When mum goes back to work

Returning to work after a maternity break is undoubtedly a challenging phase of life for any mother. A recent study conducted by the Chair of Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of Zurich has evaluated the success factors for returning to work . The study analysed which factors support a successful return to work and which make it more difficult.

Obstructive factors: little room for manoeuvre and time pressure

The better the childcare situation is organised, whether by a daycare centre, grandparents or a partner, the easier it is to return to work. That is obvious. Nevertheless, the whole organisation stands and falls with flexible working hours and the employer's willingness not to oblige their employees to a «nine to five» job. The study confirms this. For many mothers, the most helpful factor in balancing work and family life is the flexibility to work flexible hours . If this is not the case, it becomes difficult, says study director Dr Maike Debus: «The women surveyed most frequently cited organisational effort such as being tied to daycare pick-up times, time pressure and, above all, little room for manoeuvre when it comes to getting work done as obstacles to returning to work.»

More highly educated women earn more and can afford additional support.

The fact that the job continues to be an important part of mothers' lives is shown by the other results of the study conducted by the Chair of Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of Zurich: according to the study, 84% of the mothers surveyed returned to their old job after maternity leave. However, more than half of them did so at a lower workload.

A large proportion of the mothers surveyed (84 per cent) stated that they were looking for a «balance to family responsibilities» in their job. Almost as many (82 per cent) want to «keep up with working life». More than one in two returned to work «for financial reasons».

Interestingly, the majority of those surveyed said that the work-life balance worked well. The mothers stated that their work only «occasionally» had a negative impact on family life - and vice versa. But how does this statement fit into the general picture that work-life balance is becoming increasingly nerve-wracking for mothers? Study director Maike Debus sees one explanation in the target group of the survey: «Our study participants tend to have a higher level of education».

Despite positive changes, mothers continue to suffer the greatest job losses.

This is often linked to a higher income. «This group of mothers can financially afford to take on additional support such as daycare». These women are also more likely to be in a social environment in which it is more natural for their partner, who usually also earns well, to help out or reduce their workload. Debus cites the employer as a third explanation. According to this, the study participants probably work in jobs where part-time or flexible working hours are easier to organise - which is why the mothers surveyed are able to organise their work more autonomously and flexibly. All of these factors contribute to the satisfaction of working mothers.

The lower the income, the more likely it is that the old role model will be practised

However, outside of this well-off middle class, it is more difficult or sometimes impossible for mothers to return to work. In other words, it may be impossible for a saleswoman with long and rigid working hours to return to her job. Parent couples have to fall back on traditional role models, i.e. «husband works, wife stays at home with the children», in order to make ends meet for the family.

It is even more difficult for low-income families, single parents or parents from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds: «Many international studies show that social status determines whether mothers can return to their old jobs or return to work at all,» says Maike Debus.

Mothers change jobs twice as often as fathers

One thing is clear: balancing family and career in Switzerland remains a difficult issue, especially for women. A report by the Federal Social Insurance Office shows that women's pensions in Switzerland are on average around 37 per cent or almost CHF 20,000 a year lower than those of men. The reason: while fathers usually continue to work full-time, women look after the children and household or only work part-time. This leads to gaps and lower contributions to the pension system.

Motherhood and part-time work - still a «normal» consequence of motherhood in Switzerland.

More and more mothers with young children are working, as the latest figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) show. However, the majority of them continue to accept professional and financial losses. According to the report, mothers are also twice as likely to change jobs as fathers. Around 20 per cent of mothers even look for a less demanding job in order to better combine work and family life. Fathers, at 6 per cent, are significantly less willing to do this. Motherhood and part-time work therefore still seem to be the «normal» consequence of motherhood in Switzerland. In figures, this means that 62.2 per cent of working mothers work less after maternity leave, according to the Federal Statistical Office. By contrast, only around 15 per cent of fathers give up their working days in favour of the family.
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More about returning to work:

• Back to work? How to get back to work: 8 realistic tips.
  
• Mothers who want to pursue a career pay a high price. After all, the much-cited compatibility of family and career means one thing above all: a lot of stress.