There was an interesting article in the Sunday Times on 01/11/09 by Frank Dillon entitled ‘Having it all might lead to nothing’. It discussed the challenges facing women and their careers when it comes to having children and taking maternity leave. I suppose I was particularly interested as a woman, with a career and a family. Discrimination, it seems, still abounds against women at selection stage and when picking a candidate for promotion. We all know it exists for all the obvious reasons.
However, the article gives some good tips to mums returning to work and to their respective workplace on changing their perspective. In summary they are as follows :
Six months out of the office can add fresh thinking, more efficient time management, smart working practice and higher emotional connection to peers and management. New mums often try to act as if nothing has changed on their return from maternity leave, when in fact everything has. This change should be viewed positively. This professional has returned to work with a fresh pair of eyes and an enlightened perspective on the operations which should be viewed as the new injection that will take the company forward.