Motherhood penalty
A THIRD OF WOMEN STILL RETHINK HAVING KIDS FOR FEAR OF LOSING THEIR JOB
Women are still being forced to choose between their career and their family, with exclusive research showing more than a third rethink their plans to have children for fear of losing their jobs.
The research, from HR tech firm HiBob, reveals Aussie women worry that going on maternity leave will place them at a disadvantage or decrease their chances of getting a promotion.
Thirty-eight per cent have considered putting off starting a family or getting pregnant for fear of losing their role, the research shows.
“Women should feel, in 2023, that they can have both (career and family),” says career development specialist Dee Egan.
“But I think a lot of younger women, especially, are looking at the struggles facing (working mothers) within their organisation and … there are legitimate concerns.”
MOTHERHOOD PENALTY
Egan, founder of HerWerk, a career platform for women, says the work repercussions of having a family can be significant, citing the “motherhood penalty’’, a term coined by researchers to explain the pay gap experienced by working mums.
A Treasury analysis last year found women’s earnings fell by an average of 55 per cent in the first five years of parenthood.
Men’s wages were unaffected, according to the analysis, although Egan says overseas studies show that while earnings of working mums decrease for every child they have, working dads receive a pay increase for each child.
With laws and workplace policies introduced to improve gender equality, Egan says societal expectations are now the reason that more women sacrifice their career for their family than men.
“HR departments have done a great job in (advocating for) paternity leave and assisting (parents) with the return to work but support on the ground for mums seems still to be lacking and a lot of that is those cultural stereotypes that can be really difficult to change,” she says.
NO REGRETS
For those prioritising family over work, the decision is never easy.
New research by Choosi finds that while two in three parents purposefully put their career on the backburner when they have children, 41 per cent later regret their decision.
Carol Ng, mother of two girls, aged three and four years, feels lucky to successfully combine work and family and credits a supportive employer that treats the families of its staff as part of the “extended team’’.
“No one should feel like they have to choose between their career and starting a family,” says Ng, managing director of people operations at FedEx.
“It’s really important to me to ensure that I structure my professional and personal life to ensure I’m able to give my full attention to the task at hand, be that focussing on my work or spending time with my children.
“When I am productive at work, I feel relaxed to spend time with my family.
“When I spend quality time with family, I am recharged for work.”
WEIGHING UP COSTS
For more than half of Aussie parents, starting a family is more expensive than first expected, with childcare emerging as the most underestimated cost, the Choosi research finds.
Wealth adviser Kathryn Creasy says many mums give up work believing the amount they earn after childcare expenses isn’t worth it but believes this decision could have greater financial ramifications down the track.
“When you are working, you are also getting superannuation and, while you’re not getting (access) to that money right now, they are savings being put away for retirement,” she says.
“The other financial repercussion (of being away from paid work) is that you delay a higher income because you don’t have your fingers in the game (to hear about promotional opportunities).”
HiBob vice president Damien Andreasen encourages those wanting to start a family to review their company’s parenting and flexible work policies to ensure their employer is family-friendly.
“Women should never be in the position to consider putting off their life goals in fear of losing or missing a promotion,’’ he says.
“Organisations need to put in more effort to ensure gender equality in the workplace and that all employees are comfortable at work.”