Workplace ultimatum to women raise family or salary

With yesterdayís Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) report recommending that mothers make use of flexible working to help them climb the career ladder and still enjoy family life, a survey by business advice experts Croner, has found that employees are actually reluctant to take benefits, such as flexible working, as they fear it may hinder their career prospects.

Sixty-seven percent of HR professionals surveyed by Croner, one of the UKís leading providers of business information, advice and support, say employees think taking benefits offered to them may suggest they are not dedicated enough to their company and profession.

A further poll on Cronerís www.humanresources-centre.net shows that almost three-quarters of employers are not monitoring the position of women in their workforce.

Yesterdayís EOC report, íSex and power: who runs Britain?í says that women still hold less than ten per cent of the most senior positions in many areas of British public life.

Seventy percent of HR professionals polled by Croner say their organisation has not carried out an equal pay review. This highlights the fact that most employers are unaware or donít even consider it important enough to investigate the possibility of a gender pay gap, which could be the first step to ensuring that women are more equally represented in senior roles.

Richard Smith, HR expert at Croner, part of Wolters Kluwer UK, says: It seems to be a chicken and egg situation for women. On the one hand they are being encouraged to take up flexible working so that they can meet the demands of both their children and career, but on the other they are saying they fear flexible working may be seen by their colleagues or employer as lacking dedication.

The Equal Pay Act 1970 gave women the legal right to be paid the same as men, but unequal impact on womenís family responsibilities are still contributing to todayís gender pay gap. Many women often feel they have to make a choice, at least in the short term, between children and a career, which is reflected in our surveys and todayís EOC report.

Employers have a responsibility to ensure equal treatment and opportunities for all members of their workforce, but our surveys would suggest that thereís some way to go before this is achieved.

Croner is advising employers to:

Ensure you are aware of legislation regarding equal pay and flexible
working
Be aware of the demographics of your workforce and ensure that you can
reasonably justify a gender pay or employment gap
Demonstrate a material difference between positions that is not
gender-related
Treat men and women equally in their terms and conditions of employment
when they are employed in like work, equivalent work and work of equal value
Encourage flexible working, and make it clear that it will not affect
career prospects
Treat part-time employees no less favourably than their full-time
equivalents, unless this can be justified on objective grounds
If in doubt, seek professional advice.