SINGAPORE FIRMS RELUCTANT TO HIRE WORKING MUMS

SINGAPORE, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Working mums should take note that companies
across the globe are no longer putting them on top of the priority list when it
comes to hiring them, a survey by workspace solutions provider, Regus, revealed.

Regus said it found that the proportion of firms intending to hire more
working mothers had slumped by one-fifth since the same time last year.

Releasing its findings here Thursday, Regus said compared to a year ago,
when 44 per cent of companies planned to hire working mothers, only 36 per cent
expected to do so this year.

"These findings will be of particular concern to women's groups as overall
employment prospects brighten with the accelerating global economy in the new
year," Regus said.

Over 10,000 business respondents from the Regus global contacts database
were interviewed during August and September 2010 for the study managed and
administered by the independent organisation, MarketingUK.

Respondents were asked about their intentions to hire working mothers and
about their role in the workplace.

The study also revealed that there are still a number of businesses who
continue to harbour concerns about employing working mothers, along with some
detail as to what those concerns are.

When compared to overall business employment expectations, where 45 per cent
of companies globally intending to make new hires this year, the study showed
that intentions to employ working mums had fallen considerably below the level,
Regus said.

In Singapore, where 55 per cent of companies planned to add staff, only 49
per cent of firms declared they planned to hire more working mothers, it added.

The report also revealed that some employers still fear that working mothers
might show less commitment and flexibility than other employees (37 per cent),
leave shortly after training to have another child (33 per cent) or have
out-dated skills (24 per cent).

In Singapore employers were particularly concerned about working mum's
flexibility (45 per cent), and about out-of-date skills (31 per cent).

On the positive side, a majority of businesses now valued returning mothers,
with 72 per cent declaring they believed companies that ignored part-time
returning mothers were missing out on a significant and valuable part of the
employment pool.

In addition, fully 56 per cent regarded working mums as offering skills that
were difficult to find in the current market, and 57 per cent declared that they
valued returning mothers because they offered experience and skills without
demanding top salaries.

In Singapore, not demanding top salaries was well above the global average
(78 per cent), perhaps indicating that there was still a lot of work to be done
to reach salary equality between working mothers and their colleagues, Regus
said.

In Singapore, 43 per cent of women are in the workforce, a figure that has
been rising slowly but steadily since 1960.

Regus also said while the vast majority of firms agreed that barring the
door to working mums meant shutting out valuable staff, there was some concern
that family commitments might hinder working mothers from giving their job full
attention and commitment.
-- BERNAMA