Check out the latest Speechly Speak column Dragons Den outrage, I would be really interested to hear your thoughts on this.

It was interesting to read your posting.   As an HR recruiter, I regularly speak to women who have chosen to alter their working hours to spend more time at home with their children.   Despite having been very succesful in high accountability roles in the corporate sector, they are struggling to return to  real part-time roles.   There is a difference in sourcing a part-time role with a new employer and returning on a flexible working plan with the existing employer of course.  However, there is a prevailing sense that whilst some employers do offer up flexible working arrangements to their working mothers all too often these roles require the individual to continue to deliver the outcomes that would be achievable (just) in a 5 day working week, in a 4 or even 3 day working week!  This obviously puts enormous pressure on the individual to work longer hours, either in the office or at home, on their official 'working' days and most are still checking their blackberry on their days off.  All of this for 75% of their previous salary!   This can lead to resentment between the employee and employer and break the crucial psychological contract.

There are still not enough real part-time roles in the city and there are so many HR professionals with enormous value to add, sat on the bench.  It is such a waste of talent!  Particularly in these tough financial markets it is surprising that more employers are not considering part-time hires or job-sharing.  Is there an argument to say that a highly effective HR Manager could achieve in 3 days what a less effective individual could in a 5 day working week, for the same pro-rated salary?

I believe that switched-on recruiters are proactively encouraging hiring managers to consider part-time solutions to their resourcing needs, but more needs to be done.   I don't suggest that I know about every part-time HR vacancy in the city, but I do know that in the past 6 months I have only worked on 1.  If this is at all representative of the employment market, I can't help but think that employers are missing a trick here!

Jo

It's a real problem, at least from my experience.

After a couple of not so nice (actually very upsetting) experiences from employers, the only options that would work for me was to work for myself.  Which I have done and though it has been tough, it's been totally worth it.

Types of things I've faced:

• discrimination for being pregnant
• discrimination for taking time off (on a contract job) to look after my poorly son
• inability to tell employers upfront that I have kids and need flexibility because as soon as this is mentioned they go completely quiet on me
• recruitment agencies want the best person for the job, an under 30 woman with 2 kids is not their perception of someone good for the job.
  

No I'm not looking for sympathy and to some extent I can understand why employers get scared.  Everything is so short term these days.  People don't stay in jobs long, staying more than 4 years in a job is now being considered as 'long'.  So if someone is having kids that could easily account for 2 years of not working.  Do the maths.  (Though please don't take this that I support the discrimination that happens!)

There is a problem, though not sure what the answer is. 

I'm the kind of person that (often) chooses not to fight the problem.  I prefer to spend my time on creating positive change for my life or the projects I'm working on. 

Hi Rosie,

 I have some excellent individuals in my network right now who, like you, having failed to find an interesting part-time opportunity in-house, have started their own HR consulting business, and/or worked as an interim.

As a recruiter, I completely recognise (and welcome) our role in forwarding the agenda on this issues, for example by looking to source alternative staffing options for our clients when they allow it.  However, the issue is, unless our clients (who has the ultimately say as the buyer) will consider part-time candidates, our hands are tied.  We have to work with the industry on this issues, it can't be forced from a candidate perspective, as we know!

Good to hear back from someone on this issue.

Thanks, Jo

Companies really need to be implementing a consistent policy on maternity leavers and returnees.  We conducted a “Return to Work” survey in October last year and a staggering 58% of respondents stated that their company did nothing to help them return to work confidently. With The Tribunals Service estimating that 30,000 women a year lose their jobs due to maternity related issues, it’s a massive problem.

The problem doesn’t just begin with maternity leave of existing employees. There has been a strong reaction to increased family friendly working in many sectors, particularly in small businesses where staffing is key. An EAMA (Engineering and Manufacturing  Alliance) survey from back in 2005 concluded that many employers would start to restrict the opportunities of young women, choosing instead to unofficially avoid employing women of childbearing age . Small companies in particular feel that holding roles open for 12 months maternity leave is not viable, and can also lead to temporary workers gaining employment rights whilst they are covering key staff.

Communication is the key to moving forward with this issue. At Corporate Mothers we’re working with employers and employees to see that both sets of needs are met. Many companies simply do not consult their employees on the issue of flexible working, leading to dissatisfaction on both sides. Considering the replacement costs of senior managers in large organisations can be 3-5 times their salary, this issue can have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line.

However, working mothers also need to take responsibility and positively communicate their desire to work flexibly.  Only 30 % of respondents in the Corporate Mothers survey actually asked for flexible working, with many stating that that they believed there was no point in even asking.

Forward thinking employers are increasingly aware of the need to implement flexible, family friendly working patterns in order to keep key staff members. This process requires buy–in from the top down, training for managers and consultation with all employees. Too often, resentment can occur when those choosing not to work flexibly are excluded from the programme. With regular communication and team meetings, these issues can be overcome.

There are still far too many women being driven from careers they trained hard for and enjoy. Furthermore, the related skills shortage also need to be addressed. For example, in the IT industry, some 52% of women are leaving careers in their 30s and 40s according to New York’s Centre for Work Life Policy and this trend is being mirrored in the UK.  

No highly qualified professional should be forced out of their career just because they decide to start a family. Whilst we could spend ages on the debate as to whether having children is a “lifestyle choice”, I believe it’s time that we faced reality.  Women are not a minority sector of the workforce and they are in the workforce to stay. 

At the risk of stating the blindingly obvious (!):

• People will continue to have children
• Women will continue to be those who give birth
• Demographics will continue to change so that women will account for the majority of the workforce: A massive 80% of the growth in the UK workforce will be accounted for by women in the next few years

In light of these truths, organisations need to explore positive ways to support talented working mothers so that they in turn can contribute to the success of the organisations that employ them. Ignoring working mothers, or operating an unofficial policy of quiet discrimination, is not going to make the “issue” go away.  The companies who will be seen as real employers of choice in the future will be those who respond proactively and creatively to achieve a solution that benefits both the organisation and its employees.

I’d be interested to hear more about your experiences of dealing with the maternity period either personally or from an HR perspective.