Reading comments from the likes of Caroline Joy (‘Urgent need for a change in attitude over working mums’, Letters, Personnel Today, 10 April), makes me want to scream out loud. Not for the same reasons as Joy, but more because of the naivety and pious attitude of people with the same blinkered viewpoint.
She has a good job, a secure family life – and, apparently, no work-life balance, given that she “answers her work mobile 24/7, checks her e-mails every evening and always works through her lunch”.
Two issues jump out at me immediately.As part of her HR responsibilities, should she not be promoting and practising the concept of a proper work-life balance?
I speak from experience, having worked as head of HR covering the needs of more than 3,000 employees, while also being a single parent to a 10-year-old. You can’t possibly accomplish it all at this level and still wax lyrical about having a healthy balance between family life and a career.
This is where my second point comes in.
Why is it always assumed that working mothers have it tough, when a large number of men do the same thing, but are ignored by the media for a range of reasons?
People in positions such as Joy’s need to be more realistic and realise that articles such as the one that prompted her anger (Lesley Nash’s opinion piece, ‘Flexibility is bad for business’, Personnel Today, 13 March) are looking at the bigger picture and not ‘having a go’ at individuals.
Neil Archibald, Talent manager
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