How to . . . Create space for mothers in the workplace

SOUTH Africa’s women are ranked seventh out of 21 countries in terms of their stress levels. Research firm Nielsen’s Women of Tomorrow study found that a contributing factor to women’s stress was the many roles they had to play. Moreover, research by the University of Pretoria comparing single and married mothers showed that single moms had less work and family support, which added to their stress.

Regus, a provider of flexible workplace solutions, used the findings in its own survey to assess employers’ likelihood of employing working mothers. There is a downward trend in the number of companies hiring working moms, according to the Regus study.

“In South Africa, there are many households that rely on the income of working mothers. Some households have unemployed fathers and some single-parent households rely solely on the mother’s income. This pressure is then compounded by discriminatory practices and gender inequality that are still rife in the workplace,” said Linda Madayi, managing partner at Khatala Staffing. Madayi pointed out that:

There were benefits to employing working mothers: “[They offer] loyalty, a strong work ethic, experience and maturity, all of which provide the soft skills that are often lacking in younger, inexperienced candidates”;

Many single mothers were unable to take up the opportunities offered to them until they got their first salary and could pay for childcare. Madayi said Khatala Staffing had developed the dependent-care assistance benefit to subsidise these single parents; and

This measure and other facilities aimed at helping single mothers enter the workforce meant their productivity and ability to learn their new role were not negatively affected by the worry of having to put their children in the care of unprofessional caregivers, strangers or older children.