The juggle is real

Not that working mothers ever had it easy, but they are facing extraordinary pressures and challenges today, with work, school, household chores and childcare all happening under one roof.

The pandemic has spread its tentacles over the last months, impacting our lives in unimaginable ways. Families are learning to cope with job losses, virtually non-existent incomes and homes to run. Often, the onus falls on the already-stressed working mother, who it seems, is bearing the brunt of being a supermom. Internationally, there has been growing concern about how the pandemic might just displace a whole generation of working mothers from their organisations. As much as fathers appear doting in ads and movies, apparently in real life, such dedication is still a distant dream. So, mothers are being compelled to put their career on the backseat and focus on their kids’ online classes or the health of elderly parents; while the man of the house, (in a manner of speaking), focuses on his career.

Betsy Stevenson, an economics and public policy professor at Michigan University in the US has made this alarming prediction in NYT that the pandemic could result in women “spending a significant amount of time out of the workforce, or their careers could just peter out in terms of promotion.”

Ground realities

Priyanka Shah, lead creative strategist at a Bengaluru-based company, finds this report worrisome. “If true, this is not a good sign. Besides the opportunities and promotions, it will affect the GDP of the country. Organisations need to be encouraging and sensitive towards working mothers more than they have ever been thus far,” she says. However, situations differ according to professions. Supreme Court Lawyer Vaishali Hegde Rao offers a different perspective. “Being in the legal profession, the question of losing out on promotions would not arise as much as in other fields. However, opportunities of growth and potential targets are impacted,” she concedes. On the other side, Shubhra Bhandari, Country HR director of a leading MNC, opines that the divide over a lack of equal partnership (be it in the West or in India), centered around how much men and women ought to contribute as partners, was always there even before the pandemic.

“There has been a book that highlights how 75 per cent of unpaid work has been done by women. The pandemic has only served to highlight an existing problem. A lot of progress has indeed been made to bring women to the workforce. But, were men and women equal partners ever? Maybe the question needs to be rephrased in the Indian context, considering the family support system. What the pandemic has done is deepened the debate further. Now, whether this will lead to a positive change or not depends on how we move on from this unsettling period,” she explains.

There is also a school of thought led by professor Claudia Goldin from Harvard University who says as work opens up, husbands will have an edge as wives will be working less; the men will work longer hours. Mumbai-based jewellery designer Farah Khan Ali disagrees with this concept and explains why.

“I believe that it has nothing to do with gender and those that are working will put in the same or more of an effort. In fact, there are some mothers I know, who in spite of working from home, are also taking turns with other school moms to tutor their children. Man or woman, if you are a responsible, hardworking professional, you will not let anything get in the way and you will find ways to make everything happen,” she asserts. Shubhra also expresses her skepticism over this theory. “We have not reached that stage yet in India. What I do see, is a sense of burnout, irrespective of gender. Many may need a break, but it is not translating into exiting out of work. Also, in order to maintain a certain lifestyle, it is imperative for both husband and wife to work. Today, jobs are at stake so if even one of the couple quits, how will they maintain a safety net for the other? Even organisations are worried about retaining their talent and are trying to build long-term loyalty.”

Varying dynamics

The working women dynamics vary from country to country. In the US, around 70 per cent of working women often leave or lose jobs to care for a sick child or an ageing relative.

Dr Pallavi Joshi, consultant psychiatrist at a leading hospital in Bangalore, points out: “Although government and MNCs are quite supportive of maternity leaves and crèches at workplaces, these facilities are for the initial years of child-rearing. Whereas a woman’s responsibilities are still huge, until the child reaches the adolescent stage. Even now, earning for the family is considered the job of a man and it’s not a compulsion or necessity for a woman, however learned she is. So the onus of compromise falls on her. In my practice, almost 40-50 per cent of women take a break or leave or are on a sabbatical for a long time due to family responsibilities.”

In countries that offer more comprehensive support for families — like Germany, France, Canada and Sweden — a significantly larger proportion of women are in the labour force.

“In India, the situation is improving with better policies and more awareness about gender equality, but again the gap between need and provision is big without flexible time hours or working from home options at many places. Also, age-old attitudes persist — women are expected to be submissive, give priority to family, pursue a career only if the family allows and be willing to make sacrifices. As a result, many capable and intelligent women suppress their ambitions even now,” adds Pallavi.

Flexi benefits anyone?

Abroad, many companies recently pledged to offer more flexibility and resources for working parents and have softened their stance on telecommuting. Staggered shifts and less business travel are also likely to become more common. In India, many organisations are adopting measures to retain their staffers by offering a flexible work environment, given the current challenges thrown up by the pandemic.

Aadesh Goyal, Chief Human Resource Officer of a leading communications firm, opines that companies need to take cognizance of the pace at which the world is changing and equip their employees with required skills to fulfil changing
demands.

“For many years, we have had a global flexible work policy — where employees can opt to work from home, come to office or be a flexible worker. This gives them a way to balance their work and personal lives if they get into a situation in which they need to spend more time at home,” he says.

Protecting the workforce

Philanthropist Melinda Gates has vociferously demanded the need for a “good paid family medical leave policy. The work place is not designed for families and that needs to change,” she asserts. Interestingly, small entrepreneurial set-ups, like that of designer Farah Khan Ali, offer their employees both medical and accidental insurance.

Corporate India too, has proved that it has a heart; many have offered Covid leave to their employees.

“As soon as we got into the pandemic in March, we began the process of offering Covid leave, acknowledging the fact that employees may need to be with their families or elders. We are also focusing on overall physical and mental wellbeing that includes work-life integration,” adds Shubhra.

If more companies follow this path, the future of working mothers could well be brighter. Like Aadesh succinctly puts it, “The current times have forced organisations to become more agile and creative in order to survive and thrive. In this new business landscape, equal opportunities and retention strategies are critical to encourage diversity and leverage the strength of a diverse workforce.”