This is a hot topic in today’s society and it might be at the heart of your own work challenges. You might have young children and strongly seek a workplace that will accommodate for that, without making you feel less of an employee. Progress might be slow, but it is happening. Our workplaces are starting to make women and mothers more welcome, and play to that advantage.
There is no doubt our work culture has evolved tremendously from the years of hard labour to times where employee well-being is now actually discussed and valued. Women have surfed on this wave with their parenting needs. Thanks to a lack of proper affordable childcare, they need to juggle more their work with their family life. Some give up on the corporate arena and choose their own ventures. It might not be easier, but at least they get to choose their own battles and agendas. Meanwhile mothers help mothers in the workplace, as they know what it is like. All these trends are pointing in the direction of offering better support for mothers to have respectable, fulfilling careers.
The new players in that space offer services and options that were not seen ten years ago: flexible working hours or location, parenting rooms at work, job share arrangements, holiday camps for kids, understanding around start and finish times, and additional leave to care for sick children. Some of these companies get that they will get the talent in exchange. Some use it as a way to market themselves in a cluttered landscape and retain employees. I know of some managers whose performance is actually assessed amongst others on their ability to offer support and options for working mothers.
Thank goodness the world is slightly waking up to the fact that whilst our previous generations focused on motherhood, our generation isn’t able to handle both work and parenthood without blinking an eye. Of course it creates compromises, adjustments and costs. The companies who meet mothers in the middle will attract the best female talent and experience better productivity. Because when given the framework, working mothers will deliver even more than prior to having a family. Who wouldn’t want that?
Sadly some players are still lagging behind, stuck in a macho arena where differences are not allowed. The ‘work hard, play hard’ cultures or the ones who simply turn their backs to mothers’ needs (including in their own customer base) are probably best avoided if you are trying to balance with family life. Industries like law, automotive, or liquor are for instance some of the worse offenders for refusing to move in that space. It will eventually show in their profits if they do not follow the trend (or follow it too late).
So if this is you, my advice is first to have self-belief that such places exist. That it is possible to be a working mother with benefits to do so in the workplace. Let’s not be apologetic about that. Seek the places in your industry or aligned with your expertise who share this culture. Read their career websites and the articles they publish on-line. Ask female colleagues and reach out to your networks. We need to support the companies doing the right thing. Spread the word and tap into those opportunities when you want a new role.
If you are inside an organisation without open policies assisting with family, it is always possible to start from you. Gather some working mothers around and come up with some initiatives that could benefit both you and the business. This is the key – it has to be a win-win situation. Communicate your suggestions in a confident but soft way, highlighting the extra value.
And finally extend your reach to the dads, who also secretly want the same but have an even further way to go prior to being granted those options. So in the end, we are currently the lucky ones. Because we can easily claim our right to also valuing our time with our children. Let’s make use of this precious gift in a way that is respectful, productive and empowering to all.
Over to you in the comments below : what’s your experience of mother-friendly workplaces? Are you looking for flexible work? Have you seen best practices?
