raw deal, facing what's being called "marital status discrimination" at work and in the market place.

"I felt very slighted and I wondered why my life was less important than someone else's," one person said.

"Bottom line: I don't think it's fair," another person said.

In a society centered on family, singles say they're being treated like second-class citizens.

It's a problem sociologist Dr. Bella DePaulo has researched for years. She believes the trouble starts with a simple premise: "If you're single, you don't have a life," DePaulo said.

"To make that assumption that we don't have as much invested in our personal lives as someone who may have a family or children is an incorrect assumption," D.C. single Don Owens said.

Owens said his former employer always assumed he'd be ready to drop everything to work late and travel for weeks at a time, though his married co-workers had a choice.

And his is hardly a unique experience.

"The people with families would leave at 5 and if I were to want to do something at night they'd just look at me like, 'But you have a job.' But I'd been here for 8 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours," another single said.

Christy Cave heads up a local singles group with 60,000 members.

"I hear a lot of grumblings about single people who are fed up with how they're made to go on the most amount of travel trips, they're made to work the most amount of off-peak hours, holiday hours, late-night hours," Cave said.

And it's not just about the hours. DePaulo believes, in most workplaces, it's actually costing you money to be single.

"Workers who have their spouse on their plan are actually getting a greater compensation for the same job than the single workers," DePaulo said.

According to statistics from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, in the private sector U.S. employers contribute about $2,605 toward single employees' health care coverage each year.

By contrast, the average employer contribution to an employee with family coverage is $6,479, a difference of nearly $4,000.

"When it comes to compensation, when it comes to medical benefits, we should have the same consideration as married couples," Owens said.

It's often not much better when you leave the office. We've all seen the 2-for-1 deals at places like restaurants and health clubs.

"A single person pays full price, and in that way is actually subsidizing all these great specials and discounts," DePaulo said

"I'll just come out and ask, you know, 'Does it have to be a couple, meaning a husband and wife? Can I join with a girlfriend?' So I'll ask, sometimes 'NO! The answer is no!' Yeah it feels a little bit discriminatory," single Tina Smith said.

Although singles are organizing and becoming more vocal, DePaulo warns they face a significant challenge.

"They're going to be told they're selfish, they're self-centered and whiny. You need to be resolute and be sure of yourself," DePaulo said.

Social Security is also an issue. You can work side by side with a married person, doing the exact same job for years.

When a married worker dies, those benefits go to a spouse or children, whereas the benefits collected by single people go straight back into the system.

You can find out more about being "singled out" online at www.workplacefairness.org or www.unmarriedamerica.org.