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Ascertaining the Factors influencing re - employment of women returning from maternity leave –
An Indian perspective
Prathima V. G.
Kankana Mukhopadhyay
Abstract
Women contribute equitably to the economy but are seldom treated on par with men when it comes to
societal expectations. This is especially true in a country like India, where societal role expectations play
a significant role in employment of women, especially after they have children. While a substantial
percentage of women graduate from Universities (42%), the numbers drop to 29% for entry level
positions and a further alarming drop to 9% at the mid-senior management positions. This necessarily
shows that women drop in between during their prime age of marriage, childbirth and childcare, many of
them not returning back to the workforce, as the representation of women is less than 1% at the CEO
level. The author aims to explore the contributing factors that usually prevent women from returning back
to workforce, once they complete their maternity leave period and suggests how a combination of efforts
from government, companies and professional agencies in addition to the spouse and family, can play a
defining role in encouraging re-employment of women at the workplace.
KEYWORDS: Maternity leave, childcare, age and gender discrimination
Introduction
Talented people form the crux of any high performing organization and it is a known fact that those
organizations which invest in the development and retention of talent are the ones who enjoy a
sustainable competitive advantage in the market. With women contributing to almost half of the world’s
population, there should have been an equal or equitable representation of them in the educated class
and a similar representation even in the labor workforce. Unfortunately, this is not the case. While
research indicates that educated women contribute to bringing up more educated children and better
citizens, no country in the world has achieved gender equality so far either in healthcare, education, labor
participation or political empowerment, though some have been continuously working to close the gender
gap as per the World Economic report on Global gender gap of 2014.
A major contributor to this gender gap is the culture followed across the globe with subtle differences
between countries, in the way women are considered and treated versus men. Culture defines and
shapes the way in which gender roles are outlined and lived by the citizens of the society, as they pave
the path that needs to be followed by the different genders not just in a family setting, but also in the
society, as well as the workplace. Race or ethnicity act as an organizing principle for the society we live in
because of the cultural meanings given to being male or female, which manifests itself in the way labor/
work is divided according to gender. In most of the societies, the work done by men and women is clearly
delineated with specific contributions sought from both the genders, where women occupy the primary
role of care taker of family and children. While societies and cultures are not inert and continually are
reshaped and revamped over time in response to social and economic shifts in the society, some basic
meanings and definitions of gender ethnicity take time to accept the change and are often conflicting.
In India, the cultural influence is quite large as Indian society is primarily a family oriented, closed society
with clear defined roles played by men and women in the family. While globalization, economic pressures
have brought in some changes in the education, employment and general treatment of women in the
Indian society and families, it is still not enough to make a difference in decreasing the gender gap.
According to the World economic forum- global gender gap report 2014, the literacy rate for women
is 50.8%, compared to 75.2% for men and about 30.3% of women are part of the labour force, compared
to83.5% of men. The numbers drop to an alarming 7% representation of women in the boards of listed
companies. This clearly indicates that organizations lose their female talent in between, during their prime
age of marriage, childbirth and childcare. According to Jeon (2007) this is because women’s lifecycle
events are different than men and hence the expectations from them is different in comparison to men;
childcare and housework are still considered to be women’s work within the family, while men occupy the
role of the primary earner. It has also been found that more educated the man is and having good
earnings, the less chances of the women participating in the workforce. It also goes on to indicate that
women enter the workforce out of sheer necessity to supplement the primary earnings. While this may not
be true in all the cases, it is so in most of them. The few other women are driven by achievement
motivation, wanting to prove their mettle in the corporate world. According to Mc Kinsey- Women Matter-
an Asian Perspective, many women grow into high intensity jobs in their 20s and leave the workforce or
switch to part time jobs when they have children. On the hind side, women who want to grow in their
career are delaying social commitments like marriage or delaying childbirth because of the social role
expectations attached to marriage and childbirth. Jeon(2008) in his study has found that work force
transitions (both entry and withdrawal from work force) is maximum in the age group of 19 – 30 years,
when most of the women enter into marriage or childbirth, or separate from their partners.
For a lot of women, who have got over the prime phase of childbirth and childcare, find it difficult to join
back for a number of reasons:
The gap between the workforce withdrawal and return takes a toll on their confidence since most of them
would have lost touch of what is happening in the industry or possess outdated skills since the industry
has moved on to newer and more complex skills or do not have the network to get back into the fold
easily simply because they have not kept in touch with their colleagues or companies. Studies have
shown that many women, when they decide to go back to work after maternity leave don’t want to join
their previous employer since they would have faced subtle discrimination in the last few months of their
pregnancy, especially with performance appraisals and promotion decisions. Also, the gap would have
shifted their priorities to childcare and their responsibilities will prevent them from taking on any
challenging assignments, which will keep them away from their children. This is especially true, when new
mothers do not get enough child support. In India, according to the latest Census (2011), the average
household size is 4 showing that majorities (~70%) of people live in nuclear families, leaving very few or
no care takers of the children other than the mother herself. In addition to this, unlike in a lot of forward
looking western countries, where the government grants childcare benefits to its citizens, in India, families
have to take the financial burden on themselves (especially for crèche, day care or hiring nannies), only in
very few cases, the companies they work for share the financial burden partially or completely. Hence, it
is not just an emotional decision but also a financial one that prevents women from going back to their
work place. Another contributing factor is that, part time work arrangements are unavailable in India.
According to OECD statistical extracts (2011), though the percentage of part time employments in the
OECD countries has increased to 16.5% (as a share of total employment); India has not recorded any
part time employment.
While flexible work arrangements in the form of job sharing, flexi-time, telecommuting, etc. are available,
the incidences are limited to the private sector and that too mostly in IT and ITES fields. With no part time
work arrangements available and the lack of availability of re-entry programs, women often compromise
and either join back less challenging work or work offering low salary and benefits, or get into alternative
traditional female occupations, or simple stay back at home.
According to Mc Kinsey report (2012), the lack of pro-family public policies and support services is a key
barrier in Asia. Also, among Asian countries, the notion that women must take care of the family
influencing many women to quit their jobs voluntarily is more in India (32%). Though day care and crèche
facilities are available, the standard, recognized pre-school cum day care facilities are very expensive and
are not reachable by average middle class Indian household. The government has made provisions
through labour laws (for ex. Factories act, Mines act etc.) for providing crèche facilities to working mothers
in the organized sector and the Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme for children of working mothers
was launched with a purpose of providing support to women working in the unorganized sector, it still isn’t
enough to cater to the needs of all the working women, as services offered are not on par with standards,
the children to attendant/ teacher/ caretaker ratio is inappropriate with a lot of crèches having very few
attendants/ teacher/ caretaker. A lot of homes turned into day care centers by housewives though
affordable, are not standardized and there is no regulatory body in India to adequately monitor the
mushrooming and working of these private day care facilities, often leaving the young ones vulnerable
and the parents worried about the safety of their children.
It has been seen that the factors which influence women on post maternity work decisions have been
positive for some and negative for others. The influencing factors have been categorized into positive
influencing factors which encourage women to join back after they complete their maternity leave and
negative influencing factors which prevent the women from returning back to workforce.
* developed by the Author
The re-employment of women in the workforce is therefore dependent largely on the woman herself, the
support system that boosts and sustains her stay in the workforce, supplemented by societal changes
and governmental support in the form of amendments to the existing labour laws. It can be seen that a
woman takes the decision to return back to workforce if the environment is conducive on all fronts- at
home, where her participation and contribution as an earning member is perceived to be important and
encouraged and she has enough support available to look after her child in her absence, the perception
of the society in which she lives and the freedom she receives from both the home and the society in
taking her career decisions, which is obviously fuelled by her education level, which gives her the
confidence. It is also true that a woman’s confidence gets a boost when she is well informed through her
professional network about her workplace, as this helps her get into the fold easily on return.
Some of the contributing factors that act as motivational factors for re-employment of women in India post
their maternity leave are explained below.
Contributing factors for re-employment of women in the workforce:
* developed by the Author
Boosting self-image
Women in India identify their self-image from the perspective of their family – spouse / parents and other
family members. Their self-image is largely defined by the way they are treated at the home front. While
this may not be the only factor that defines the woman’s self-image, it is an important limiting factor. This
requires a shift in mentality of family members who either dent or boost the confidence of women. Since
women play the role of secondary earner in the family or even where they are the primary earners, are
still treated discriminately, by not offering them financial freedom or a role in decision making, the
confidence often takes a hit. Women either feel inferior or even where theydon’t; there is a negative
impact on the respect they earn from the family members. This calls for a shift in the social norms as this
treatment of women has more become a social practice being followed from time immemorial. While the
Vedas and Upanishads, and similar spiritual writings encourage respectful treatment of women, it has
been seldom practiced. This is also because in India, barring a few states, most of the states follow
patriarchal system, where men take the leading position in all household as well as societal roles. This
renders the women toothless as they will have to follow societal orders / norms laid down by men. Also, in
most cases, women are submissive by nature or compromise in decision making. A change is required to
empower women to take on decision making role so that there is an equitable chance for them to gain
respect among family members and the society. Corporates can extend their hand in empowering
women, by showcasing the exemplary contributions of women in the companies to the family members
(probably through family day, women’s day, and a day at work programs) whereby they realize the efforts
of the women in their families who are making a difference through their contributions to the societal
growth. When women earn the respect of their family members, their confidence swells leading to a better
self-image. This will also lead to a change in the role expectations from women from the family members,
as all work together to share the family responsibilities, thereby further increasing the confidence of
women while decreasing their anxiety and stress.
Recognizing the value of Education
It has been found that education empowers women as they are better equipped to counter life’s uncertain
trajectories and boosts their self-image. An educated woman is better able to nurture her children into
responsible and better educated adults. Hence, education plays a pivotal role in encouraging women to
re-enter the workforce, as it instills confidence in them and also drives them to achieve something
worthwhile. While most of it is related to financial upliftment of the entire family, it also gives them a sense
of purpose in life and self-satisfaction.
Achievement motivation
Achievement motivation can be defined as the desire to strive, to gain something purposeful or
accomplish in life. When women have the right education and the inner strength (either their own or
fueled by spouse and/or family / peer support) to boost their self-image, they work towards excellence
since they are motivated to achieve in their area of expertise.
Shift in the labour laws
In India, social norms and labour laws converge to create a double discrimination: on one side, women
are discriminated at the family level, while on the other side; government has not done enough to support
women regarding their maternity leave. The Maternity benefit act, 1961 mandates 12 weeks of paid
maternity leave (paid by the employer and not the government) versus the ILO mandate of 14 weeks for
member nations according to article 4, Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183). India is one of
the few member countries that have not ratified the ILO standard. While the Central Government is
proposing on increasing the paid maternity leave to 24 weeks, it has not yet been passed in the
parliament and even if accepted, will take time for uniform implementation across all sectors. Most of the
times, women breastfeeding their children don’t return back to the workplace immediately after 6 weeks of
birth of the child as per the maternity benefit act, 1961, due to biological and emotional reasons. It also
acts as a barrier socially, as family members may find it difficult to take care of the baby and expect the
mother to spend time taking care of the baby. Some women, who are pressed for money may return back
often at the cost of their own and the child’s health and in some cases, need to withdraw from the
workforce due to health and social issues.
While a few private MNCs in India have taken a step forward and are extending maternal benefits to
women in the form of extended paid maternity leave, childcare allowance etc., the move is not enough to
cover the 69.2% of women (as a percentage of total working women population) in the unorganized
sector in India. Since, in India, the maternity leave is paid by the employer and not by the government like
in some of the developed countries, it is often at the discretion of the employer to first of all continue the
woman’s services pre and post pregnancy and this discrimination often doubles as government does not
have strict control over the implementation of the maternity benefit act and most women in the
unorganized sector or SMEs are not aware of applicability of the act to them. The act also falls short of
taking into considerations millions of women working in the agricultural sector, many working solely or in
smaller groups of less than ten members in small scale industries. This lack of awareness, coupled with
absence of stricter controls, often encourage discrimination of women and exploitation of their rights to
continued support during and immediately after the delivery.
This calls for a shift in the maternity period to a minimum of six months, inclusive of both pre and post-
delivery, as usually, women will be able to recoup physically by the time the child turns 4-5 months old
and the child will not be solely dependent on the mother for its feed, as they begin to feed on
supplemental food. This places less strain on the mother, giving her the confidence to return back to the
workplace without having to worry much about the health of her child. It also calls for a comprehensive
coverage of the applicability of the maternity benefit act to the unorganized sector as well, so that
discrimination can be minimized. The government should also work towards contributing partially toward
the maternity benefits, especially for women in the unorganized sector, so that it will be able to monitor
more closely and stringently, the implementation of the act. With the government taking few steps
towards empowering women in India like allocating gender responsive budgeting (in the area of women
safety) and the launch of the National Mission for Empowerment of Women, by the Ministry of Women
and Child Development, this move will definitely add value to its efforts.
Currently, the government has mandated crèche provisions for women working in Factories, mines and
plantations. This has to be extended for women working in organizations that come under the purview of
the Shops and Commercial Establishments act. Also, the Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme for
children of working mothers should be monitored adequately and regulated to support the millions of
women working in the unorganized sector.
Formal reentry programs
Re-entry programs are programs run by companies or professional agencies to equip women to gain
entry back in to the workforce after a gap in employment. These programs should offer career counseling,
helping women understand their career growth opportunities and customized assistance to choose their
career paths, while balancing their personal life, taking a realistic view of the support options available to
them. They should also supplement with a combination of internship programs, where feasible, coupled
with re skilling or skill development programs as this will help the women gain momentum to mingle back
into the workforce with ease. Internship programs in particular will help women understand if they will be
able to cope with the stress of doing the balancing act, while catering to the demands of the corporate
world, where they have to be continuously updating themselves and pushing their limits to prove their
mettle. This will offer them a realistic view of what their careers hold for them in the future and will be able
to focus their efforts much more intelligently and take right decisions either to continue or look for an
alternative. This will also provide a platform to women to network with others which may prove to be a
beneficial work relationship. Most women would have lost touch with their colleagues or peers during the
maternity and childcare break, hence networking will allow them to kindle a new relationship with women
like themselves, who will be able to support each other professionally and personally while they try to gain
a stand in the corporate world.
Workplace boosters
With the influx of a lot of MNCs in India, offering flexible work options and a lot of startup companies
which are gaining momentum and need skilled labour, they can open up special opportunities for women
on a maternity break and who show the willingness to offer their services, though not full time, to be given
part time employments so that their skills can be utilized, at the same time, they don’t have to feel guilty of
leaving their young children completely in the care of others. This calls for a commitment from the senior
management of companies to encourage inclusiveness as a part of their diversity initiatives, by
accommodating the employees’ requirements for a flexible work option, at the same time, evolving an
organizational culture that supports and enhances the working of this group with special needs.
In addition, companies should also look at attracting back women employees on a maternity break to
rejoin them, as they are already familiar with the work environment and the company does not need to
invest more in retraining them versus hiring a completely new recruit. This is possible when supervisors
are made accountable as a part of their work to keep in touch with women on maternity break, offering
them time to time handholding information about the latest developments at the workplace. Though this
may not be feasible for all roles and positions, it can be worked out for critical positions or for those skills
which are difficult to find or takes time to develop. This has dual benefit- one, the communication makes
the women feel wanted back at the workplace, encouraging them to rejoin the team once they finish their
maternity leave period and two, the company need not fear losing its talent either forever or to a
competitor.
Affordable day care services offered in the company premises (where feasible) will lessen the burden on
the mothers to drop off their children at another location before heading to the workplace, thus minimizing
the tension and worry that parents face. In the absence of such arrangements, companies should tweak
their compensation packages to include child care benefits to women employees with small children, to
ease the burden to some extent, which can be withdrawn once the child is old enough to be taken off day
care /crèche facilities.
It can be concluded that a combination of efforts from various stakeholders like the women themselves,
spouse and family, companies, professional agencies and the government, will likely attract and
encourage more women to re-join the workforce post their maternity leave period. This will reduce the
strain on companies who are constantly struggling to get and retain talented people in their workforce,
while battling diversity issues at the workplace. Hence, it requires a conscious effort on part of companies
and the government to create awareness on the contributions of women to the economy and thereby
provide appropriate support mechanisms, thereby reducing societal role conflicts on the expectations
placed on women.