Home  Latest News Mum’s the word
|
|
Mum’s the word |
|
|
 Maternity leave in small firms is always a tricky subject to handle, but new research suggests that it doesn’t have to be.
A survey by Workingmums.co.uk, a jobs site for working mums, showed that women don't expect their employers to move the earth for them when they have children, all they want is flexible working.
85 percent of those questioned said flexible working the most important requirement of a family-friendly employer and only a third mentioned extended maternity pay and support for childcare.
And flexible working proved so popular that almost half of working mums said they had considered setting up their own business because it gives them more flexibility than working for someone else.
25% of women said as their employers didn’t offer the support they require, they were considering more family-friendly businesses or starting up on their own.
As a result, women are now less likely than ever to maintain a full-time job after having children. The survey found that just 24% of its working mums work full-time, while 60% are in part-time employment. And their pay packets inevitably diminish as a result, with 53% now earning less pro rata than when they went on maternity leave. But cash isn’t the main motivation: more than half have opted to take a less well-paid job in return for flexibility.
Concerns have been raised in the corporate world that businesses are missing out by allowing many of these talented people to slip through the net. But big companies losses is the SME community’s gain as more mumtrepreneurs set up in business.
Nappy days for innovative mum
Financial manager Jacqueline Morrison came up with her bright business idea after having her daughter, Eve. Wanting to be environmentally-friendly, Jacqueline decided to use cloth nappies, but was frustrated by how long they took to dry. She knew there must be a better way and set about trying to create a better nappy.
She said: “Cloth nappies are generally made of two layers stitched together, meaning the nappy can take a while to dry. By designing a nappy that dries faster you need less nappies and can save money.”
Recognising that being able to wash both layers separately would mean that the nappies would dry quicker, she set about creating a prototype.
Her firm, Nappy Makers has now been recognised by Scottish Enterprise as having the best business idea in Lanarkshire as well as being named a finalist in the Biggart Baillie Innovators Award.
It’s worth the energy
But it’s not just mums who are giving up their jobs for a better work/life balance. Despite an unsuccessful appearance on BBC Dragon’s Den, Brian O’Reilly decided to take the plunge with his environmentally friendly firm, TreeGreen.
Like many dads, Brian spent much of his time telling his three daughters, Anna, Ellie and Mary-Kate, to turn off lights, televisions and radios when they weren’t in use – not to mention having to remind his wife about her hair straighteners.
Frustrated about the energy consumption, Brian invented the Energy Egg, a handy device which reduces power consumption in the home by switching off appliances when people forget to. The device detects when a room is vacant for a period of time and then wirelessly switches off devices via a purpose-built plug socket.
And the former physics teacher has just been awarded an Enterprise Fellowship from the Royal Society of Edinburgh, giving him £10,000 towards the development of his company as well as office space and business training.
|
|
