Western Mail, 17th March 2010
They are said to perform better in interviews, have better presentation, communication and motivation skills and are more thorough, affordable and able to multitask.
But despite all this women do not get top jobs because managers fear they will leave to have children, according to a new survey.
A poll of 500 bosses by TheLadders.co.uk – a careers site that only specialises in jobs with a salary of £50,000 plus – found almost half of senior management surveyed agreed that women will be denied jobs they are most suited to because of concerns over maternity leave.
Leading divorce lawyer Melanie Hamer, a partner at Cardiff-based Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice, argued she would never entertain not giving someone the right level of job just because they are female and may leave to have children.
She said: “It’s quite shocking if this happens. Not all women choose to have children anyway and some women do but go back to work almost straight away.”
“There are also instances where the roles are reversed and the man stays at home to look after the child.”
Director and founder of JoJo Maman Bébé, Laura Tennison, said: “The reality is that women are still the primary child carers, and as a result, there’s a concern for employers that they may leave to have children.”