Flexibility is key for working mothers
Sep 18 2009
Mothers would rather be able to work more flexibly than extend their maternity leave entitlement, claims a survey of 1,700 women.
Some 85 per cent of respondents to annual research by workingmums.co.uk said that flexible hours was their most important consideration, while only 31 per cent thought that extending maternity pay was a priority.
Although three quarters of respondents (76 per cent) found their employers supportive, the number with unsupportive bosses was 24 per cent, which remains unchanged from last year.
Furthermore, the number of working mums working full time is lower than last year (24 per cent), while 60 per cent did part time jobs. A majority of respondents are being paid less than they were before taking maternity leave. That suggests that many had taken less challenging jobs for the sake of flexibility, according to workingmums.co.uk.
A high proportion of women (48 per cent) had not discussed flexible working options before going on maternity leave, and a significant number (32 per cent) were not aware of the extension of flexible working entitlement to parents of children under 16.