Punished for taking too long a maternity leave? Who do you blame?
On BlogHer, I wrote about this incredibly vexing survey, which comes as no surprise to anyone, really: “The blogger Well-heeled brought my attention to this new study with the stunning question: “Could the U.S.’s lack of policy mandating paid maternity leave actually help women’s careers?” In the UK, this issue is getting tons of press because of pending legislation that would pay for a year’s maternity leave. Some are suggesting employers will avoid hiring women of childbearing age if a year’s maternity leave is standard.
I asked Nikki and Nick Bartlett, who run Maternity Unlimited in the UK, to comment.
To a certain extend these results hold some truth. The challenge for a working woman during the transition to becoming a working mum involves numerous changes in that individual’s identity. The longer a person has to embed the new identity of being a mum the harder it becomes to recognise and relate to the “working” identity that they once held. The trick is to insure that women have the chance to “plan” for their return before they leave to have their baby. The gap between intention and actual behaviour widens if a women goes on maternity without having a plan to return to work in place. They are unprepared for the changes in identity and therefore swept along with experience rather than having a date/goal/objective to aim for.
In April 2011 UK women will be able to share their 52 week allowance with their partner allowing them to go back to work at the 6 month stage with the partner taking over childcare responsibilities. This will mean that families will have to be even more organised and the emphasis on responsibility is firmly on the organisations to give their employees all of the tools and time they need to plan if they expect to retain their parenting employee population.
Put that way, it really makes sense, no? And if both parents can share a year, surely that would lessen the notion that employers will shy away from hiring women. It’s not as if employers can avoid hiring parents.
About Me
Morra Aarons-Mele utilizes social media strategies to help employers, employees and communities connect. She also consults with leading organizations on how women can use the internet for professional and personal development. In her spare time, Morra enjoys blogging about women and politics. Read her full bio >>
Recent Posts
- Women Are a Hot Topic, But It’s Access to Capital That Counts
- BlogHer for the Socially Anxious
- Leapfrog jobs and presidential politics
- Women Out In Front
- Fear Means Go