Matki-menedżerki i ich powrót na rynek pracy po urodzeniu dziecka

• Authors: Magdalena Rękas
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

Disadvantageous social & demographic trends in the European Union, in particular, ageing of the society and the decrease in the reproduction, force a public debate focused on conditions which could promote linking of the professional life and the family life. One of significant elements of the family promoting policy must be employment market situation adjusted to the needs of women, who must work and face the family issues. A substantial matter for women, who are mothers, is liquidation of obstacles arising from the return of women to the employment market. Giving birth must not mean falling out of the market and the long-term unemployment. Previous efforts made in Poland have failed. Even worse, the latest data regarding the unemployment rate originating from the MPiPS (Ministry of Labor and Social Policy) show that at the end of the first half 2012, the unemployment record contained data of 211 thousands women who did not return to work after they had given birth. This is by 18 thousand more than in 2011 and by 36 thousand more compared to 2010. Moreover, in Poland, when a woman returns to work after the expiration of the maternity leave, a guarantee of getting her job back is limited (art. 1832 Labor Code); she is not protected from a dismissal. The goal of this paper is an assessment of Polish mothers-managers situation, including situation of women who run their businesses, returning to the employment market after giving birth. The results are based on own survey. To achieve the goal the impact of changes on the employment market in the twenty first century on the contemporary family model was described. A previous model, so called single breadwinner, that is a traditional family model with a man being the sole person who works, is no longer valid. Moreover, there were enumerated factors, which affect the professional activity of women-mothers, on the basis of research in the framework of the scientific project “Social Diagnosis 2000-2009”. They proved that having a baby means nearly 100% increase in the professional activity of fathers and the decrease in the professional activity of mothers by 75%. In order to achieve the goal the following methods and analysis were used: the descriptive method, comparative analysis and the critical analysis of results. The analyses were based on own studies carried out from May to July 2012. The subject of the study was a group of 263 women. All of the women had children, they were professionally active and all of them were hired on managerial positions or they run their private businesses. The women lived in Jelenia Góra, Kamienna Góra and Wałbrzych poviats. The survey aimed to diagnose the situation of women who had children on the employment market and to assess the impact of having children on the professional status. The survey proved that mothers-managers stay beyond the employment market no longer than the statutory time of the maternity leave. More than 70% women did not use the right to the child care leave and the remaining approx. 30% women resigned the leave after 3-6 months. The women explained that they were worried about losing their jobs, losing incomes, and in the future, having lower pensions. Finally, they were worried that their skills would become poor which could negatively affect their chances for professional promotion. It should be mentioned that 62% women established their businesses having in mind the problems which occur after giving birth or no chance to be employed, in particular until a child is 4 years old. In the light of such results of the survey the author concludes that the extension of the maternity leave time may not be accepted by women who take managerial positions and those who run their own businesses. However, other changes are desired (presented in the conclusions section) e.g.: setting up a chain of day nurseries, kindergartens and common rooms open till 8 p.m., setting up a chain of easily accessible services which decrease the liabilities of women in terms of housework, setting up complex work-life programs, promotion of flexible work time and modern forms of employment (e.g., telecommuting, like in France which implemented a tax relief for mothers who choose this form of employment, or possibility to work partially at home), and, which is very significant, promotion of the social acceptance for men’s engagement into child care and family duties.

Keywords

EN

family promoting policy; family model; supply factors for women’s work; professional activity; reproduction

• Publisher: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wrocławiu
• Journal: Ekonomia - Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu
• Year: 2013
• Issue: 2 (23)
• Pages: 168-179

Contributors

author

Magdalena Rękas

• Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wrocław

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