A new study shows that mums can’t win
Research found that women who took time off to care for their babies were seen as less committed and less competent, while those who didn’t take time off where perceived as less caring mums.
Dr Thekla Morgenroth, lead author of the study, said that these findings suggested that women are ‘damned’ no matter what they do.
MORE: 9 TIPS ON RETURNING TO WORK AFTER MATERNITY LEAVE
Dr Morgenroth continued, ‘This is a no-win situation for women. Our results show that perceptions of competence, whether in the work or family domain, were never boosted, but only impaired, by the maternity leave decision. Both decisions had negative consequences, albeit in different domains.
‘It is important to have policies which allow women to balance work and family life, but it’s also important to understand use of these policies may have unintended consequences.’
MORE: 'WHY I’M GLAD I HAD KIDS LATER IN LIFE'
The BBC's new drama will focus on maternity leave
Only 0.5% of British women still breastfeeding after a year
Millions of UK workers feel "too guilty" to take their full annual leave allowance
A new study shows that mums can’t win
Research found that women who took time off to care for their babies were seen as less committed and less competent, while those who didn’t take time off where perceived as less caring mums.
Dr Thekla Morgenroth, lead author of the study, said that these findings suggested that women are ‘damned’ no matter what they do.
MORE: 9 TIPS ON RETURNING TO WORK AFTER MATERNITY LEAVE
Dr Morgenroth continued, ‘This is a no-win situation for women. Our results show that perceptions of competence, whether in the work or family domai
n, were never boosted, but only impaired, by the maternity leave decision. Both decisions had negative consequences, albeit in different domains.
‘It is important to have policies which allow women to balance work and family life, but it’s also important to understand use of these policies may have unintended consequences.’
MORE: 'WHY I’M GLAD I HAD KIDS LATER IN LIFE'
The BBC's new drama will focus on maternity leave
Only 0.5% of British women still breastfeeding after a year
Millions of UK workers feel "too guilty" to take their full annual leave allowance