Women
are a key part of a growing contingent workforce of freelancers,
consultants and part-timers. Despite numerous government policies to
attract more mothers back into the workplace, retention is still a
significant struggle. To find out why this is the case, let’s explore
how employers can tackle retention issues and attract a workforce of
moms.
Data
indicates working moms who return part-time, combining professional
careers with raising a family, are increasingly frustrated by the type
of space they work in. The research shows that the modern workplace
often fails to cater to the needs of mothers and caretakers as they face
the pressures of combining busy working lives with lifestyle and family
obligations.
Blending lifestyle and work for working mothers
According
to UniSpace, lifestyles and workplaces are blending together-the
working day demands more of our time, and technology encourages an
“always available” work culture. For mothers in particular, office
designers have started to recognise the pressure to achieve a lifestyle
and workplace balance, particularly for those who are in part-time roles
and arguably have to juggle time more than ever before.
A
survey of over 50,000 office occupiers showed that engagement in the
workplace stays reasonably consistent between men and women of all
groups, but it is the retention of female workers that drops, with 69%
of people leaving being female (across all age brackets).
Data gathered by WorkingMums.co.uk
shows that the number of female workers seeking part-time work, at all
levels of the company, is increasing rapidly, but that the number of
available opportunities is failing to increase at the same rate.
The
survey shows that availability of flexible work is the key career
development issue for working moms, with working from home being valued
highly, particularly for those wanting to work full-time. Other barriers
included childcare costs: half of women currently on maternity leave
said childcare costs could prevent them from returning to work.
The rise of female workspaces
The
growth of the contingent workforce has been one of the key drivers
behind the move toward coworking. The rise of female-specific coworking
spaces is a significant extension to this trend and highlights some of
the limitations of conventional space for female workers.
In
the U.S., female-focused spaces are a growing niche but are also seen
as a more adult departure from the “free beer and table tennis” culture
that is viewed to be the domain of predominantly male technology
startups. While this is a generalization, it seems to have struck a
chord, as female-only spaces are sold out and looking to expand.
Due
to the lack of flexibility, the introduction of female only workspaces
such as The Wing, a U.S. based women-only workspace have been created to
cater for busy mothers and women by featuring facilities from onsite
nurseries and childcare, to gyms, hairdressers and cafes.
While
these spaces may initially be viewed as coworking spaces, their
ultimate objective is to become a hub that facilitates female
entrepreneurship and supports women at every stage of their journey.
Creating a balanced workplace
Following responses from a survey by Instant Offices, here are some tips that employers should consider in creating a balanced workplace for all employees:
- Flexible policies that benefit all parents: Offering a number of ‘family days’ for both mom and dad to attend assemblies and doctor’s appointments, etc., would enable a fairer system for all involved.
- Choice of mobile working options: Flexible working with multiple offices/sites and 4G connectivity would greatly help parents who are on the go.
- Work/life balance and flexibility for all employees: Providing company-sponsored childcare schemes that would include on-site childcare would improve quality and offer a more practical solution. This includes providing more private space to facilitate phone calls, to on-site caretakers, more flexible hours that enable school pick up and drop off, and a change in working hours during summertime.
Better
integrating work and lifestyle elements in the workplace helps to
alleviate pressure on work/life balance, and brings to light recognition
of the demands that the working day places on parents.
Image credit: Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
Originally published at http://newworker.co on September 26, 2019.
Comments
Post a Comment