Women’s Work? May 4, 2011My CareerOff

“A lot of successful women still feel inordinately guilty about what they perceive as their domestic shortcomings,” Judge Lynn Toler of TV’s Divorce Court tells PINK. “A lot of them never get off the hook for not being the perfect wife and mother.”

Just over half of high-achieving career women over 40 have children, compared to nearly 80 percent of men. Generally though, it’s only women who get maternity leave.

This month – in the UK anyway – they’re doing something about that, as extended leave for new fathers kicks in.

Saying Britain’s previous maternity leave rule “marginalizesmen and patronizes women,” the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg explains new dads will now have the chance to tap into mom’s unused maternity

leave. The result? He says it will be, “a happier, more flexible productive workforce.” 

Eighty-six percent of women think they work harder in the office than men, and eight-in-10 working women with children feel they’ve “already done a day’s work before they even arrive at the office,” says a UK study. Pair this with the fact that most women feel they have less leisure time on average than men, and the new law seems welcome on both sides.

How are companies in the U.S. accommodating working mothers?

Financial services firm Credit Suisse implemented a Maternity Coaching program to help women prepare for a smooth departure and return. The maternity program at McGraw Hill Companies’ streamlines nursing consultations, doctor’s appointments, and covers up to $20,000 in services for couples struggling with fertility.

Bonus PINK Link: Find out what new requirement makes it easier for moms to nurse at work.

Minute Mentor: Attorney at Law Emily Borna, of Jackson Lewis LLP, discusses new policies for nursing in the workplace.

By Cynthia Good

“Let’s stop apologizing for our competence.” Zerrie Campbell

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