Keep in touch with workplace during maternity leave, mothers urged
NEW mums can counter the impact of taking longer maternity leave breaks if they keep in touch with their workplaces, a new study suggests.
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NEW mums can counter the impact of taking longer maternity leave breaks if they keep in touch with their workplaces, a new study suggests.
Researchers asked 558 Australian and Canadian employers to rate their willingness to hire women on maternity leave who both had and had not used a program connecting them to their workplace.
The results showed job commitment and employability were the highest when the candidate had used a keeping-in-touch program while on leave, co-author RMIT School of Management lecturer Raymond Trau said.
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The study, published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, is the first of its kind to look at overcoming bias against women who take maternity leave.
“When a woman takes a longer period of maternity leave, such as a year off work, they’re often perceived as caring and nurturing but less ambitious and driven, whereas, when a woman takes one month off, they’re often perceived as ambitious, assertive, driven and committed to their career,” Dr Trau said.
He said the study reinforced a catch-22 situation women often faced when taking maternity leave: that spending more time with their babies often came at the cost of their careers.
“Women are more hireable and perceived as more committed if they have a shorter period of time off,” he said.
“Women who take these longer periods of maternity leave can often be penalised.”
Emma Sodamaco, 30, of Altona, is back at work at Melbourne Water after taking maternity leave following the birth of her baby, Eleanor. A business improvement analyst, she kept in touch with colleagues through lunches and return-to-work coaching.
“The lunches were a chance to keep in touch with what was going on and to show off the bub,” Ms Sodamaco said.
“And the coaching helped me reconnect with my professional goals and values.”
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