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Working Mothers Often ‘Too Stressed’

Recent figures indicate that almost 6 out of 10 mothers with children under five are employed in some form.

But a study for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation indicates that "family friendly" employment policies are often of limited help if working mothers feel overloaded and under stress while at work.

Surveying about 50 mothers as well as fathers in couples with at least one child, the researchers found the women wanted to work - not only to increase the family income, but also because they felt their employment was having a positive impact on family relationships.

But some expressed concerns that their jobs had a negative impact on their families - particularly when they were overstretched at work, felt tired, or had trouble "switching off" after a bad day in the workplace.

Career fears

The report says that most employers' "family friendly" policies focus on the hours parents spend at work, rather than the quality of that time.

More attention should be paid to controlling workloads, managing the intensity of work, and ensuring goals and targets were achievable in the time available to employees.

Dr. Tracey Reynolds, a research fellow and co-author of the report, said: "Stresses in family relationships can arise as much from the quality of time spent at work by mothers as the amount of time they spend at work.

"Family friendly workplace policies and practices may have helped some of the mothers we interviewed to modify their time schedules, but they were ineffective in helping them to deal with the stresses of paid work and the strains that they placed on family relationships."

Workplace cultures also needed to change so that working mothers felt confident in requesting flexible working schedules without feeling it would inhibit their career development.

Dr. Reynolds added that the issue of stress at work applied to all employees - not just working mothers - and that employers needed to be more creative in helping their staff achieve an effective work-life balance.

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