Seventy percent of employees believe that Irish employers should offer additional supports such as career coaching and additional training for women returning to the workplace following maternity leave or an extended career break to start a family.
In a recent survey commissioned by Lockton People Solutions, female workers (82pc ), those working in large organisations (79pc ) and people in healthcare and education (83pc ) are most likely to be in favour of such initiatives.
“This issue clearly resonates with workers. What's particularly noteworthy is that this support transcends gender lines, granted more women than men would like to see employers step up in this regard, but still, a not insignificant six in ten men also acknowledge the importance of such support. This points to a shared recognition of the challenges women may face when returning to work and the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion objectives in workplace strategy formation
One of the many challenges faced is the steep cost of childcare, which has in many cases become unaffordable and in certain areas inaccessible to many families which means that often the only option is for one parent to give up work and stay at home – and in the main, it’s women who do this. Consequentially, this puts women at a disadvantage when returning to the workplace after extended leave often referred to as the ‘motherhood penalty’ facing challenges such as gaps in their CV, skill erosion, and the perception, that they may be less committed to the job," Tom Curran of Lockton People Solutions, commented.
The Lockton survey found that age plays a significant role in shaping perceptions regarding women's return-to-work support. While 75 percent of respondents aged 55 and older are in favour of these support mechanisms, only 57 percent of those aged 18 to 24 share the same sentiment.
The findings also highlight notable variations across different sectors with over eight in ten (83 percent ) of those working in the health and education sector standing out as the strongest supporters of women’s return to work progress. In contrast, just 37 percent of the construction and property industry voted the same. Furthermore, the size of an organisation is also a factor, with eight in ten (79 percent ) of those in large-scale organisations of 250+ people expressing a desire to see these types of supports in place compared to 67 percent of those in smaller businesses of 50 people or less.
“The stark contrast across different sectors can potentially be attributed to the male-dominated nature of the construction and property industry. There could be many cultural and institutional reasons why these industries rate lower in this regard, but it highlights the need to bring this conversation to the forefront of workplace policymaking, HR strategy, and employee benefits. This issue transcends the industry sector, as most workers, regardless of their own personal situation will know someone who has returned from an extended career break.
It is interesting to note that size matters when it comes to this topic with a substantial 80pc of those in very large organisations expressing their support. This suggests that larger companies may have a more balanced gender divide compared to smaller firms or perhaps have the resources and capacity available to implement and sustain such initiatives. They also may have more comprehensive career and skills progression pathways embedded within their learning and development programmes, encompassing return to work (or role ) programmes that go beyond maternity leave, such as long-term illness, career breaks or secondments.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion objectives take time and budget to implement and often the larger entities are further along the curve," Mr Curran added.
Mr Curran noted that the survey results underscore a consensus on the need for enhanced support for women returning to the workplace, despite variations in gender, age, sector, and organisational size.
"These findings highlight areas where targeted efforts can make a significant impact in promoting and advancing gender equality and workplace inclusion to meet the needs, preferences, and lifestyle choices of workers," Mr Curran concluded.
