Mother’s Day, every day – why businesses should celebrate working mums more
Yeah, yeah, we know, Mother’s Day has just come and gone. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate it again! We believe you don’t need a special day to celebrate mums. Because if you ask us, every day is Mother’s Day. Did you know that the origin of this day goes back to a movement started by the American women’s rights activist Anna Jarvis? Every country has its own customs and traditions to honour mothers on this day. But ultimately, they all express the same thing, “Thank you, Mum!” So, we’ve put together a short blog, to show you how as an employer, you can send a little appreciation to all the mothers in your company. Appreciation for that masterful set of skills they all possess; effortlessly balancing work and family every day.
1. Create the necessary awareness
Even today, some employers are hesitant to hire potential mothers and women with children. But working mothers are the true heroes of everyday (work) life. If you don’t have children yourself, be aware of what it means to manage a family alongside your job. Mothers only manage this because they are true all-rounders. After all, parenthood has many advantages, children make their parents stronger and more resilient in many ways. Those who have children learn to set priorities and to get problems under control much faster. Parenthood often increases efficiency and effectiveness and can train mindfulness.
These are all positive qualities that show up and pay off in the job. However, the talents that children bring out in their parents are quickly forgotten by employers. That is why it’s important to be aware of the demanding everyday life of working mothers. This means seeing motherhood and work as something interconnected. A mother should not have to feel uncomfortable talking about her role and needs for fear of appearing unprofessional.
2. The right working structures
As far as work structures are concerned, much has already improved. However, today’s working world still generally functions according to the “nine-to-five five-day week” – which is not always easy to implement for mothers. This is why men usually work full-time while women look after the children at home. But the pandemic has upended the way we work and shown that it can be done differently, with more of us adopting the home office and more flexible working hours. Incidentally, this is also an opportunity for mothers to regain their footing in the job market after parental leave. Individual home office days are just as important and flexible working hours are a game-changer. This makes it easier to reconcile family and career.
If you need support on this point, take a look at our home office guide. A flexible work structure can also increase productivity and have a positive effect on satisfaction. Of course, this is not only true for working mothers.
3. Ensure equality
Lower salaries, smaller or no bonuses, no decent prospects for promotion despite good performance – working mothers still often have to put up with this today. No wonder they feel discriminated against and treated unfairly. Additionally, if a mother leaves work on time to collect her children from school, she is quickly seen as unmotivated or unproductive, while fathers are applauded for this. This unequal perception should be put to rest. Because equality pays off – If you treat employees equally, be they men or women, mothers or fathers, it has a positive effect on the mood, atmosphere and cohesion in your company and thus on motivation, productivity and reputation. Win-win for everyone, right?
Balancing family and work life is not always easy, which is why our mothers have truly earned the title of everyday heroes. Our calendars and organisers also provide helpful support to keep track of everything – take a look at our shop, you’ll find everything you need here.
