SMEs could do more for work and families balance, expert says

Women who want to start a family may struggle to get the support they need from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

This is the suggestion of Jane Hopkins, founder of Mumsclub, who said some females often have to choose between their job and their family.

Work and families are two areas where women can find it difficult to achieve the right balance, she remarked, although some employers may make this harder.

Ms Hopkins stated: “Some organisations are great and are flexible enough to be able to operate with a woman on maternity leave, but others, often smaller SMEs are not able to be so flexible.”

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She noted some mothers return to the workplace only to find that the role is radically different to when they left and feel there is no other choice but to quit.

It followed recent research by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology, which found female university students are increasingly looking to freeze their eggs to plan their career and motherhood more effectively.