How and why organisations should be more family-friendly
As we navigate the changing world of work, there is a growing need for organisations to become more ‘family friendly.’ Those that don’t risk perpetuating the phenomenon known as “the motherhood penalty.”
That involves “unconscious gender bias that happens in a workplace when you become a mum,” said Mela Lush, founder of Jobs For Mums.
It refers to the negative consequences, both economically and professionally, that women often experience after becoming mothers. It is well documented that this discrimination arises due to societal expectations and stereotypes about caregiving responsibilities.
According to the world economic forum, the motherhood penalty accounts for 80% of the gender pay gap and ultimately leads to young mothers exiting the workforce or taking roles that don’t match their skill levels.
“It’s a problem that’s happening in New Zealand right now,” said Lush. “This is nothing new to us, we still have a large percentage of women being underemployed or unemployed a decade after their first child.”
According to the Ministry for Women Return to Work report, 40% of mothers with school or post-school qualifications and 30% of mothers with tertiary degrees were unemployed or underemployed a decade after their first child.
Lush is on a mission to stamp out “the motherhood penalty” in Aotearoa, New Zealand by encouraging businesses to have more family-friendly flexibility options within their workforces.
“Having family-friendly organisations is really incremental to sustainable development. It’s actually a UN priority under the Sustainable Development Goals because it results in a happier, healthier workforce,” said Lush.
Over and above the social benefits, Lush highlights the fiscal benefits: “If we can increase female participation by 50% by 2030, that’s a nine percent increase in New Zealand’s GDP, that’s 20 to 40 billion dollars added to the economy, which is not a small thing.”
“This is a great way for organisations to drive diversity and inclusion; family-friendly employment practices can actively contribute to those goals.”
Lush emphasises that organisations don’t need to implement major overhauls such as a four-day week, or Workschoolhours – it could be smaller more impactful changes.
“It’s really looking internally to figure out how do you offer a win-win for your people? If you can’t offer working from home, can you offer a flexi starting time?” said Lush.
Through her website jobsformums.co.nz, Lush connects businesses offering ‘family-friendly’ employment with parents and caregivers looking for opportunities that allow them to thrive at home and work.
Lush founded the company in response to the challenges she faced after becoming a mother. She noticed that many parents, regardless of their professions, struggled to find flexible work arrangements that would allow them to balance their caregiving responsibilities.
It became apparent that flexibility was the key to unlocking a vast, hidden workforce with plenty of skills and experience. Seventy per cent of the site’s 10,000 registered users have more than 10 years of experience in their fields and 73% hold a degree or higher.
“This is a highly skilled workforce that is not being tapped into if you don’t offer family-friendly work. If you just offer your standard nine to five or full-time work, a huge percentage of the workforce – 20 to 30% – is actually missed out,” said Lush.
If you’d like to hear more about the “motherhood penalty” Mela Lush will be speaking at the upcoming HR Changemakers Festival in Auckland.
