It’s not the break that’s the problem: Women SET professionals and career breaks in European companies

Abstract

This report is focused on what companies can do to support women returning to work after a career break and to continue to progress their careers. Clearly company specific work life balance policies have a significant role to play but it is important to recognise the wide range of other factors within a broader cultural context. The decisions that women make at the time of maternity including whether or not to work part time on returning to work, can often determine what options they might have at a later stage in their careers. Yet these crucial decisions are not made in isolation but are strongly influenced by gendered cultural assumptions both inside and outside of the workplace. As well as company policies these include national legal frameworks, availability of care networks, work status, as well as personal preferences