Study: The most common reasons why mothers are dissatisfied at work

study
Motherhood remains a career obstacle

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Far from equal rights: The second Frankfurt career study once again shows disadvantages in terms of salary and opportunities for women with children.

Equal rights for men and women has long been a major social issue. One might think that we are on the right track, but a current study shows how far we still have to go. As the new study by the University of Frankfurt now shows, the Career conditions for women with children still face discrimination and obstacles shaped. A slightly positive trend in the last decade gives hope. But the results of the study by the Frankfurt University of Applied Science make it alarmingly clear how little has changed so far and that this is not enough at all.

With the 2nd Frankfurt Career Study, which a research team led by Prof. Dr. Yvonne Ziegler and Prof. Dr. Regine Graml carried out, the scientists tie in with the career study from 2010. While this one still dealt with the question of the compatibility of work and family, the second study now deals comprehensively with this Living and working environment of working mothers in Germany and their perception of career opportunities in companies.

2,000 working mothers surveyed

For their study, the team interviewed 2,000 working mothers aged between 31 and 40 years (43 percent) and 41 to 50 years (37 percent). On average, the respondents had 1.8 children, and the ages of the children varied widely. However, birth year before or after 2010 was clustered to detect changes over time. 81 percent of those questioned came from West Germany, 19 percent from East Germany (including Berlin). The majority had above-average professional training.

Career and family equally important

The results of the study show that many mothers value their job after childbirth. 35 percent of the mothers stated that work and family are equally important to them. For women in management positions, the proportion was even 46 percent. About half (45 percent) of the study participants took between seven and twelve months of parental leave per child. Only 15 percent of the mothers stayed at home for more than two years, 5 percent interrupted their job for three years. Women in managerial positions took the shortest breaks. 29 percent of them only stayed at home for six months or less. total are 62 percent of all women return to work after twelve months entered.

Back to your old job after maternity leave? – Not for everyone

With a baby the framework conditions in the job often change, on the one hand because mothers often want it that way, but on the other hand because it is hardly possible to organize family and job any other way. Although the majority of women (76 percent) return to their previous employer after the break, only 32 percent took over their original position, 24 percent returned to their old job but under different conditions and 20 percent took on a new position within the company, although around two thirds of the women were less satisfied with this.

The reasons for dissatisfaction:

  • changed working conditions,
  • less interesting tasks,
  • little chance for advancement
  • worse pay.
  • bad working atmosphere,
  • lack of flexibility towards mothers,
  • no consideration for vacation or illness

For example, 18 percent canceled upcoming career steps and 33 percent put them on hold. A similar picture emerges for salary increases. If they were still strongly supported before their babyhood and in full-time employment (49 percent), in comparison only 17 percent of mothers said this in part-time work. 38 percent said they had not been promoted in part-time positions.

Prejudices and male networks as career obstacles for mothers

According to the mothers with managerial responsibility, male networks proved to be the most common career obstacle. Other reasons are lack of opportunities for advancement and prejudices against mothers, in combination with discriminatory behavior at work. It is also frightening that 41 percent of the women have already felt exploited several times in their professional life, while a colleague received recognition for their work. 60 percent of the women interviewed had to experience stigmatization because of their gender.

What needs to change

A little more than half of the mothers stated that they were already able to reconcile work and family life, but the answers also showed that this was the case help from family and friends had to be resorted to. “The combination of work and family also results in a high double burden on mothers“, says Gram. Concepts are available for proposals for a better work-life balance Flexibility of the job up front: working from home (77 percent) and qualified part-time jobs (77 percent). Furthermore, the vast majority of mothers (71 percent) own one Change in awareness among executives and colleagues for important. “Away from the prevailing presence and towards a purely performance-oriented culture. Achieving agreed goals should be more important than being physically present,” Graml and Ziegler agree.

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Bridget

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