Written by Anita Galbraith
08 Mar 2023
How to support mothers in the workplace
Did you know women are over three times more likely than men to work part-time to care for children?
In the UK, more than half of mothers have experienced discrimination at work during pregnancy or maternity leave.
And, when they return to work after maternity leave, 50% of mothers report insufficient flexibility, meaning they struggle to balance work and family life.
With these disappointing statistics in mind, what can we do to make the workplace more supportive for mothers? Let’s explore.
Flexible arrangements, where mothers can complete work outside of the traditional 9-5, means that they can perform their duties as a professional and as a mother.
Flexible working arrangements also allow fathers or partners to care for children while mothers are working, allowing a more equal share of responsibilities.
This is a significant proportion of the average UK worker’s post-tax earnings, meaning that often, one parent - usually, but not always the mother - is forced to leave their jobs to care for their children full-time.
This can result in women falling behind in their careers, resulting in lower lifetime earnings.
Companies can help mothers to overcome this hurdle by contributing to a childcare scheme or, in larger organisations, providing discounted on-site childcare.
They can also ensure that decision-makers undergo training to reduce bias against mothers.
Eden Scott CEO Michelle Lownie says: “Women make a hugely valuable contribution to the workforce - to avoid losing out on their skills and talent, companies must ensure mothers are supported. If an organisation sees a significant drop-off in retention rates for mothers after they return from maternity leave, this is a sign that more work on improving conditions for mothers needs to be done.”
Explore what it’s like to hire with us, or get in touch for support.
In the UK, more than half of mothers have experienced discrimination at work during pregnancy or maternity leave.
And, when they return to work after maternity leave, 50% of mothers report insufficient flexibility, meaning they struggle to balance work and family life.
With these disappointing statistics in mind, what can we do to make the workplace more supportive for mothers? Let’s explore.
Provide flexible working arrangements
How flexible is your flexible working policy? Inflexible working arrangements represent real career barriers for many mothers.Flexible arrangements, where mothers can complete work outside of the traditional 9-5, means that they can perform their duties as a professional and as a mother.
Flexible working arrangements also allow fathers or partners to care for children while mothers are working, allowing a more equal share of responsibilities.
Improve parental leave policies
Companies can choose to provide additional parental leave above the statutory shared parental leave allowance. This helps mothers to take more to recover post-pregnancy, and also allows partners to provide more support.Provide childcare support
On average, it costs UK parents £242 a week - or around £1000 a month - to pay for full-time nursery care.This is a significant proportion of the average UK worker’s post-tax earnings, meaning that often, one parent - usually, but not always the mother - is forced to leave their jobs to care for their children full-time.
This can result in women falling behind in their careers, resulting in lower lifetime earnings.
Companies can help mothers to overcome this hurdle by contributing to a childcare scheme or, in larger organisations, providing discounted on-site childcare.
Address discrimination and bias
To improve the situation for mothers at work, companies can do more to ensure that their policies do not unfairly discriminate against mothers.They can also ensure that decision-makers undergo training to reduce bias against mothers.
Final thoughts
How does your organisation support mothers, and what changes could you make?Eden Scott CEO Michelle Lownie says: “Women make a hugely valuable contribution to the workforce - to avoid losing out on their skills and talent, companies must ensure mothers are supported. If an organisation sees a significant drop-off in retention rates for mothers after they return from maternity leave, this is a sign that more work on improving conditions for mothers needs to be done.”
Next steps
Do you need support finding the right candidates for your team? Eden Scott can help.Explore what it’s like to hire with us, or get in touch for support.
