Women Returners and Enterprise

Transcription

Women Returners and Enterprise
Findings from the London Women Returners Enterprise Pilot
March 2009
Contents
1. Executive summary................................................................................................................. 4
2. Introduction and context ........................................................................................................ 5
2.1 Background ........................................................................................ 5
2.2 Women Like Us ................................................................................... 5
2.3 Focus and timing of research................................................................. 5
3. Existing literature .................................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Key themes ........................................................................................ 6
4. Research methodology and objectives ................................................................................ 8
4.1 In-depth interviews.............................................................................. 8
4.2 Online survey...................................................................................... 8
5. In-depth interview findings................................................................................................... 10
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
5.6
5.7
5.8
About the sample .............................................................................. 10
Case studies ..................................................................................... 10
Key themes emerging ........................................................................ 19
Challenges facing women returners ...................................................... 19
Attractions of enterprise ..................................................................... 21
Fears about enterprise........................................................................ 21
Self-employed vs entrepreneur ............................................................ 21
Interviewee suggestions to encourage enterprise ................................... 22
6. On-line survey findings ........................................................................................................ 23
6.1 Profile of respondents......................................................................... 23
6.2 Motivations and triggers ..................................................................... 28
6.3 Challenges in returning to work ........................................................... 29
6.4 Doer, Thinker, Avoider ....................................................................... 31
6.5 Experience of self-employment ............................................................ 32
6.6 Self-employed income ........................................................................ 33
6.7 Financing.......................................................................................... 34
6.8 Choosing self-employment .................................................................. 34
6.9 Barriers to enterprise ......................................................................... 36
6.10 Advice, support and training .............................................................. 38
7. Conclusions ........................................................................................................................... 41
8. Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 43
Appendix 1 ................................................................................................................................. 44
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Illustrations
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1: Wants and needs that interviewees most cite .................................... 19
2: Age of respondents ....................................................................... 24
3: Ethnicity of respondents Base: 893.................................................. 24
4: Household income of respondents ................................................... 25
5: Personal income of respondents ...................................................... 26
6: Qualifications of respondents .......................................................... 26
7: Employment status of respondents .................................................. 27
8: Importance of work to respondents ................................................. 28
9: Fulfilment and money as drivers...................................................... 28
10: Triggers for returning to work (prompted) ...................................... 29
11: Challenges of working (prompted) ................................................. 30
12: Challenges finding work (prompted)............................................... 30
13: Survey comparison...................................................................... 31
14: Experience of self-employment ..................................................... 32
15: Household income by type of work ................................................ 33
16: Personal income by type of work ................................................... 33
17: Choosing to be self-employed ....................................................... 34
18: Employment preference among the self-employed ........................... 35
19: Self-employed mothers with other work as well ............................... 35
20: Why self-employed mothers seek employee work (prompted)............ 36
21: Barriers to self-employment (prompted)......................................... 37
22: Factors encouraging enterprise ..................................................... 37
23: Awareness and experience of professional advisors among 'Thinkers'.. 39
24: Use of advice, support and training among self-employed mothers ..... 39
25: Influence of others on self-employed mothers ................................. 40
26: Training received by self-employed mothers.................................... 40
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1. Executive summary
Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR) and Government
Equalities Office (GEO) jointly commissioned Women Like Us to research the
barriers to enterprise faced by women returners. Women Like Us is an awardwinning social enterprise that helps women with children to find part-time flexible
work, and helps employers source experienced, part-time staff.
The aim of the research is to identify what active women returners – those engaged
in finding a route to economic activity - perceive to be the most significant barriers
to enterprise and to better understand how these perceptions impact on their
choices to either start-up a new business, or to enter employment. Existing
literature offers insight into barriers experienced by all women: this research
focuses specifically on women returners.
The research comprised qualitative and quantitative methods, namely in-depth
interviews and an online survey that elicited 1,134 responses. Those who
responded included a mix of part-time employed, part-time self-employed and
women who are not currently working, and represented women across the socioeconomic range. Survey respondents are relatively well qualified and from
relatively affluent households: in this sense, respondents can be thought of as well
resourced.
Research findings echo much of what is reported in existing literature. The key
barriers to enterprise for women returners are concerns about financial risk and
security and a concern about the effect their work may have on their families. A
key finding throughout is that barriers and opportunities relate to women returners’
need to ensure that they have time with their families, rather than focusing on the
availability of childcare per se.
The research also highlights findings less widely reported. Women returners are not
comfortable thinking about themselves as ‘entrepreneurs’. They are more likely to
relate to the language of ‘self-employment’. Respondents report complex interplay
between issues that affect their capacity to be economically active. The dynamic
nature of these drivers appears to lead to non-traditional working patterns,
including a blend of working arrangements that often includes both selfemployment and employed work simultaneously. Finally, women struggle to
generate meaningful income from their enterprise activity.
This report recommends that particular attention be paid to tailoring services
specifically for women returners at the transitional point where they consider a
return to work. This will enable them to make a successful and sustainable move
into economic activity. Service provision should take a holistic approach to
enterprise and employment, supporting returners to address specific family-related
barriers as they consider their route to paid work, whether that is through
employment, self-employment or a blend of both. This support should be available
as pre-start up support and will provide returners with the skills to manage their
portfolio of activities, to understand and manage the risks involved in enterprise
activity, and should facilitate networking and peer-support among women facing
similar issues.
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2. Introduction and context
2.1 Background
In ‘Enterprise: Unlocking the UK’s Talent’, published in March 2008, Government
recognised the importance of stimulating demand and increasing interest in
enterprise among women across the UK. As part of a range of measures to address
the issues, the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (BERR)
and Government Equalities Office (GEO) jointly commissioned Women Like Us to
research the barriers to enterprise faced by women returners.
2.2 Women Like Us
Women Like Us is an award winning social enterprise that helps women with
children to find part-time flexible work, and helps employers source experienced,
part-time staff.
It works to create solutions for women returners. Women Like Us provides women
with access to the part-time labour market and works with employer groups to
grow employer appetite for part-time staff. It also offers pre-start up support to
women interested in enterprise: this support is very specifically focused on
supporting individual mothers to overcome family-related barriers. In that sense,
Women Like Us works to get women ‘enterprise ready’.
2.3 Focus and timing of research
This research project was targeted at understanding the barriers experienced by
those who are actively engaged in returning to the labour market. As such, the
sample comes from the Women Like Us registration base. This sample is,
therefore, more active than the general population and findings cannot be
extrapolated to the entire population.
The timing of this survey means that recession and uncertainty are very much part
of the zeitgeist. Findings should be understood in that light.
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3. Existing literature
A growing body of literature offers useful insight into the barriers to enterprise
experienced by women. The existing evidence base is well documented and
interpreted by Prowess, the UK organisation supporting the growth of women’s
business ownership (www.prowess.org.uk).
This study seeks to understand specific issues that are experienced by mothers who
are engaged in a return to the labour market. The particular issues facing women
returners differ from the rest of the population. The difficulty in balancing work and
family needs is an entrenched barrier and one which is rarely afforded specific and
detailed attention. Additionally, much of the existing literature focuses on either
employment or enterprise: this study looks at both, and in that sense mirrors the
way in which women returners are blind to the distinction between the two. As
such, this work is intended to offer additional depth and colour to existing
resources.
3.1 Key themes
A number of important themes emerge from existing research and are summarised
here. These themes are often echoed by findings from our sample.
3.1.1 Participation
Women are less likely than men to engage in enterprise. Businesses owned by
women comprise approximately 16% of all UK businesses: women account for
about 27% of the UK self-employed population1. Entrepreneurship rose among
women aged 16-34 years, between 2003 and 2005,2 but the most entrepreneurial
age group for women appears to be 35-443. There is evidence to suggest that
women with children are more likely to be thinking and doing more around
enterprise than women without children4.
3.1.2 Motivation
Across the whole population, the main motivations for wanting to start a business
include:
• Freedom to adopt one’s own approach to work
• To challenge oneself
• To make more money
• To be one’s own boss
• To make an idea or innovation happen
• To fill a gap in the market.
Amongst women, a key motivator is the ability to work flexibly and to work from
home5 6.
3.1.3 Barriers
Existing research identifies a number of barriers faced by women considering
business start-up. Women are concerned about the time required to set-up and
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Carter, S. Women's Business Ownership, Small Business Service, 2006
Small Business Service, Household Survey of Entrepreneurship, 2005
Harding R. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2006
Prowess Facts and Figures, http://www.prowess.org.uk/facts.htm, accessed October 2008
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manage a business, and the impact that it will have on their domestic lives. Women
express higher levels of fear about debt and financial security than men. Women
are also less confident in their own abilities than men7 8 9.
Women cite childcare as a barrier to enterprise, but some analysis suggests that
rather than the key issue being the availability of formal childcare, it is often that
women want to care for their children themselves10. Nonetheless, in much of the
research into barriers to economic activity, women cite a lack of affordable
childcare provision as a barrier to entry. A full-time nursery place in inner London
costs in excess of £11,000 per annum11.
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Harding, R. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, United Kingdom Monitoring Report, 2007
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Harding, R. Stairways to Growth: supporting the ascent of Women’s Enterprise in the UK,
GEM/Prowess, 2006
10
Department for Work and Pensions, Families and Children Study Wave 8, 2006
11
Daycare Trust, Childcare costs in 2009, available at:
http://www.daycaretrust.org.uk/mod.php?mod=userpage&menu=1003&page_id=416, accessed January
2009
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4. Research methodology and
objectives
The aim of the research is to identify what active women returners perceive to be
the most significant barriers to enterprise and to better understand how these
perceptions impact on their choices to either start-up a new business, or to enter
employment.
The research used qualitative and quantitative methods, namely in-depth
interviews and an online survey. Participants for both elements were selected from
the Women Like Us (WLU) database of registrants. The fact that women have
registered with WLU demonstrates that they are somewhat active in their desire to
work and generate an income. This is an inherent bias in the sample. Additionally,
the sample is London-based, and, since WLU registration is done on-line, this group
is also ICT/web literate.
4.1 In-depth interviews
Twelve telephone interviews were carried out during November 2008, each lasting
about 45 minutes. The sample was selected randomly from the WLU database and
achieved a mix of mothers who were not working, part-time employed and parttime self-employed. Three lone parents were represented in the sample, along with
nine women self-identifying as White, one as Black British/African, one as Black and
one as Asian. Two of the participants were in their 20s, five in their 30s, four in
their 40s and one in her 50s. All women had between one and three children,
ranging in age from two years to eighteen years old. A small incentive was offered
to participants.
In-depth interviews covered a broad range of topics through open-ended questions
and interviewer prompting. The range of topics covered included:
• Work history and attitudes
• Triggers for going back to work after having a family
• Interest in setting up own business
• Know-how and skills
• Influence from others
• Qualities need to be self-employed
• How it might feel to work for oneself
• Encouragement.
4.2 Online survey
Findings from the in-depth interviews informed the survey questionnaire design.
Additionally, the research team sought to integrate particular questions that were
used in the SBS Household Survey of Entrepreneurship. This was done to facilitate
comparison with the existing knowledge base.
A link to the self-completion questionnaire was emailed to 7,578 individuals who
are registered with WLU. By way of incentive, those completing the survey were
entered into a prize draw. The survey ran between 9th and 31st January 2009.
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A 15% response rate was achieved, with 1,134 responses received. 975 women
completed the whole survey i.e. 13% of those emailed. 729 respondents stated
that they would be willing to take part in future research i.e. just under 10% of
those emailed.
In this research we asked women about their main area of work and any sidelines.
Answers have been categorised in two ways for the purpose of analysis12:
1. Self-employed, employed and not working, defined as:
• Self-employed: current main role is as self-employed.
• Employee: current main role is as an employee.
• Not working: not currently working, but looking for work or about to
start work.
2. Doer, Thinker, Avoider (based on definitions used in the BERR Household
Survey of Entrepreneurship):
• Doers: those who are self-employed or own a business (fully or partly),
either as their main activity or as a sideline to their normal employment
activities.
• Thinkers: those who are not currently Doers, but have recently thought
about starting a business, buying into an existing business or becoming
self-employed.
• Avoiders: those who are neither Doers nor Thinkers.
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The numbers shown on all charts are percentages, but the % symbols have been omitted for
simplicity and clarity i.e. 50% is written as 50. All charts reference the sample or filtered sample on
which the percentages are based. The data are unweighted.
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5. In-depth interview findings
5.1 About the sample
A small sample of twelve women was selected randomly from the WLU database
and included:
• a mix of mothers who were part-time employed, part-time self-employed
and not working
• lone parents and partnered women
• White and BAME women
• women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s
• women with between one and three children, ranging in age from two years
to eighteen years old.
Of those approached to participate in the in-depth interviews, no-one refused. From
a research point of view, this is highly unusual and may be interpreted as signifying
the importance of work issues for mothers.
It should be noted that the interviewees seemed more pro-active than average
(even taking over-claim into account), evidenced by high participation rates in
community activities, Parent Teacher Associations and as School Governors.
Throughout the interviews women demonstrated affinity with WLU’s mission.
5.2 Case studies
The following case studies summarise the experiences of women interviewed.
Kim: Employed/ Self-employed
Design Assistant (and freelance make-up)
What they want
Variety and a challenge, and to earn enough to save and buy a house
Key challenges
Affordable childcare, especially in the holidays
Current employment
Design Assistant at a gallery and some freelance make up work & training for others
“I’m not a one job person anymore”
Profile:
Age 38
Lone parent
2 children aged 11 and 12
Asian
Work history before children
• Studied fashion journalism, then worked in Fashion PR but didn’t like the people
• Fundraising for a charity
• Researcher for a Headhunter just before having children
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Work since having children
• Initially returned to Researcher job on full-time hours after first child, which was really hard work.
Childcare was provided by grandparents and a nursery. No flexi-time at all, no sympathy if
children were sick, colleagues smoking at their desk while I was pregnant and management would
not support request for them to smoke outside.
• After second child decided not to return and stopped work.
• When kids were 2 and 3 became Part-time Nursery Assistant as the hours worked.
• Left to study make-up artistry, an interest sparked by face painting at nursery and so eventually
could earn more. Studied in detail (health and safety, body paint, special effects, TV & film make
up etc).
• Started to get bits of freelance work while studying
Triggers to wanting to go back to work
• Took Nursery Assistant role because of the hours and holidays. It was not a career move. It was
fantastic – great people and kids. Council run, understanding employer – even bought own kids in
when their nursery holidays clashed.
• Make-up work – I love it, it is my career.
• I want to challenge myself
What they want
• Work that fits round school hours.
• Variety.
• To be able to save and buy a house.
Challenges
• Lack of affordable playschemes in the holidays, and lots of competition for cheaper government
run schemes.
• Lack of breakfast club places at local school.
• Grandmother no longer able to help following an illness.
Current employment
• Part-time Design Assistant to graphic and 3D designers at a gallery, working on exhibitions.
Initially 2 days a week, but negotiated same hours working 9.30 – 2.30 over 3 days.
• Some freelance make-up work on and off eg. for films but less than before (kids grandmother
unable to help and hard to find childcare for long hours).
• Run local workshops on make-up for adults and children.
Entrepreneurship attitudes
• Positives of current make-up work – independence, control, time off when need it, lots of different
projects
• But it’s hard work – constantly finding work, marketing, keeping work levels consistent, finding
regular clients
• I would encourage mothers I know to be self-employed and I encourage my kids to sell things
they’ve made at festivals while I’m doing make-up. They’ve got the buzz.
Entrepreneurship know how
Have lots of general office skills – marketing, book keeping
External influences and help
• Mother (used to run own restaurant) encouraged make-up training as thought it could lead to a
good business for me, but father (Lawyer) felt it wasn’t a ‘proper’ job!
• Brother (self-employed sculptor) advised me on tax returns and other practical things.
• I researched support available as it doesn’t come to you. Used a £300 start up loan from the job
centre and photocopying facilities – no further support available after that.
• Have signed up for lots of local online business networking groups and newsletters.
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Future entrepreneurship
• Want to carry on with both Design Assistant role and own self-employment activity.
• Also studying Open University degree in Humanities & Art History, as may enhance educational
side of career eg. workshops.
• When my kids are both at secondary school I can do more hours, earn more – I still can’t buy my
own home yet.
“I love it (my work). Finally!”
Jo: Employed/ Self-employed
Fundraiser (charity sector)
What they want
Part time work raising money for a good cause.
Key challenges
Finding regular part time employment that suits school hours.
Current employment
Part-time self-employed fundraiser, looking for part-time employment again.
“I’m freelance as a compromise”
“I won’t have a gap on my CV”
Profile
Age 35
Married
3 children aged 2, 5 and 8
White - British
Fundraising events for charities
• Didn’t return to previous role - no flexible working option, which I understood as it’s events, and I
also wasn’t ready
• Had 9 months off
• Then started part-time fundraising job for a charity that did not involve events – 2 days a week
which is a rare find. Went back to this role after my second child.
• Working was only possible as I had family help with childcare – no other way, otherwise it would
have cost me to work.
• Switched for a new challenge – 2 days a week for a local charity nearer to home.
• After third child, went freelance for them as a compromise as felt family couldn’t look after 3
children for me on a routine basis.
• Doing something else other than being a mum.
• Be a role model for my children – want children to see I work and do my bit
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What they want
• To work for a charity – enjoy raising money for a cause.
• Ideally part-time work with school holidays off – it’s a flexible sector, but I know this is unlikely.
• Some security, a regular income.
Challenges
• Finding regular part-time work with appropriate working hours.
• Juggling like mad.
Current employment
Self employed fundraiser for local charity and others.
• Never thought I would work for myself. It’s a good route if you want to be with your kids and not
use childcare.
• Benefits - I won’t have a gap on my CV. I’m in control, value my own work, get on with the job,
cope with new situations and people, am professional, focussed. Stress of picking up kids on time
is reduced, and I don’t dread the school holidays. I can spend time with the kids.
• But it is a bit lonely working at home, not being part of a team. I miss the gossip and coffee with
colleagues, feel left out of the loop at the organisations I work for.
• It is also insecure.
• Became self-employed out of necessity, by just deciding with my boss.
• I have got other business through word of mouth.
• Husband is self-employed and offers help.
• I asked others in my sector who are self-employed about day rates which was helpful. Most other
people are managers or management consultants and I’m not, so not much other advice that was
useful.
• Superwomen talked about in the media eg. Directors with 5 kids. I can’t relate to them and they
must have a nanny, a cleaner etc.
• There’s a lot of good support now, better than there used to be - I look on netmums, Women Like
Us
• I love Dragons’ Den, the Apprentice and that Salesman programme
Ideally want regular part-time work
“My husband is self-employed and has never worked for anyone else. He gives me his support, it would be
much scarier without this.”
Faye: Employed part-time
Project Officer (NGO/ public sector)
What they want
Project or administrative work part-time, but to do more than this again one day.
Key challenges
Being there for the family but wanting to work hard as always have done.
Current employment
Part-time Project Officer for a health project.
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“Work used to be my family – now family comes first”
“I love my child and want to look after him but I want to be a professional woman.”
Profile
Age 40
Married
1 child aged 3
Black (British/ African)
• In Africa, was a well-known radio broadcaster when I was quite young.
• Came to England and studied Journalism and Social Science and volunteered for an NGO
supporting vulnerable families while studied.
• Went on to work for the NGO, first co-ordinating volunteers then as PA to the Director.
• The NGO was in the process of relocating to Africa and I couldn’t go now I had a baby, and I
couldn’t do what I did before. I used to work all hours writing proposals to get funding, doing
projects, writing up case studies.
• When baby was 6 months old, freelanced for them for several months, 2 days a week, to help
advise and transfer projects to Africa, then stopped work.
• Searched online via mumsnet and Jobs for Mums and Women Like Us. Looked hard to find work.
• Did NHS short essential skills training course and they paid my childcare and travel, and found
work though this scheme initially helping finding NHS work placements for students.
I’m used to working hard. I don’t have siblings or my mother here, or a strong social network. I’ve always
worked hard.
What they want
Project/ admin work – considered the NHS as I heard it was flexible.
Challenges
• People wondering why I want an admin job when I used to do project management, strategy etc.
• Rushing the whole day. I work from 10am after drop off until 4.30pm when I leave to pick up. I’m
more disciplined now I have to leave. I’m tired in the evenings.
• Wanting to be there for the family, but also wanting to progress with my work.
Current employment
Part-time Project Officer for a health support project.
I could do it – I’m dynamic, I never give up, I have what it takes and am a good communicator.
• Have been freelance.
• I would need to learn some skills eg. presentation, and to improve my English, and I would need
to find others to work with me.
I have a supportive husband.
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• I don’t just want to stay as a Project Officer. I would like to run something myself, like my own
advice and training centre supporting families and training women.
• I’m studying a Masters in Sociology with the Open University, but I have to pay as you don’t get
funding after a first degree.
“I want to get up and go again without a long (career) break.”
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Sue: Not working
Former Care Worker
What they want
To work in a caring role.
Key challenges
Finding a fulfilling role that provides sufficient regular income.
Current employment
Not working, but studying to improve qualifications and starting to apply for jobs.
“I would like to settle on something, like being a Teaching Assistant.”
“I would definitely consider self-employment.”
Profile
Age 42
Married, but recently separated and become lone parent
1 child aged 6
White – British
• Various jobs eg. cleaning, chambermaid, factory work, often self-employed.
• Last role before becoming a mother was as a Care Worker in an old people’s residential home.
Some cleaning on and off, but you have to work a long day to earn any money.
• My son is at school and doesn’t need me as much.
• It’s important to have something else in your life.
• Missing my former independence.
What they want
• I want to feel fulfilled
• Would like to work with people in a caring role – enjoy interaction with people and find it
rewarding.
• Would like to work with old people, children or disabled children.
• I want a regular income but I’m not really a 9 to 5 person and I don’t like offices with politics or
gossip.
Challenges
• Deciding what to do – there are so many options.
• Lack of confidence as I haven’t worked for ages.
• Finding work that pays enough money.
• Need to build my qualifications, but I don’t learn things easily.
Current activity to seek employment
• Studied GCSEs including Maths at night school.
• Gaining computer qualifications (a struggle).
• Doing Open University part-time degree in Psychology and Social Sciences.
• Applied for some roles locally eg. Care Worker and Teaching Assistant.
• Going to see someone about voluntary work helping in a nursery.
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• Lots of self-employed work doesn’t pay much eg. cleaning.
• It’s good to not have to answer to anybody and choose your hours.
• Don’t enjoy being on my own all day.
Have experienced working for myself. I can do a good job.
No-one in my family is self-employed.
I would like to be employed or self-employed in a fulfilling role.
“I’m open to new ideas.”
Wendy: Not working
Former Account Manager (Property)
What they want
Part-time employed work where no childcare is needed, not sure what.
Key challenges
Daunted as have been out of the workplace for 8 years.
Current employment
Not working, keeping an eye open.
“The kids are a priority. I need something to fit around them”
Profile
Age 37
Married
2 children aged 6 and 8
White – English
• PR Assistant in a small property company.
• Moved to work in beauty sector (hard work, fun, glamorous, but very female and backstabbing!)
• Returned to the property company as an Account Manager working for a different boss, doing
more management and less admin. I didn’t love my work – ideally I wanted to work for a
magazine, such as an interior design magazine, but I also wanted children.
• None really.
• I have helped out a tiny bit for the property company at events. They rang me. I did it freelance.
I was pleased when they rang. Any responsibility is great.
• I’m fortunate that my partner works, and I didn’t need to work. I chose to stay at home.
• This last year I have felt redundant. I’m at a crossroads at the moment – I want my own identity.
• I thought about charity work, but I’m a bit young for that, and I need money.
• I feel guilty that I go to the gym and play tennis and my husband is exhausted from work.
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What they want
• The kids are a priority – I need something to fit round them. I’m not a career woman. Perhaps
I’ve never found the right thing. I don’t know what I want to do.
• I’m helping out at school doing reading and it’s rewarding – a Teaching Assistant role might be an
idea, but part of working is for me, my identity, so it might be good to be with grown ups and
away from kids.
Challenges
• My heart isn’t quite in it enough.
• I worry about childcare when I’m applying for jobs.
• It is difficult to earn a salary that can pay a childminder etc. The kids are at school and my mum
has helped when I did my odd freelance days. It’s hard to ask grandparents to commit especially
in the summer holidays. They are happy to help, but I would feel bad asking on a regular basis.
They have their own lives.
• My husband would need to be more flexible (can’t at moment as he does City hours). His job is
more important than mine.
• Lack of confidence, self-belief, I’ve been out of the business world for 8 years. I’m not an
academic high-flyer. Daunted at going to a Women Like Us event – will the others be high-flyers?
Career women?
Current activity to seek employment
• I applied for a role in the last week – a local job in doctor’s surgery for 2 mornings and an
afternoon, but didn’t get it.
• I’m keeping my eye open.
• I don’t like the unknown – setting up on your own doesn’t appeal.
• I like to get used to what I’m doing.
• I lack the confidence. I would have lacked the confidence before children too.
• I like the idea of a franchise, not too much money upfront. A cottage industry. I’d need to take
time to think and surf the net. It’s a risk.
• I wanted to start up something with a friend of mine. Something little. We sat down and
brainstormed the idea of painting old furniture and selling it. It appealed.
• But we didn’t really know where to start.
• I looked at doing furniture painting courses but there wasn’t anything great out there.
• I helped the school raise money through ‘Big Bake Fridays’ with two other mothers. I got a buzz
out of that. It’s in my comfort zone. Didn’t make any money myself.
My husband’s job is city related, he doesn’t like his work and there are redundancies on the way. He
wants a big career change. This may free me to work if he is flexible.
• I like the idea of something small, not committing myself to too much.
• I’m not throwing money at something at the moment as the economy is bad.
“Freelance work? I’ve not really considered more freelance work. My husband suggested temping – I’m
not sure it’s me. I like routine. Getting stuck in to what I’m doing.”
18
5.3 Key themes emerging
The working status of mothers in the sample is not always clear-cut, and it changes
over time e.g. self-employed and looking for an employee role simultaneously, not
working but taking on ad-hoc projects occasionally.
Women do not comfortably think of themselves as “entrepreneurs”: they are far
more comfortable to be described as self-employed.
Personal fulfilment is a key trigger for women returning to work. “At one point, I
was just breaking even, but I did it for me.”
Most women triangulate between core wants and needs, as illustrated overleaf.
Figure 1: Wants and needs that interviewees most cite
5.4 Challenges facing women returners
Whether opting for employment or business start-up, women identified six
challenges that need to be overcome to return to work.
1. Deciding what work to do
• Interviewees were often unable to return to former roles as they are too
demanding and the hours are not family-friendly.
“How can I use my skills or interests to make money within the
limited hours I have?”
• To set up on their own, women felt they needed an idea.
• Women grappled with whether or not to trade down in terms of
occupation in order to secure part-time hours.
“I would like to settle on something, like being a Teaching Assistant.”
2. Finding part-time work that pays enough
19
•
•
Often, the part-time jobs that are available are low-skill and low-pay
Many take or consider roles for which they are over-qualified e.g.
Teaching Assistant, Receptionist, Admin as it is easier to get local work
and the hours are appropriate
“I thought that part-time roles would be easy to find but they’re scarce,
and the brain power ones are even scarcer.”
3. Finding work that isn’t overwhelming or too pressured
• Interviewees reported some fear/ experience of trying to fit in too
much e.g.
o Covering full-time roles in part-time hours
o No down time - no lunch breaks, no chat
o Rushing so you can leave on the dot
o Working at night when the kids are asleep to keep on top of
things
o Difficulty in finding the right part-time hours
o The need to find something local as no time to commute
o Suitable hours often only achieved after negotiation with
known employer
“I ‘m always juggling like mad”
4. Good, affordable childcare
• Child care is considered expensive, especially for more than one child
• Some can only work because partner or other family members help
out with childcare
• Logistical challenges
• Paid childcare often only available on regular days and hours with no
flexibility
• Juggling complex combination of school/ grandparents/
partner/neighbours/ friends to look after children
• Emotional challenges
• Guilt at not being there, worry, bad experiences
“I worry about childcare when I apply for jobs.”
“There’s a lack of affordable holiday play-schemes. The cheaper government
run schemes were full 3-4 months in advance.”
5. Being, or feeling, out-of-touch
• Out of touch with people and contacts
• Out of touch with technology e.g. Marketer unfamiliar with internet
marketing, photographer unfamiliar with digital photography
• Any training can cost money and takes time
• You have to pay for retraining if you already have a first degree
• Most can only study part-time eg. via Open University
“I feel old compared to others in the industry.”
6. Constant flux, reassessment and readjustment
• So many changing variables
• Pregnancy/ new arrivals
• Hours available to work changing as kids grow up
• Grandparents ageing and no longer able to help
• Partners’ work pattern changing affecting income or ability to help
with childcare
20
•
•
Balance is constantly being re-thought or re-negotiated
The solution to the latest work/ childcare issue is an ongoing topic of
conversation with other mothers
“I need to re-think.”
“I’m at a crossroads.”
5.5 Attractions of enterprise
Interviewees described some clear attractions associated with enterprise or selfemployment, including:
• You’re your own boss – in control
• You can decide your own hours
• You can decide who you want to work with
• Interesting work – doing what you enjoy
• A good route if you want your work to fit round your kids
• Variety (if you freelance for lots of clients)
• The buzz of doing things yourself
“You don’t answer to anyone.”
5.6 Fears about enterprise
Some interviewees had direct experience of setting up on their own, or witnessed it
through family members. They identified a number of struggles and difficulties,
including:
• It’s hard to earn enough, especially in this economic climate
• It’s risky
• You need SO MUCH time, energy and hard work
• You need a big idea
• I lack confidence
• I wouldn’t know how to go about it, don’t have the skills
• You need space to work and equipment
• You would be isolated or be at home all the time
• There are no benefits e.g. pension, maternity pay
“You’ll be checking your email at midnight.”
5.7 Self-employed vs entrepreneur
Women expressed clear and strong views on the descriptor “entrepreneur”. They
described much more ease and connection to the term “self-employed”. The
specific distinctions made can be summarised as follows:
Entrepreneur:
Large, successful, made it big
Innovator, with a new or big idea
Runs own company
Employs others
Focus, energy
Inspiring
In the papers/ on Dragons’ Den
Earns a lot
Money driven
Have nanny, cleaner, gardener
Self-employed:
Small
Don’t have to have new idea
Freelance/ contract work/ franchisee
Often works on own
Multi-skilled/ do own PR & accounts
Someone like me
Not well-known
Doesn’t always earn much
Doing what interests you/ believe in
Grandmother might help out
21
“I’m not an entrepreneur, I’m just multi-skilled.”
“I’d like to think I’m one (an entrepreneur), but I’d never say that to people.”
5.8 Interviewee suggestions to encourage enterprise
We asked interviewees what might encourage greater levels of enterprise. They
responded:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
22
More training and support e.g. help from WLU
Free/ cheap (re)training
Childcare available/ re-imbursed during training period
Confidence building as well as practical support
Ongoing mentoring – not just help at start
More education on enterprise at schools
Projects to set up/ sell something
Improve careers advice
Encourage people to think out of the box, explore more options
More funding for advisors
More stories about how real people with normal jobs have overcome
problems, not just about those with amazing ideas who have succeeded
Mutual support groups – eg. co-operative back office support.
6. On-line survey findings
7,578 individuals registered with WLU were emailed the survey link during January
2009. A 15% response rate was achieved, with 1,134 responses received.
6.1 Profile of respondents
The profile of those who responded to the WLU survey is different from the profile
of mothers across London and indeed from the overall profile of women registered
with WLU. In essence, survey respondents are extremely well-qualified, from
relatively affluent households and less ethnically diverse than might have been
expected.
The implications of qualification levels and affluence are important: survey findings
must be understood as reflecting the views of those who are among the bestresourced mothers in the Capital.
Respondents can be characterised as follows:
• Most are in their 30s and 40s (84% are aged 30-49)
• 77% are married/ living with a partner
• 21% are from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) groups
• 69% are qualified to at least degree level
• 65% have more than one child
• Average age of the youngest child in the house is 7 years
• Among those working, the average age of youngest child when mothers last
returned to work is 2 years.
6.1.1 Age
84% of survey respondents are aged 30-49 years. 11% are over 50 years with just
5% younger than 30 years. Just under 10% of WLU’s registrant base is under 30
years of age: disproportionately few of these women responded to the survey.
London has a relatively young working age population compared to the rest of UK.
47% of working-age Londoners are under 35 compared to 40% across the UK.
18% of working-age Londoners are over 50, compared to 24% nationally13.
However, the gender gap in employment rates in London is at its widest for the 2549 age group, reflecting the age at which women are most likely to care for
children14. Since this is the WLU target audience, it is not surprising to find a
concentration of respondents in that age group.
13
14
Greater London Authority, Londoners and the Labour Market, DMAG Briefing 2008-30, 2008
Greater London Authority, Women and labour market: key facts, DMAG Briefing 2006/33, 2006
23
Figure 2: Age of respondents
Base: 959
6.1.2 Ethnicity
21% of respondents are from BAME groups; 79% White. 56% of all WLU
registrants identify as White: disproportionately few BAME women registered with
WLU responded to this survey.
36% of London’s female working age population comes from Black, Asian and
minority ethnic groups15.
Figure 3: Ethnicity of respondents
Base: 893
15
Greater London Authority, Londoners and the Labour Market, DMAG Briefing 2008-30, 2008
24
6.1.3 Household and personal income
Average household incomes and personal incomes are higher in London than in any
other region of the UK. London also has a quarter of individuals in the bottom
quintile of income distribution in the UK as a whole16: representing a significant
level of deprivation.
2004/5 average weekly household total income in London was £38,48017. Average
London income for males was £34,000 and for women was £21,500 in 2002/318.
Survey respondents reported relatively high levels of household income and
relatively low levels of personal income. 43% of the sample reported annual
household incomes in excess of £50,000.
Personal income of respondents is low with 58% of respondents reporting an
annual personal income of less than £11,500. Women’s personal incomes are
considered important as indicators of vulnerability to poverty: should divorce or
separation occur, many of these women, and their children, will be at significant
risk of falling into poverty. A tenth of all people falling into the low-income bracket
each year do so as a result of separation or divorce19.
34% of all women registered with WLU live in one of the 20% most deprived
neighbourhoods in the UK (measured by correlating Local Super Output Areas to
the Indices of Multiple Deprivation). Since 28.4% of London LSOAs fall in the ‘most
deprived 20% of LSOAs in England’, this is a disproportionately high reach into
deprived communities. As such, the level of affluence found in the sample is higher
than may have been expected.
Figure 4: Household income of respondents
16
ONS, Regional Trends 39, Income and lifestyles, Highlights, 2006
Greater London Authority, ONS Model-based Income Estimates: 2004-05, DMAG Briefing 2007-22,
2007
18
ONS, Regional Trends 39, Income and lifestyles, Highlights, 2006
19
Oxley, H. ‘Poverty dynamics in four OECD countries’, in Persistent Poverty and Lifetime Inequality:
The Evidence, CASEreport 5/ HM Treasury Occasional Paper No. 10, 1999
17
25
Base: 761
Figure 5: Personal income of respondents
Base 801
6.1.4 Qualifications
This sample is extremely well-educated and certainly more highly educated than
the WLU average. Whilst 51% of all women registered with WLU have at least a
degree level qualification, some 69% of this sample holds that level. Only 5% of
respondents hold low or no qualifications.
Londoners are generally relatively well qualified compared with the rest of UK: 29%
of Londoners are qualified to degree level or above compared with 18% of those
living across the UK as a whole20.
Figure 6: Qualifications of respondents
20
Greater London Authority, Social Exclusion Update, 07-2008, DMAG Update, 2008
26
Base: 912
6.1.5 Disability
The level of disability reported in the sampling is not statistically valid and the data
do not bear further analysis.
Since disabled women comprise 16% of London’s female working age population,
this represents a disappointing gap in this study, and one that WLU will seek
alternative routes to better understand.
6.1.6 Family status
23% of respondents describe themselves as lone parents, with 77% partnered.
28.7% of all women registered with WLU describe themselves as lone parents.
30.7% of all families in London are headed by a lone parent21.
6.1.7 Employment status
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the profile of this sample is the number of
respondents who are currently economically active. 68.9% of those who answered
the question are working full-time, part-time, self-employed, or own/part-own a
business. 31.1% of respondents are not working currently, although they have
worked since having children.
63% of all women registered with WLU are either economically inactive or
unemployed - 43% are inactive; 20% are unemployed. 36% of all registered
mothers are in work, mostly part-time. As such a disproportionately high number
of economically active mothers responded to the survey.
Figure 7: Employment status of respondents
Base: 751
21
Ministerial Working Group on Child Poverty in London, London’s Children: Our future capital, 2008
27
6.2 Motivations and triggers
6.2.1 Motivation
Work is important to most respondents’ sense of happiness and fulfilment, and
marginally more so to those currently in work. Over 8 out of 10 survey respondents
say that earning money is the primary reason for working or wanting to work.
Personal fulfilment is also a big motivating factor. Over 90% say work is very or
quite important to their happiness and fulfilment. Around half say their enjoyment
of work and mental stimulation are reasons for going back to work. Feeling that the
children need less direct parent care is also a contributing factor.
Figure 8: Importance of work to respondents
Base: Self-employed 162, Employed 342, Not working 394
Figure 9: Fulfilment and money as drivers
28
6.2.2 Triggers
We also tried to explore the triggers for deciding to return to work, in other words,
what caused the decision to be taken. For those in work, common trigger points for
their return were maternity pay/ leave coming to an end, or an opportunity arising.
Respondents were asked to add detail on “Other” motivations: those in work
pointed to needing money or wanting to feel fulfilled.
The triggers for those not currently working are slightly different. Work is slightly
less important to them than for those already in work. Their triggers were more
commonly related to changes in circumstance (push factors), including their
children needing them less and uncertainty about their partner’s work situation.
“Other” triggers included the end of a relationship (divorce, separation, being
widowed).
Figure 10: Triggers for returning to work (prompted)
6.3 Challenges in returning to work
Among those who have had experience of working as a mother, the biggest feeling
is one of overload and juggling too much. This was mentioned by nearly threequarters those in work. This is followed by the difficulty of finding personal time or
time with the children.
Finding suitable childcare appears to be marginally more challenging for those who
are self-employed than for employees. A perceived benefit of self-employment can
be the ability to fit work hours around family life: the evidence of this survey
suggests that this benefit might be difficult to realise in reality.
29
Figure 11: Challenges of working (prompted)
Base: Self-employed 169, Employed 350
The biggest challenge for those looking for work is finding something that fits
around family life (mentioned by 78% of those looking/ starting work). There are
also many other challenges, with most women giving multiple answers to this
question. The volume of factors selected by respondents suggests that challenges
facing women returners are complex and interwoven rather than attributable to any
one or two factors.
Around half of the respondents report that there are limited choices of part-time
work that pays enough or is interesting; it’s hard to find the right part-time hours;
it’s hard to decide what type of work to do; and they need to overcome a lack of
confidence.
Figure 12: Challenges finding work (prompted)
Base: Not working 423
30
6.4 Doer, Thinker, Avoider
The BERR Household Survey of Entrepreneurship determines the proportions of socalled ‘Thinkers’, ‘Doers’ and ‘Avoiders’ amongst adults aged 16-64 in England and
was last conducted in 2005 (published 2007).
The WLU survey was conducted using questions as close to those in the
Entrepreneurship survey as possible to enable comparisons with BERR’s survey, but
there are methodological differences. The WLU survey:
• reflects those who have registered online with WLU and chosen to respond
to the survey, whereas the Household survey is nationally representative
• involves online self-completion not telephone survey
• has questions slightly simplified to aid self-completion that occur in the
middle not upfront on the survey.
The categories are defined as follows:
−Doers are those who are self-employed or own a business (fully or partly), either
as their main activity or as a sideline to their normal employment activities.
−Thinkers are those who are not currently Doers, but have recently thought about
starting a business, buying into an existing business or becoming self-employed.
−Avoiders are those who are neither Doers nor Thinkers.
There are much higher levels of Thinkers and Doers in the WLU sample, suggesting
the WLU survey respondents exhibit a high level of entrepreneurship.
The Household survey study shows that mothers in London are more
entrepreneurial than average, and GEM findings have suggested that women aged
35-44 years are the most entrepreneurial cohort among women. Nonetheless, the
level of activity found in this sample is surprising.
27% are Doers and 33% are Thinkers, compared with 8% and 16% respectively in
the Household Survey of Entrepreneurship.
Figure 13: Survey comparison
Base: WLU 998, BERR survey of 7,329
Reiterating the point uncovered through the in-depth interviews, many women are
neither solely employed nor self-employed. Many opt for a blended working life.
31
Among the Doers in this sample, 64% are self-employed as a main role; 36% are
self-employed as a sideline.
BAME women are significantly represented among Thinkers: 41% of Thinkers
compared to 21% of the sample. Mothers over the age of 40 are slightly more
likely to be Doers. Mothers from households with income in excess of £50,000 are
more likely to be Doers and Thinkers than those with income below £50,000. Lone
parents are less likely to be Doers than partnered women.
Of the Thinkers, 35% have given serious thought to self-employment (Serious
Thinkers); 65% have given it some or not much thought (Ordinary Thinkers). 49%
have thought about starting a business now or in the next two years. 41% have
researched the market and 14% have worked on a business plan.
6.5 Experience of self-employment
96% of mothers worked before having children. Only 15% were ever self-employed
prior to having children: most only ever experienced being full-time employees.
After starting a family, there is much more variation in work status. Selfemployment levels increase, with 50% of those who have worked since having
children saying they have tried self-employment. 40% have tried both selfemployment and employed work since having children.
Most of those who have tried self-employment since starting their family have
continued on this route, but some have switched away.
Figure 14: Experience of self-employment
Base: pre-children 1,054, post-children 889
32
6.6 Self-employed income
Household income is higher in households where the mother’s main role is selfemployment. This is not due to self-employed mothers earning significant salaries.
In fact, their contribution to household income is far less than those who are
employees. In the qualitative research some self-employed mothers referred to
earning ‘peanuts’ or ‘pocket money’.
These data may be interpreted as a response to risk. The existing knowledge base
highlights women’s low risk appetite relative to men’s. Financial security for the
family as a whole may lead to the mother’s increased willingness to try selfemployment or take a risk with an idea. Financial security for the family may also
mean that women returners have the opportunity to choose work that is of interest,
with less pressure to generate income for the household.
Figure 15: Household income by type of work
Base: Self-employed 136, Employee 279
Figure 16: Personal income by type of work
Base: Self-employed 138, Employee 291
33
6.7 Financing
Two-thirds of mothers have not needed to raise finance to start or grow their
business. Among those that have, most have self-funded their work, for example,
through savings or overdrafts, or they have had help from family or friends: their
average amount raised was £6,039. The largest amounts of money raised were
£58,000 and £50,000.
Please note that there is a low base for this data, with just 68 respondents
answering the question.
6.8 Choosing self-employment
Although there is a high level of self-employment evident in the sample, only a
third of those who are currently self-employed intentionally sought this status.
More commonly it is an opportunity or necessity driven decision.
Mothers often hold multiple roles simultaneously – around half of those who are
self-employed also have an employee role as a sideline, and most of the rest are
looking for one. This could partly be driven by the need for more security in tough
economic times.
The qualitative research suggested that self-employment is not a simple yes or no
decision. A few respondents are dedicated to being self-employed, but for many the
decision involves compromise and the weighing up of many factors. It is often a
question of ‘what is best for the family at this point in time’ as opposed to longterm dedication to setting up and growing a business.
Figure 17: Choosing to be self-employed
Base: 162
34
Figure 18: Employment preference among the self-employed
Base: 162
Figure 19: Self-employed mothers with other work as well
Base: 162
35
Figure 20: Why self-employed mothers seek employee work (prompted)
Base: 162
Being an employee is more of an active choice than being self-employed; 59% who
are employees actively sought this status compared to just 32% of self-employed
workers.
Only 12% of employees have additional self-employed work as a sideline, whereas
most self-employed workers either have or are seeking employee roles.
The most common reasons for additional self-employed work among mothers who
are primarily employees are not just financial: being able to fit it around family life,
work at home and pursue an interest or new challenge are all common motivations.
6.9 Barriers to enterprise
To understand barriers to enterprise, we looked at the responses of women
returners who are not self-employed, and are not considering self-employment.
Responses from this group show that finance, lack of security and concerns over
the potential affect on family life are the main barriers to enterprise among this
group.
36
Figure 21: Barriers to self-employment (prompted)
Base: 404
55% of those neither involved in, nor considering, self-employment suggest that
coming across a good opportunity would be the main thing that would encourage
them toward self-employment. 44% say that finding someone else with whom to
start a business would encourage them. Around a quarter would consider selfemployment when they have more time e.g. when their children are older.
Figure 22: Factors encouraging enterprise
Base: 404
37
The qualitative research reinforced the importance of finding someone to start a
business with. The potential for collaborative working was important to mothers,
with benefits perceived as:
• overcoming potential to be stuck on your own at home/ loneliness
• helping to overcome uncertainty about own abilities
• sharing the risks and challenges
• working with someone/ others with complementary skills.
6.10 Advice, support and training
From this sample, there appears to be a relationship between being self-employed
and the work habits of an individual’s network of contacts.
• The self-employed are more likely to have close friends or work colleagues
and husbands/ partners who are also self-employed.
• People most commonly used for advice are personal contacts not
professional advisors - 61% use their husbands/ partners, followed by
friends and other work colleagues who are either in the same discipline or
self-employed themselves.
• The qualitative work uncovered examples of mutual support (e.g. I’ll do your
website if you advise me on bookkeeping).
Among the self-employed, there are relatively high levels of awareness of providers
of professional support and advice: HMRC and accountants are the most commonly
used advisors (used by 39% and 29% respectively). Accountants are deemed the
most helpful.
Very few of those considering self-employment have actually consulted a
professional advisor. Business Link is the most commonly used (13% usage) and
around half of these respondents found Business Link help useful.
38
Figure 23: Awareness and experience of professional advisors among 'Thinkers'
Base: 262
42% of those who are self-employed do not refer to any websites for advice or
support. Among those that do, the WLU and HMRC sites are used most widely
(there is obviously a bias toward WLU in the survey sample).
Informal sources of support were more commonly identified by respondents, as
illustrated below.
Figure 24: Use of advice, support and training among self-employed mothers
Base: 166
39
Those who are self-employed are more likely to know others who are selfemployed:
Figure 25: Influence of others on self-employed mothers
Base: Self-employed 162, Employed 342
Two-thirds of those who are self-employed have had no training on starting or
running your own business. Where people have undertaken training, government
and WLU training were the most commonly mentioned.
Figure 26: Training received by self-employed mothers
Base: 162
40
7. Conclusions
Survey respondents are not demographically representative of society in general.
The women who responded to this survey are extremely well-educated, live in
relatively affluent households, are ICT literate and are less ethnically diverse than
London more generally. The sample does not represent women with disability.
In considering the qualification and household affluence levels, these women can be
characterised as being among the best-resourced mothers in the Capital, although
it is not insignificant that so many women in this sample report very low personal
incomes. The sample includes a high proportion of potential entrepreneurs and as
such is likely to be of particular interest to policymakers.
Survey and interview findings confirm much of what is reported in the existing
literature. In particular, the key barriers to enterprise for women returners centre
around financial risk, security and the potential effect that their choices will have on
their families. Confidence remains a significant barrier for women.
Childcare is an important issue for working mothers, but it is not the most
significant factor in their decisions to be/not be self-employed. Rather than citing
childcare per se, returners clearly struggle with how to effectively balance work
with the needs of their family. The fear of taking time away from the family is a
key barrier to both enterprise and employment.
Women are more open to enterprise after they have had children however. When
mothers feel that their children need them less, a desire to engage with the world
of work is triggered. At this stage, returners are likely to be open to thinking
through a variety of possibilities, including business start-up.
Echoing the findings of GEM/Prowess research22, social networks and peer
connection are significant to women as they contemplate enterprise. Women are
aware of mainstream support services, but most do not use these services.
The survey supports existing findings that the enterprises set up by women
returners are small-scale ventures. The consequences of this are multiple, but
perhaps most importantly for mothers, it means that there is a struggle to generate
a reasonable income level. This is borne out by the low levels of personal income
across the sample, but also by the high numbers of respondents seeking
employment to subsidise their self-employed incomes.
A number of additional findings may offer useful insights for those working to
support women returners. Specifically, we highlight the following:
i) Perhaps driven by circumstance and blended working arrangements, women
returners do not always intentionally seek out self-employment. In many
ways, these women appear to be accidental entrepreneurs.
ii) Women returners are resistant to thinking and describing themselves as
‘entrepreneurs’. They are much more comfortable with ‘self-employed’ as a
descriptor.
iii) Women returners report a myriad of complex and interconnected issues that
affect their capacity to become economically active. Nor are the multiplicity
22
Harding, R. Stairways to Growth: supporting the ascent of Women’s Enterprise in the UK,
GEM/Prowess, 2006
41
of issues reported constant: women report dynamic circumstances that
change frequently.
iv) Those women returners who become self-employed report non-traditional
work patterns: these women are not solely employed or self-employed.
Rather, women returners appear to blend working arrangements to best
suit household circumstances at any given point in time. There is real
richness and individuality evident in these patterns.
42
8. Recommendations
This research raises a number of issues likely to be of interest to policymakers. The
overarching recommendation arising from this report is for an increased focus on
supporting the gaps experienced by women returners, both highlighted through this
research and elsewhere. The provision of support focused on mothers is likely to
differ from mainstream support if it is to meet the needs of the target group.
Women are aware of existing business support resources, but most do not use
them. Pre-start up support that targets family-related barriers and the confidence
issues of this group is likely to encourage greater participation in enterprise and
subsequent use of mainstream enterprise support services.
Specifically, targeted support should consider the following recommendations:
1. Enterprise support and awareness should be targeted at women returners at
the point where they start to think about going back to work. At this point
women are open to enterprise options, but may go down an employment
route since targeted support is often easier to access.
2. Support should be promoted as supporting self-employment, not just
enterprise or entrepreneurship.
3. Specific support should be provided to help parents manage the dynamic,
portfolio nature of their working lives. This support should be specifically
focused on the issues experienced by parents, including the impact of work
on family life, skills for managing change, complexity and transition etc.
4. Employment and enterprise support should be aligned for this audience. The
employment/enterprise axis is not one to which women relate when making
decisions about their working lives.
5. Support should include specific content around personal risk assessment and
quantification. Responsible risk management strategies should be explored
to help mothers understand exactly what their risk exposure and potential
liabilities may be, as well as understanding how to properly and pro-actively
manage those risks.
6. Support targeted at this audience requires a focus on confidence-building
activity.
7. Support must be offered at times and in locations that are accessible for
parents.
Further recommendations for consideration include:
8. Support should be offered to mothers who are currently self-employed, but
operating at very small scale (often under the tax threshold). These
accidental entrepreneurs should be supported to develop their businesses
and incomes to sustainable levels.
9. Further research is required to understand the particular issues faced by
mothers with disability, and mothers of children with disability.
10. Respondents and interviewees mention the need for peer support and
networking as well as for support in generating ideas for business.
Exploratory, experiential training should be piloted using action-learning
models that enable mothers to generate ideas, explore them and to test
their entrepreneurial skills in a safe space. This approach would boost
confidence, create peer-networks and allow individuals to challenge their
own preconceptions.
43
Appendix 1
About Women Like Us
What we do
Women Like Us is an award winning social enterprise that helps women with
children to find part-time flexible work, and helps employers source experienced,
part-time staff.
We provide the coaching and confidence building that women returners need to
regain their self-belief to successfully return to work. We then help recruit them
into part-time jobs with employers who recognise the benefits of skilled, reliable
employees, or support them with the initial steps involved in thinking through
business start-up.
Established in 2004, we have rapidly grown to be a leading provider of employment
support to women. WLU has supported over 2,600 women to build their skills and
confidence, and helped over a thousand women into employment.
WLU currently partners with 140 schools across London, directly reaching 50,000
parents through school book-bag mailouts. Over 9000 women are registered with
us, with more than 350 new registrations per month from across the socioeconomic spectrum: 49% are from BAME communities and 29% are single parents.
34% of mothers who register with us live in one of the 20% most deprived
neighbourhoods in the UK. 28% of all London neighbourhoods (Local Super Output
Areas) fall in the most deprived 20% in England, so we know that we have a
disproportionately high reach into these neighbourhoods. The majority of the
women we support are economically inactive, either because they are not being
reached by existing services or because they are not eligible for welfare provision
What we want to achieve
Our aim is to change the culture of work, one job at a time: by helping women with
children to find work that they can fit around their families, and by helping
employers find talented part time staff.
This core purpose is underpinned by the signficant social problems that exist in the
UK labour market. Research highlights significant gender inequality that exists in
the workplace: the gender pay gap in the UK widened between 2007 and 2008 to
12.8% between men and women’s median hourly wage23. Research also shows
that half of women managers of shops, salons and restaurants give up their
management responsibilities to work as a sales assistants, hairdressers or in other
low-paid roles when they seek part-time jobs after motherhood24. This gender
inequality leads to an increase in poverty with research showing that mothers are
at greater risk of poverty in the UK than in any other western European country25.
23
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2008
Connolly, S. and Gregory, M. ‘Moving Down: Women's Part-Time Work and Occupational Change,
2008
25
Iacovou, M. and Aassve, A. ‘Youth poverty in Europe’, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2007
24
44
Maternal poverty is a structural driver for child poverty. Four out of ten children in
poverty are in single mother households; a further three out of ten are in
households where fathers work, but mothers are on low/no income26. According to
the Cabinet Office, “there is a strong association between parental income and
children’s subsequent earnings as adults; the greater a family’s financial capital,
the greater its capacity to invest in the human capital of children27.”
Women Like Us works to create solutions for women returners. We provide women
with access to the part-time labour market and we work with employer groups to
grow employer appetite for part-time staff. We also offer pre-start up support to
women interested in enterprise: this support is very specifically focused on
supporting individual mothers to overcome family-related barriers. In that sense,
we work to get women ‘enterprise ready’.
Work is an important part of the solution, and Women Like Us is commited to
supporting women to fulfil their potential and generate incomes for themselves and
their families. To this end, we are determined to understand what can best be done
to help women returners become economically active, be that through employment
or enterprise.
26
Fawcett Society, “Keeping Mum, Campaign Background Briefing”, 2008
Cabinet Office, Getting on, getting ahead, A discussion paper: analysing the trends and drivers of
social mobility, 2008
27
45

Women Returners and Enterprise

Transcription

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