If I read another performative post about International Women's Day I might scream... We are never going to achieve the gender equality in the workplace without true change in the way we support women. Attracting, retaining, and supporting women through all life stages during their career requires serious policy reviews. Here’s my take on the top 4: 🤰 Enhanced Maternity Leave and Pay: Offering enhanced maternity leave and pay is a necessity, not just a benefit, supporting women through key life transitions, helping them balance family and career without financial strain. If you can tell the difference between the government’s minimum wage and paying a competitive salary to keep people, you should be able to apply the same logic to maternity leave. #MaternityMatters 🤸♀️ Flexible Work Environments: Providing flexibility in work hours and locations to accommodate different life circumstances is particularly important for working mothers. And don't leave your employees waiting when they make flexible working requests; their childcare decisions and finances are hanging on your decision.#FlexForFamilies ⚖ Equal Pay and Advancement Opportunities: Ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work and have transparent opportunities for career progression. #EqualPayEveryday 🏥 Female Health Support: Recognising the full spectrum of female health needs, including support for women going through menopause, fertility treatments or miscarriage. #WellnessForWomen We often talk about breaking glass ceilings, but let’s first focus on removing barriers. Too many women face the tough decision between career and family planning, personal and professional growth, due to inadequate workplace policies. It’s time for companies to realise that supporting their female employees is not just ethical; it’s essential for a diverse and dynamic workforce. #InternationalWomensDay #DiversityInBusiness #EnhancedMaternity #PolicyOverCakesAndSocialPosts #NotJustLipService #EqualityIsntExtra 📣 What policies has your company or could your company implement to support women?
Always loved the page on Twitter that saw when companies Tweeted about IWD and then posted their gender pay gap. I always think paternity leave is one that massively effects women too. Let's say I get employed at the same time as an equally experienced and competent colleague in the same role, our performances are the same, then we (weirdly) have three kids each at the same time. She might have 18-36 months off on maternity while I only get 6 or so weeks in total on paternity. I might have wanted to take more parental leave but the system just doesn't allow it. That's three years where I'm getting promoted, making connections, getting raises, building momentum, and she might not be. Once she gets back to work after the third kid I could have steamed ahead without doing anything truly special. It also sets the culture that the women are expected to hold the baby while the man puts the bread on the table. Yeah, it's only for the first year or so but the tone is set. Better paternity leave might also dent any unspoken "hmmm, she's 30ish, is she going to be off having kids for a big chunk of the next five years" thoughts that might lurk in a hiring manager's mind, because it would then apply to men too.
The people making policies are not the ones rasing the child/children. Just like the people designing software and most consumer products are not the end users. So unless.the decision makers fully experience what moms experience there will very little change in current policies.
Emily Parker Well said!! 🌟 I can not agree more with all the points you made! 💫 You probably remember during our time together at Insider, with how much passion I was always talking about this topic, especially enhanced maternity pay and female health support! 👏 This is a must have for any business that truly respects women. Full stop. Everything else equals pretend plays from nursery days..
"If you can tell the difference between the government’s minimum wage and paying a competitive salary to keep people, you should be able to apply the same logic to maternity leave." 👏👏👏 Well said, Emily Parker.
Amen 💅🏼I’ve learnt the hard way to check maternity policy before joining a company
100% this! Every stage of life is met with a new hurdle to overcome, when I had my children 20 years ago I had to sacrifice my career (due to the way I was treated (or mistreated as a working parent). Now I’m in the peri-menopausal stage of life and realise just how difficult this can be to manage and still totally unsupported by most companies. Still so many hurdles to overcome so thank you for including this in the ‘list’
This is brilliant 👏🏼
Totally Agree....
Yes Emily! 🙌
#1 in Top 50 UK SDR Managers 2023 | Passionate mentor of women in SaaS | Host of the LeadHERs in Tech Podcast
9moZencargo did a brilliant job of supporting me when I was having fertility treatment. I am forever grateful to Alex Hersham for his understanding and flexibility!