Some 30,000 women lose their jobs every year in the UK just because they are pregnant, according to a campaign launched today [Tuesday].
The Fawcett Society’s campaign to stamp out sexism in the City points to an array of statistics which show women still face a large number of hurdles to work equality some 40 years after sexual discrimination was outlawed.
It points out that:
* Only 11% of FTSE 100 company directors are women
* 30,000 women lose their jobs every year in the UK simply for being pregnant
* Two thirds of low paid workers are women
* Women working full-time are paid on average 17% less than men
* 18% of sex discrimination compensation awards are for sexual harassment
* The first UK lapdance club opened in 1995. There are now over 300 lapdance clubs in the UK.
The women’s rights organisation says: “For the first time the Fawcett Society is joining the dots between women's experiences in the workplace and a wider culture in which women are subject to sexist stereotypes and are increasingly sexually objectified.”
It wants to see flexible working legislation extended to all workers so that it is not viewed as “the mummy track”. It also wants to see the UK’s opt-out of the EU Work Time Directive scrapped in order to put an end to Britain’s long hours culture which puts working mothers at a huge disadvantage in the workplace.
On Monday, the society highlighted the problems of sexual harassment in the workplace. It pointed out how visiting a lapdance club “has become an increasingly normal way for companies to entertain clients” despite a poll which shows that 60% of women feel very or fairly uncomfortable working for a company which allows employees to use lapdancing venues for entertaining clients.
The poll also shows that 52% of men and 59% of women believe it is not acceptable for businesses to use lapdance clubs as venues for entertaining clients. The society wants to see lapdance licensed as Sex Encounter Establishments similar to sex shops so that greater restrictions can be placed on them. They currently operate under Premises Licenses in the same way that pubs and clubs do.
Dr Katherine Rake, Director of the Fawcett Society, said: "Behind the conspicuous wealth of the City lies a hidden story of disadvantage and discrimination affecting women at every level of business - from the bathroom to the boardroom. For the first time Fawcett is exposing the links between these experiences. That link is sexism. ”Women have the right to dignity and respect in their workplaces and in their daily lives. It is time for women and men to stand up against the sexist culture of objectifying women that has gripped our society. Everyone pays the price for sexism, so everyone has a role to play in stamping it out."
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Keeping in touch days used to retain working mums
Companies are beginning to use ‘keeping in touch’ days while women employees are on maternity leave to actively encourage working mums back to work.
Since April 2007, women have been able to work a maximum of 10 days while on maternity leave in order to keep in touch with the office. The agreement is purely voluntary. Previously, they had to terminate their maternity leave if they went back to the office.
The aim is to keep mothers in touch with the office so they can hit the ground running when they return.
Some firms are taking this further, however. Finance group Citi offers a structured training programme on one of its KIT days. This involves discussions about how the meternity leave is progressing, childcare issues, work/life balance problems and reintegration back into their job. The firm also offers coaching before, during and after maternity leave.
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Managers opt for flexible working, but complain about the practicalities
Professional employees are more likely to request flexible working, though many managers find flexible working involves more work for them, a US survey has found.
A poll of 560 employees for the US Institute of Corporate Productivity found that almost three quarters of staff who request flexible working are in professional roles.
Almost two thirds of the firms polled said they offered some form of flexible working, with flexible start and end times to the working day being the most popular, followed by part-time work and working a compressed week.
Most thought there would be more flexible working on offer in the future and said it raised morale and improved retention rates. However, a fifth of managers complained that flexible working was difficult to manage, with a third said it created divisions at work between those who were eligible for flexible working and those who weren’t. Read more
Pregnancy stress 'can affect baby'
Stress suffered during pregnancy could affect a child’s future reproductive functions, according to research.
Research by Dr Mandy Drake at Edinburgh University has found that stress hormones can cross over the placenta and affect babies’ development. Dr Drake believes they may impact on the baby’s future reproductive health.
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