Flexible Working for Women

Women and Leadership

At the time of writing there are 19 female CEOs in the UK with just 10 of them being FTSE 100 companies.  That means 10% of FTSE 100 CEOs are female and 5.4% of FTSE 350 are female.

A couple of years ago I heard Amanda Blanc (CEO of AVIVA)  being interviewed on  Desert Island Discs and besides her excellent choice of music including  Running up That Hill - Kate Bush, Town Called Malice - The Jam and Tainted Love - Soft Cell; she had an amazing story to tell, from being raised in a mining village in the Rhonda Valley to becoming one of the few female leaders of a FTSE 100. 

She spoke about the sexism and misogyny she had encountered throughout her career; but this did not stop her. She is married with two children and her husband who also worked in insurance gave up his job to support her career and be the main carer for their children.

Women in Senior Management

Although the number of women in the top positions is still tiny, there is an increasing number of women holding board seats across the FTSE 350 companies which is encouraging to see. There are also more female entrepreneurs, tech leaders and scientists.  This has brought a shift towards authenticity and resilience rather than perfection. As well as this, younger men are more open to role models who reflect empathy, equality and a balance of personal and professional values.

The big issue that remains is that women are almost always the main caregiver (both for their children and aging parents) and senior corporate roles are often structured around cultures that are incompatible with caregiving responsibilities.

Male and Female Roles

In Amanda Blanc’s case she and her husband chose complete role reversal but is there a better way where both parents can spend time with their families as well as having fulfilling careers? This is not just about being fair; it’s about bringing together skills that allow both men and women to run companies as well as be an important part of their families lives.

With an aging population in most developed countries, there needs to be a rethink on how parents can combine family life with paid (and fulfilling work)  Women will no longer be happy to accept low paid and uninteresting work just because it fits in with child care; though they may see this as the price they have to pay to spend time with their children in their early years

There will be less grandparents fit enough to provide free childcare as women work longer before having children.  Indeed some women may find that they are still looking after children while also caring for aging parents. Having children in your 40’s as I did is no longer a rarity.

The rising importance of flexible working and family friendly workplaces

It’s not just the right thing to do. It is essential for the economy in order to ensure that the best men and women are working and supporting growth in business.

This is what needs to happen:

💥 Flexible working is common and expected (remote work, job shares, compressed hours)

💥 Extended parental leave, especially for fathers to encourage gender balance

💥 On-site subsidised childcare and eldercare

💥Stronger focus on wellbeing and work life balance

Large companies have to take the lead on this which will ensure that they are able to attract and retain talent. Sadly there is not much evidence of this.  Despite the move to flexible working driven by Covid, many companies are now requiring employees to return to the office.

This is led by the big tech, finance and consulting firms, many insisting on full return to the office citing productivity and collaboration. They argue that performance is better when employees are in the office for the following reasons:

➡️ Collaboration and Innovation - i.e.water cooler moments

➡️ Company Culture and Identity - seen as especially important for new employees

➡️ Mentoring and Development - shadowing & informal feedback

➡️ Productivity and Accountability - concerns about lack of focus

➡️ Return on office investment - where they are committed to large office space

Though I accept some of these arguments; to my mind, it screams lack of trust and an indication of poor leadership and culture.

And the impact on older women (with family commitments) is huge.

I accept that some time in the office is needed, but flexibility is key, and women who are trusted and respected; by supportive leaders will go over and above what is needed to maintain the flexibility that allows them to fulfil their other commitments.

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