It’s time to cut the negative bullshit about working mums

We must reframe the working mum experience, writes Helen Rose

I’m a mum. And I work in media.

Not two of the most alarming admissions you’re likely to hear but two that, rather surprisingly, you don’t hear together as often as you would think.

Despite the fact that it’s 2017, and despite the ambitious diversity targets set out by the IPA’s Make The Leap pledge, working mothers in media are still hugely under represented.

There’s plenty of debate around the need for gender pay equality, the desire for increased representation of females in senior management, and an appetite for improvement in diversity levels. It’s certainly a hot topic for the industry, but are most only paying lip service to this important issue?

We’ve come a long way from the days of Peggy in Mad Men, but it feels that there’s a lot more the industry could do through actionable change.

Cut the negative BS

First and foremost, it’s time to reframe the working mum experience from negative to positive. Contrary to popular opinion, working mums don’t always feel guilty about leaving their kids.

Of course it’s a balancing act, managing time with the kids alongside the demands of work, but everyone who works has to manage their time and prioritise activities, not just mums or dads. Whether it’s time with mates or on other personal hobbies and interests, the challenge is getting the balance right.

We all claim to be busy these days – the reality is we prioritise the things we want to do the most. Do we feel guilty if we sometimes get the balance wrong? Yes, of course. But that’s because it’s a human emotion, not a parent-only emotion. Stop labelling working mums as those most susceptible to guilt.

And, apparently, once you’ve dealt with this guilt, being a working mum is all about making sacrifices and being constantly tired. Enough with all this negativity and lazy stereotyping!

I don’t believe I made a sacrifice. I made a choice. I have a 7-year-old and a 4-year-old, and I knew before they were born that it was not my ambition to stay at home with them. Unfortunately this may still sound radical to some, but I wanted both: to have kids and to do a job I enjoy. And why shouldn’t I, or you?

True flexibility

Flexible working is an answer but it shouldn’t be about offering parents the option to work from home one day a week so that a box can be ticked by HR. A key factor in promoting and supporting working parents is offering truly flexible working options.

The one thing parenthood can often be is unpredictable so being truly flexible with working ways and hours can really help. At the7stars I’m trusted explicitly that if I need to take a couple of hours to attend an assembly or collect a sickly child it’s not a problem. I don’t have to book it in as time off, I just tell my team and manage my diary accordingly.

In the same way that all staff are treated like adults to take the amount of holiday they need without counting the days and filling in forms, parents get the same treatment. The expectation is that you can deliver your job – how you choose to do that is up to you. And it’s not just flexible working hours, but flexibility in the way you can work. From hot-desking to working remotely, it’s hugely beneficial to feel in control and to be able to fit in my work hours where and when I want to.

Tailored support

We need more companies thinking and behaving differently when it comes to the way they support working mums.

Mums should not be treated as one homogenous group. The types of incentives and policies to aid mums in the workplace should be tailored to support them at an individual level. We have a parent buddy scheme which complements our standard maternity and paternity policies. This allows individuals to craft their own plan around how and when they want to be contacted on leave – from being totally left alone to receiving news or gossip updates – and includes a personalised welcome back process and integration into the agency.

Other initiatives happen on a more ad hoc basis. For example, we were pitching to a new client last year when my childcare fell through, but rather than drop out of the pitch I brought my daughter in with me. She had a fun day exploring where I work, and our honesty about the situation added to our chemistry with the client (we won the pitch!). While we’re not planning to set up a company crèche anytime soon, the knowledge that the company culture is open to different ways of finding a solution is both refreshing and encouraging.

At a broader level, there’s plenty of evidence about the positive effects of working mums and family friendly policies on business performance. From retaining great talent to having more women in senior positions, mothers should feel supported in being able to fulfil their role at work, and as a role model for their children. This can only be achieved by ditching archaic stereotypes and promoting a more positive experience. Now is the time for the media industry to step up and be a progressive champion for all current and future working mums.

Helen Rose is head of insight at the7stars