Working Mothers - How Companies Can Make it Easier

chillibreeze writer — Rajshree Satish

India is moving – rapidly moving – towards acquiring the tag of a developed nation. Many Indians today have a lot to cheer about – we have more money to spend and more items to choose from. More and more countries want to do business with us and the job scene has probably never been better.

Even as the newspapers carry innumerable ads for job vacancies, there is one section of the educated society that finds itself out of work. But busy as we are with our daily lives, we have little time to spare them a thought. No, we are not going to get into the unemployed versus the unemployable debate here. So who are we talking about? Young mothers who are forced to languish at home for want of feasible job opportunities.

Work and Motherhood

Motherhood is a great experience, albeit a tiring and demanding one. It is also often a full-time job. But women are great at multi-tasking. With a little bit of help, young mothers can continue to pursue their career aspirations even while tending to their little ones at home. Let me start by asking you a few questions:

How many women CEOs do you know?
How many women do you see at the helm of affairs in big companies?
How often have women in your company resigned once they become mothers?
How many working mothers do you know?

Even if you do manage to count a handful, you will agree that the numbers are not very encouraging. As a progressive Indian, I think it’s a shame that so many young and talented women should be rendered jobless simply because they have little kids in their arms. At a time when companies are crying hoarse over not finding “good” candidates to fill their vacancies, why aren’t we trying to use the talent lying idle in so many homes? Are mothers unemployed because they prefer to give up their careers for family or are companies not doing enough to help them retain their jobs?

Why Opt Out?

Noted author and editor Mrinal Pande once said, “The most productive and reproductive years in a woman’s life happen to be the same time.” Most women, for want of supportive employers, are forced to make a choice between home and work. Some willingly opt out of the regular “rat race” to bring up their young ones. Many others, though, would prefer to take the middle path.

So what forces these women to opt out?

Most companies expect them to work full-time, at a stretch, immediately after their maternity leave is over.
The maternity leave itself is often not sufficient for some women to recuperate and return to work. Extension of leave is rarely granted.
In most nuclear homes, they do not have older family members or other support to fall back upon.
They are never sure if their special needs, like taking a day off when the child is sick, will be entertained.

Many women have hoped to take a “temporary” break from work during the formative years of their children only to realize that they have become completely obsolete by the time they hit the job market again. Maintaining continuity at work is an absolute prerequisite for anybody who is serious about their career.

Making a Difference

While it is true that young mothers may not be able to work full-time (at least when the kids are very young) or log as many hours at work as the other employees, it would be unfair to conclude that they become unprofessional. Just a little bit of empathy and understanding is all it takes for employers to help these moms return to work. Here are some suggestions for starters:

In the age of outsourcing and tele-commuting, why not allow young mothers to work from home?
Provide nursing rooms within the office premises
Why not have a crèche alongside the brand-new cafeteria and gym?
Give young mothers the benefit of flexible working timings
Provide the option of extending maternity leave on a loss-of-pay basis

It is quite obvious that while there is no dearth of options, there is major lack of willingness on the part of employers to make a difference.

From the time when women were confined to the kitchen to now, when they are rubbing shoulders with men in the boardroom, our country has come a long way. It’s time for us to help everybody, including young mothers, make their contribution to take India to the “next level”.

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Rajshree writes for chillibreeze.

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