Women who work part-time should not have to automatically earn or be valued less, one sector commentator has claimed.
Toni Eastwood OBE, training director at everywoman, said female employees who both hold down a job and care for children have an increasing need to be able to work flexibly.
However, she added this flexibility should not come at a price, as often women feel torn by the stress that comes with balancing a job with motherhood.
She went on to note it was a misconception part-time workers could not handle a senior role.
“Too many organisations and managers still refuse to accept that particularly senior roles can work really well on a part-time or job share basis – and many still believe that certain roles and jobs cannot be achieved working part-time,” Ms Eastwood explained.
She urged businesses to remain flexible in order to retain a talented and balanced workforce which reflects their customer base.
Her comments come after the Equalities Office announced the launch of a new women’s employment strategy, aimed at getting more highly skilled, quality part-time jobs for females.
