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Today is mother’s day. This year as we celebrate mums all over the world, we get to discover how PwC Kenya addresses the unique challenges faced by working mothers in this insightful Mother’s Day Q&A interview with Alice Ngetich. Alice is an Associate Director, Assurance Line of Service at PwC.
Can you share your perspective on the unique challenges that mothers face in the corporate workplace?
Mothers face unique challenges in the corporate workplace. Some of these challenges are:
- Balancing time between work and family- Juggling between responsibilities at work and those at home relating to the family which leaves most moms feeling exhausted, guilty and sometimes stressed as they try to meet the expectations of both their employers and their families.
- Barriers to career progression – These include limited opportunities for advancement, reduced access to high profile assignments and challenges in securing promotions.
- Lack of supportive policies and practices – Many workplaces lack supportive policies and practices that accommodate the needs of working mothers, such as flexible work arrangements, breastfeeding support and parental leave creating an additional stress and challenges for mothers trying to juggle their professional and personal responsibilities.
- Voicing out the challenges they are facing as they feel they are a burden to their teams or they are asking for too much if they have to take time off to deal with kids/family related issues.
- Something people do not realise is that family is also a full time job. Being in a busy corporate job where sometimes you also have to carry work home, then getting home to another schedule of homework, cooking, looking after the family etc. Yes, there are house managers, but these cannot and should not take the place of a mother /wife – if they do, then the woman will have to pay a dear price for this somewhere down the lane. Some of these prices include broken relationships, rebellious children etc. It is a tight balancing act to get it right both at work and at home… this requires lots of sacrifice from mothers which can leave one feeling mentally and physically drained.
What strategies can companies implement to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for working mothers?
A more inclusive and supportive environment for working mothers requires various aspects of workplace culture, policies, and practices. Below are some of the strategies that companies can implement:
- Flexibility – Allowing moms to plan their working hours around a time that also works for their children so they can attend school events, get them medical attention and even play with them. At PwC Kenya we have implemented return to work plans for mothers returning from parental leave allowing them to gradually transition back to full time work. For new mums, assigning them to another mother to support in navigating during the first 6/12 months, similar to a buddy program for new joiners.
- Growth and career development – Not making assumptions on work engagements they can be plugged in, but involving them to the extent possible in the planning process
- Continuous engagement with them to understand what is important for them and when so as to be able to provide the necessary support
- Offering training opportunities such as wellness, work life integration, stress management to help working mothers prioritize their health and well being. In addition, leadership should commit to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for working mothers and promote awareness among managers and other senior employees.
- Obtain regular feedback from working mothers on their experiences in the workplace and use this feedback to improve policies and practices.
- Having an exclusive mothers’ room where returning moms can express milk during the work day so that their infants are able to continue having breast milk at least for the 1st year as recommended by the Ministry of Health.
- Some organizations have a creche facility in their premises to allow moms to drop off their infants /small children in cases where the nanny has suddenly deserted work and the mom is not able to get an immediate replacement. This allows the mom to continue working knowing that her baby is in safe hands. Without this, the mom would have had to skip work for the period of time she has no nanny which is disruptive to the employer. (A renowned bank had such a facility and it was one of their selling points when recruiting young would-be mothers).
Can you provide examples of successful initiatives or programs that have helped mothers thrive in the workplace?
Some examples of successful initiatives that have helped mothers thrive in the workplace include:
- Mentorship – Mentor moms circle at the firm has supported new moms and those planning to start families on what to expect, what has worked for them and the support they have received to enable them still thrive at the workplace.
- Flexible work arrangements – Implementing flexible work arrangements that enable mothers to integrate their professional and personal responsibilities more effectively. In PwC, this has enabled mothers to customize their work schedules to fit their individual needs and preferences.
- Support programs – implementation of a nursing room and other support programs for returning mothers accommodates the nursing mothers at our workplace.
- Wellness Programs – Working with external parties to facilitate programs that educate , create awareness , sharing knowledge and experience to support the working mothers , this includes ; parenting sessions for different age groups , parenting special needs children , Nanny / house help trainings etc
What role can flexible work arrangements play in supporting working mothers?
Flexible work arrangements can among other things support in;
- Recruitment and retention – companies attract top talent and retain experienced working mothers.
- Wellbeing – Moms can spend more time taking care of their health, rest, eat healthy and socialize
- Enhanced engagement and productivity – Organizations with flexible work arrangements for moms enjoy a more engaged and productive workforce with increased job satisfaction.
- Inclusion and diversity – Flexibility accommodates inclusivity and diversity within the workplace for working mothers.
- Career development – working mothers are enabled to advance their careers while fulfilling mothers responsibilities
- For returning mums, work on assignments that can be done virtually or those that are near the office to enable them to use moms room, or be able to leave for home in good time.
How can companies ensure that working mothers have equal opportunities for advancement?
Supporting working mothers and ensuring equal opportunities for advancement is crucial for creating an inclusive workplace. Here are some actions that companies can consider:
- Companies should encourage flexible working hours that would allow flexibility in work hours to accommodate family responsibilities.
- Offering remote working options which is currently considered feasible in many organizations. We have embraced the same arrangement in the firm allowing mothers to integrate their professional and personal lives effectively.
- Addressing gender bias in performance evaluations, reviews and promotions by implementing transparent and fair processes that ensure working mothers receive equal opportunities for career growth.
- Some organizations can consider providing nursing rooms with storage that help create a positive work environment where mothers feel valued and supported. In the firm, this has led to employee satisfaction and a more engaged female workforce.
- Continue to provide opportunities for career development to returning mothers by not disregarding them when assigning staff on challenging assignments but involving them and agreeing which roles/tasks they can comfortably handle as they transition back to the workplace. Motherhood should not be viewed as a disability.
- Educating the male staff especially the bosses on the kind of support the returning mother needs and perhaps what it is like to be a new mom. This will avoid insensitive situations like arranging an early morning meeting for your team without considering that perhaps the new mom in my team has been up most of the night because her baby was unable to sleep for one reason or another.
What steps can companies take to reduce the stigma or bias that working mothers might face?
Reducing stigma and bias against working mothers is essential. Below are some strategies that companies can adopt:
- Having supportive policies in place that support working mothers; this includes maternity leave, return to work plans among others.
- Clear guidelines that address gender bias during performance reviews, promotion decisions and career development opportunities.
- Promoting inclusive leadership through the introduction of training programs that emphasize diversity and inclusion to ensure an inclusive culture is promoted where all employees, including working mothers feel valued, respected and supported.
- Encourage managers and other senior staff to be flexible and accommodating when it comes to working hours and job allocations for working mothers as this will improve job satisfaction and effectiveness.
- Creating supportive networks and resource groups specifically for working mothers. These groups will provide a platform for sharing experiences and offering support.
- Senior leaders should lead by example by actively supporting and championing initiatives to reduce bias and support working mothers
- Educating and actively supporting male staff to understand and work with mothers in a professional yet caring manner.
- Create a safe environment to allow working mothers to discuss challenges they could be facing without feeling inadequate, judged or not able to handle both aspects of life.
Can you share some resources that working mothers can leverage to navigate their careers successfully?
As a working mother, it’s essential to have access to resources that empower and support your professional journey. Some of the resources include:
- Familiarizing yourself with your employers parental leave policies, flexible work arrangements and other benefits that are available such as nursing rooms and other family support programs.
- Getting mentors who have successfully managed to integrate their careers and family life who can offer valuable insights , advice and support as you navigate your own path.
- Using the available channels to communicate challenges and seek any needed support.
- Joining support groups and online communities such as professional forums specifically for working mothers which provides valuable support and advice from others in similar situations.
- Prioritizing your tasks, self care and wellbeing to avoid burnout and maintain your physical and mental health.
