Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Moms at Work

Being a working mom is tough. Many moms are balancing the equivalent of 1.5 to 2 full-time jobs. They do the lion’s share of the housework and childcare, while also putting in their time at work.

Guide Magazine

Various groups and governments want more moms in the workforce and seem to think that offering government-subsidized childcare is all that’s needed to ease the load on moms and allow them to work more hours. But many moms say there are a lot more reasons they step back from the world of paid work.

The pandemic highlighted the lack of support for moms, as many more women than men left the workforce or reduced their hours to care for their children. In households where mothers did 80 to 100 percent of the childcare, 50 percent left their jobs or reduced their hours. But in those where mothers did 40 to 60 percent of the care, only 15 percent of mothers reduced their hours or left their jobs, as did 11 percent of men. For every 20 percent increase in a father’s share in childcare, a mother’s time in paid labour increased by three hours per week.

Is there a way to encourage fathers to take on more childcare responsibility? Many dads would like to do more, but their employers often don’t think about offering flexibility for dads.

Companies that can should provide more flexibility in terms of start and end times and allow for more paid leave so that parents can share in childcare responsibilities.

A major area in which support for moms is lacking is in transitioning back to work after maternity leave. Most women report that they had no support or guidance in going on maternity leave or returning. Women find the return to work so demoralizing that 40 percent report they have considered quitting during their return. Nearly 80 percent felt that their employer could have handled the return much better, with 58 percent saying their employer wasn’t prepared for the transition back.

5 Ways to Support Working Moms

1. Increased communication – Almost 70 percent of women weren’t given the option to access their email or receive company announcements, job postings, or other news during their maternity leave. This left them feeling disconnected and out of the loop on their return.
2. Clear policies – Fifty-eight percent of women said their companies didn’t have a clear policy on leaving for and returning from maternity leave.
3. An option to transition back – Seventy-nine percent of workplaces don’t offer the option to transition back into work, but many women feel this would make things easier for them and their families.
4. Increased flexibility – Some moms would like the option to shift their schedules to accommodate childcare.
5. A family-friendly workplace – Having a culture that accommodates moms—even little things like providing a place to pump for those who are nursing—goes a long way to retaining talent.

For some families, it makes sense for a parent to stay home with their young children. Many of them have an at-home business to help pay the bills. Some are busy caring for others, such as aging parents.

If they were paid for their labour, they would be earning well over $30,000 per year, based on wages for childcare, cooking, cleaning, maintenance, etc. In effect, they are in the workforce—they just aren’t being paid for their work.

Sources: Canadian HR Reporter, gobankingrates.com

Moms at Work

5 Ways to Support Working Moms

You might be interested in