By Tim Ferguson, 18 April 2008 15:21
NEWS
Flexible working seems to be more dream than reality for women working in IT who claim a lack of realistic options is harming their work/life balance.
Research by womenintechnology.co.uk - quizzing 200 women - found 55 per cent said they were satisfied with their work/life balance but nearly all added an 'although' or 'but ' to their answer.
Around three-quarters (77 per cent) of women questioned said even though their current employer supports flexible working it was very limited and often more a theory than reality.
Maggie Berry, director of the networking group, said a poor work/life balance is often cited as a key reason for a dwindling number of women in tech.
One woman questioned in the research said having a good balance of work and personal life is something you have to make happen yourself. "It's a tough juggling act," she said.
Another said they fear changing jobs will mean their work/life balance might be less on the agenda.
Others added that colleagues often frown on flexible working and that the discretion of managers is important in making flexible working a reality.
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1. anonymous
We have experienced a reduction in available career paths, and numbers of middle and senior posts in recent years. Coupled with belt tightening, and staff at all levels being asked to do overtime to meet expontentially increasing IT capacity requirements.
Thus the flexible working organisational arrangements which are theoretically in place, are, as a matter of culture, not seen as acceptable working practise in the IT workspace, for men or women. It is however, well known that a larger % of the caring and domestic organisation falls to women, and you have an indirect discrimination. However, with the expected retirement of 1/3rd of the workforce looming, compaines will need to look at how their work/ life balance actually operates, and how it is affected by budget cuts, if they are not to find themselves discriminated against by those remaining in IT careers in the future.