What are the benefits that working mothers need?

Since childcare falls disproportionately on women, it is essential that companies have functional benefits and compensation for working mothers.

Human capital specialist Manpowergroup found that the burden of caregiving responsibilities, combined with the constant pressure of a gender pay gap, limits working mothers’ ability to dedicate themselves. to training and advance their careers. Additionally, the absence of strong support and work environments with little or no flexibility further complicates their situation.

In Mexico, women They allocate 40 hours a week to unpaid domestic work, while men only 16 hours, reported the Inegi. Hours that are additional to your work days.

The study, World of Work Outlook for Women in 2024, revealed “that leaders must remember that rigid work structures and schedules often negatively impact women, and even more so those in the role of caregivers. It should come as no surprise that “60% of women consider leaving their current roles for greater flexibility in their workdays.”

ManpowerGroup identified that in addition to work flexibility, there are sustainable actions that can allow working mothers to advance in their professional career, these are: kindergarten in the workplace or playroom; maternity licence and paternity with more days than required by law; offer family health insurance; agreements with schools and educational centers; Summer courses provided by the company; discounts for extracurricular classes for workers’ children.

Working mothers will need conditions that allow them to harmonize their work and professional lives, while presenting a wide range of job options that can guarantee them a better income, better working conditions and greater development opportunities in the face of the challenge of population growth. informality, the human capital company stressed.

Within the Mexican labor market, seven out of 10 single mothers are economically active, and 78% of them earn their income as subordinate and paid workers, according to Inegi data.

Manpowergoup noted that there is a differentiated impact of women’s double shift of activities, single mothers often face a disproportionate burden of care responsibilities, in contrast to mothers with a partner who usually have more time, resources and support to advance in their lives. their careers, which is why it is important to take into account key actions that alleviate this care overload as much as possible.

In 2022, the economic value of unpaid work in domestic and care work was equivalent to 24.3% of GDP at the national level. With their unpaid domestic and care work, women contributed 2.6 times more economic value to their homes than men, reported the Satellite Account of Unpaid Work in Mexican Households from Inegi.