A Promising Start: Realities of Mums In Tech

At what could be a particularly anxiety-inducing moment, how a manager responds to a pregnancy announcement sets the tone for the whole of someone’s pregnancy journey.

Overall, the results were positive. Almost the majority of respondents said they had a ‘very supportive’ experience, with over 8 in 10 saying their response was at least somewhat supportive.

What did that support look like?

• Ability to work remotely

• More flexible hours to account for any symptoms

• Proactive discussions around leave and cover

• Reassurance around job security

• Meeting with a positive attitude

“It was fantastic – I was surrounded with love and support not just from the SMT but all of the company.”

—

“It was a positive experience where I was able to continue my main responsibilities and role with support when I needed it.”

—

“Flexible hours, lots of support, encouragement to look at career progression and gain more skills (if I felt up to it) – and lots of excitement”

However, 8% of Mums in Tech felt like their employers were unsupportive

Unfortunately, not everyone felt the same level of support, of those that felt unsupported a majority of those were in non-technical & delivery roles Throughout the report, you will notice there is a continuing trend with these positions receiving less support, particularly senior managers.

How were they not supported?

• Last-minute conversations and decisions about cover

• Being sidelined on projects before they were on leave

• Feeling pressure to overwork and continue long hours

• No accommodations for remote/flexible work

“As I was only off for 4.5 months, no cover was arranged for me. This made me feel like my job wasn’t worthwhile.”

—

“I had work taken off me that I was more than capable of doing. Sidelined on projects, experienced discriminatory remarks and behaviours, all of which have a significant impact on my mental health.”

—

“I felt under a huge amount of pressure and physical pain when I was made to commute into the London office even though I struggled with bad pelvic girdle pain and it was feasible and possible for 90% of my job to be done from home.”

This is part of a series of deep dives into the findings of the first set of results from the “Reality of Mums in Tech” survey. You can access the full report here (link). The ‘Realities of Mums in Tech’ is an open and ongoing project and if you would like to contribute your story, you can today. Take the survey now

If you’d like more information about how to further support MotherBoard, or would like more information about how to join the MotherBoard Charter get in touch at hello@motherboard.co.uk

A MotherBoard x HeyFlow collaboration

About HeyFlow

Ending disadvantage for women in the workplace.

Insight, learning and action for female* reproductive health inclusion in the workplace. * They actually mean people with internal reproductive health organs, it’s just not as catchy.

You can read their full inclusion statement here