RE-ENTERING THE WORKFORCE:

BEYOND A LEAVE OF ABSENCE

ARUNI SIRIWARDENE, PMP SANDEEP KHURANA, PMP

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. ABSTRACT: ....................................................................................................................................... 1

2. KEYWORDS ...................................................................................................................................... 1

3. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1

4. WOMEN AT WORKPLACE ............................................................................................................ 2

Why re-entry of women into workforce should be priority for a society: Social impact of workplace

practices and policies ............................................................................................................................................. 3

5. WOMAN’S PERSPECTIVE: CAREER CONTINUITY ................................................................ 3

6. PROJECT MANAGER PERSPECTIVE: PROJECT CONTINUITY ........................................... 4

Economics of Diversity .......................................................................................................................................... 4

7. RE-ENTERING WORKFORCE: HOW WOULD YOU COPE IN REAL LIFE? ....................... 4

Case 1: Life 2.0 –unprepared, unplanned and unforgiving .............................................................................. 4

Case 2: Better late than never .............................................................................................................................. 5

Case 3: To be or not to be .................................................................................................................................... 5

Case 4: Changing self, changing priorities, changing work equations ........................................................... 6

Case 5: Fore-warned is fore-armed ..................................................................................................................... 7

8. LESSONS FOR WORKING WOMEN AND PROJECT MANAGERS ........................................ 7

Resetting the expectations .................................................................................................................................... 7

Re-skilling precedes re-entry ................................................................................................................................ 7

Flexibility is a virtue ................................................................................................................................................ 8

Matching demand and supply: Space for marketplace ..................................................................................... 8

Loyalty as an asset to encash .............................................................................................................................. 8

9. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................... 8

10. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................. 10

11. AUTHOR PROFILES ..................................................................................................................... 10

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1. Abstract:

Economic slowdown in recent times has had differential impact on various sections of workforce. One of

the oft-debated concerns in diversity management is that of working women that had temporarily opted

out of work due to personal/family reasons only to get caught in these times of low demand in uncertain

times. Despite having experience, they find odds stacked against them in re-entering the work-force. The

paper studies the needs, problems and solutions related to women as project team members that take

leave of absence from work.

In section 1, we outline from project environment, the peculiarities in managing diverse workforce and

planned continuity management. The authors draw upon their rich, diverse global experiences to set the

stage for analysis by including both employer and employee perspectives.

In section 2, we analyze socio-economic, cultural and legal reasons behind re-entry into workforce being

difficult for women. Myths, stereotypes, some genuine social and economic realities related to the

problem are shared with supporting case studies from international work environment in general and

Asian context in specific.

In section 3, we analyse tried as well as novel approaches to resolve the problem, highlighting their

advantages and disadvantages.

We conclude with a strategic roadmap, systematically building case for immediate actions and long term

policy direction at various levels of industry and the state.

2. Keywords Diversity, Women, Re-entry, workforce,

3. Introduction Workplace and work, as we know them today, are byproducts of industrial revolution and then modified

further by information revolution to expand it to virtual territory. While both men and women are equally

affected by a desire and need for work-life balance, it carries greater significance for women, who, by

virtue of their role as progenitor of life and for biological and social reasons, are required to take time off

work to raise children. Importantly, apart from economic activity through commercially paid work there is

unpaid domestic household labor.

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The departure from work is not permanent for women and hence re-entry into workforce assumes

importance as a topic of study. Economic cycles, a competitive job market and a demanding capitalist

employer however mean that re-entry is not a given, not smooth and not secure or fair. There are

employer’s constraints to contend with, the job market cycles, industry-specific and last but not the least-

employee’s personal and professional expectations.

Effect of economic cycle

Recent economic slowdown has

had impact on women in

workforce. An indicator of it is

postponement or cancellation of

maternity leave due to amongst

other factors, economic

slowdown. As att graph shows,

there is decline in urban web-

using population search trends of

term “maternity leave” from 2009

to 2013, likely due to such

reasons as re-entry risk in slow

economy. The fact is also borne

by age-specific urban fertility

rates.(Fig 1)

Fig 1

Re-entry remains an important social and economic activity though. A trained workforce that has been

invested in is like an asset that cannot be left to idle, if willing to enter back the workforce. Are there

effective ways to accommodate such expectations and carve out win-win situations for employers and

employees? We explore.

4. Women at workplace Presence of women at workplace means more than addition of just another employee. Men leaving home

to enter organized work during industrial revolution resulted in major implications for family and home.

The entry of women has changed the meaning of family even more than that it did for the workplace.

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While workforce got gender equations to deal with, the home got empty nests and reversed empty nests

to deal with.

Economic view holds that such changes are desirable. When technology assists in reduction of

household work, and also assists in greater efficiency at workplace through greater access to resources

and range of work, it makes sense economically for the society, for both men and women to be

productive. Even more, the information revolution has produced jobs that are not bound to workplace by

making boundaries between home and workplace diffused and the world more seamless.

With expectations increasingly so established, and technology irreversibly embedded in our lives, should

women re-enter workforce, when they opt out temporarily, primarily for child-birth or for other reasons

related to family?

Why re-entry of women into workforce should be priority for a society: Social impact of

workplace practices and policies

In Singapore and Hong Kong, increasing number of women now forego children and family to concentrate

on career. A survey by Family Planning Association in Hong Kong shows that women desire children but

are unable to meet their desires citing economic reasons. Fertility rates have dropped, one-child families

and childless families/relationships have increased and two-child families have shrunk in numbers. This

has led to demand for and steps towards state support for children to ease burden on women. While that

is indirect fallout of re-entry problem, in some other countries, maternity leave rules may safeguard rights

of working women to same end. The common theme in any of such interventions by law, state and

society is that economics of the situation will have to work to restore balance as firms seek profit

regardless of employee family or gender constraints. Weaker and under-privileged sections, thus, need

protection for greater social welfare.

There is also that alternate argument of additional economic activity provided by woman for family and

home during the period woman stays away from workforce. Such economics is a subject in itself and well

researched so not being taken up in this paper. The key argument though is that re-entry is desirable for

woman as well as the society even as desirability in light of firm’s financial equation is not as high for

employer always. When it is so, it is borne out of convenience for the firm that either has deep pockets, is

compelled by law, is in area of high-demand-short-supply skills and such.

5. Woman’s perspective: Career continuity A break in career can make a woman suddenly come face-to-face with new equations that are not easy to

solve. From career continuity standpoint, re-entry is just one concern. Pace of re-entry too is also

something that needs adjusting to, since after a break, often, given a choice, one would like a gradual

increase in workload back to normal. Re-skilling is yet another need. The added burden of restarting all

over again in a new environment cannot be ignored. Then there is emotional stress of having to prove

yourself all over again, while falling behind peers who continued. No wonder, it is daunting enough.

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Even if women compromise on pay and position at the time of re-entry, bowing to purely economic

decisions of firms out to make profits, overlooking un-acknowledged economic activity within the home

and ignoring social gains of such opt-outs, re-entry is not easy even on unfair terms.

However, timely re-entry is important for the woman as the going gets even more difficult to re-enter later.

The skill gap widens, the age-experience mismatch can create additional adjustment hurdles on re-entry.

More importantly, the will-power takes a toll as the mind rusts to a

sense of acceptance of status quo. With investments that go into

creating and preparing a professional, all this is a social loss.

6. Project Manager Perspective: Project

continuity

Economics of Diversity

Ever since ‘the firm’ came into being, with its “profit-seeking” aim, the work lost its soul. The human factor

gradually diminished and soon went missing. In times of demand for skills, same profit-seeking goal

demanded of employer to entice workers with flexible workplace policies. As long as diversity harmonizes

with profits, nobody complains but once diversity became not out of choice but compulsion, it often came

in conflict with market performance of companies.

Companies with singular focus on profits may see an additional burden in maternity leaves, long and/or

frequent absences due to family needs or see ‘cost’ of re-entry of women workers after a break. All else

being equal, companies do not wish to pay employees away from work, for any reasons, if they can avoid

it. Where skills are rare, employee morale and attraction of talent is priority in a competitive sector,

economics works other way round too.

The true test of such policies is the market where shareholders give thumbs up to policies that lead to

higher economic value, and not merely social good. Case for social good is best made through higher

economic value created for the firm, as an additional but mandatory outcome; and that is unfortunate.

Regulation can be the necessary evil to enforce it in such scenario.

7. Re-entering workforce: How would you cope in real life?

Case 1: Life 2.0 –unprepared, unplanned and unforgiving

A young lady Jane Smith, from London England, brought up with the basic comforts of life; happy

childhood, sound education, starts work as management trainee. Spirited and enterprising, Jane aims for

“Pay is for work done, rather than

number of dependents of the workers,”

US Secretary of Labor, Lewis Baxter

Schewellenbach, 1940

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a long and successful career in the field of management. One year into her work, she meets and marries

Joe Spencer; Joe is an Air Force pilot, within a year, Joe and Jane have a baby boy, Peter, and Jane

settles down happily to look after the baby. She has no qualms about giving up her job in order to be a

stay-at-home mum.

Years pass and in Peters’ 4th year, things change. Joe and Jane divorce and suddenly Jane is left to look

after both herself and Peter. She has had no working experience in the past 4years, she has no

additional qualifications, she doesn’t have the time and money to put herself through grad school again.

Yet, she must find ways to earn for their livelihood. Despite taking the step to stay home with a child;

depending on the situations, many a woman is compelled to look for a job – and as a former graduate,

not just any job. She gets a meager amount as alimony from Tim, but that isn’t sufficient to cover her

costs. She is now faced with a struggle of where to leave the child, how to look for work and dilemmas

are aplenty.

How would you advise Jane to go about finding herself a job in line with her capabilities?

Case 2: Better late than never

Terry used to be a workaholic, and did not notice time pass by. She worked so hard to make it to the top

of the corporate ladder and forego all other plans of family or children during the time most women were

doing just that. She eventually realized that there was something missing in her life. At the age of 39,

she still had no baby. Was quite frustrated that she had all the money in the world and she had fulfilled

her dreams, but she was not happy.

She decided to quit her job and become a housewife, and after 2 years she had baby. It was very difficult

to adapt at first, but it's about setting priorities and goals, she says. “As a full-time housewife now, I spend

my time with my baby and writing short stories to share with friends and family.”

Her premise in life is this. “Life is short, and it is not only our dreams and money that makes us happy. It

is our loved ones that most of the time we don't notice.” Would this work in your situation?

Case 3: To be or not to be

Sonila Khan is a smart, energetic young lady from a small village in the outskirts of a suburb in India. She

has a technical degree in computing and was working in a small firm in her hometown prior to getting

married and moving half way across the country to New Delhi where her husband lives and works. Sonila

is passionate about her work and is eager to find a job along the lines of her education. She sees this as

an identification of herself and the need to understand her capabilities and define what she can do and is

capable of. Yet, coming from a conservative background she understands and wants the multitude of

things that come with marriage, a home, a family. But she first wants a few years to settle down and find

a job. Sonila finds a job in a large offshore IT firm and dazzles her superiors with her capabilities.

However, the grapevine has it that this company doesn’t take kindly to women who wish to apply for

maternity leave within 2 years of joining. As a result, she delays starting a family much to the displeasure

of her in-laws, family and husband and against advice from her gynecologist. Sonila’s case in not unique,

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most women are torn between these two needs of their lives without the simple freedom to make a choice

at a time appropriate to them.

What should Sonila do next?

Case 4: Changing self, changing priorities, changing work

equations

Surangi is a 40 year old mother of three from Sri Lanka. She had

her early education in Nigeria where her father was stationed as a

Civil engineer. She travelled widely, as both a child and an adult

on pleasure trips and for education. Before she married, she

spent 2 years working in Europe and another 2 years doing a

postgraduate degree. She comes back home after her degree

and spends 3 months on vacation and preparing for her wedding.

Soon after her marriage she finds a job that is hectic in itself and

requires long nights and commitments even on weekends. Her

husband from the same industry is very supportive of her work.

Within the first year she gets pregnant with her first child and has a

smooth pregnancy and delivery. After the baby is born however,

she doesn’t want to return to work after the stipulated 82 days of

maternity leave. As a result she quits her job and enjoys time with

the baby. But when the baby is about 10months old, she wonders

whether there wasn’t some way to manage her time with the work

also.

She looks for and finds a job that is very close to her residence and mid-way between their home and her

in-laws home where she hopes to leave the baby during the morning hours. Time passes and she has

two more children; they have built a house and now expenses are high. Although, both she and her

husband do good jobs at their roles at home and office respectively, they find one-paycheck is insufficient

to cover needs. Now despite needing and wanting to stay home, she cannot make that decision easily.

She has to help with the family finances and must pay for domestic aides and a driver for the school trips.

There is barely enough time in a 24hour day to do all she has to get done; spend time with kids, look after

their emotional needs. What she really needs is a part-time job. Unfortunately she still needs her full

salary also. She has an opportunity to change departments in her company and as a result changes her

working hours too. She puts down her case and discusses with her boss about a work from home

schedule that will help manage her time better. She now has the mornings at work, the afternoons with

the kids and a further 3 hours working with the North American office in the nights. You could say she

has her priorities sorted, she knows what works in her industry and she has communicated her options

well and as a result managed her needs. How differently would you manage in her situation?

“When women did decide to leave

organization to gain more

flexibility in their lives they

intended to do so temporarily – in

their business sector, on average

women leave for 1.2 years. Taking

this time off however exacts a

financial penalty; women in

business sector lose 28% of their

earning power when they return to

work. Across sectors they lose 37%

of their earning power if they

return to work after 3 years or

more off.

“The Hidden Brain Drain: Women

and Minorities as Unrealized

assets” multi-year taskforce

research

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Case 5: Fore-warned is fore-armed

Revathi, a data modeler, had dreamt of enjoying her motherhood and her kid ever since she was a kid

herself. She was all set to enjoy her blessings when she became pregnant and decided to not just avail

maternity leave but a full break for a couple of years to enjoy her kid. She further extended it by 6 months

and joined a course on hadoop, a new technology that was not as popular and in-demand when she left

work. She could make good friends, balance her studies to get good family time still and get oriented

back to industry. The course itself cost her a packet but she wanted to remain relevant and her husband

was supportive. She was vindicated when she got a break and package to match her expectations, soon

after she completed her course.

8. Lessons for working women and Project Managers

Resetting the expectations

A woman’s inability to divide work equally at home due to social conditioning and norms, spills over to the

workplace where her expectations of rewards is higher, as it is not easy for her to mentally dissociate

work done at home from office. The point is made clear if as a hypothetical example a couple does same

role and work in office but women does greater share of household work and feels short-changed.

When women re-enter workforce after a hiatus, expectations of getting the workplace to acknowledge

their personal situation and hence of lowering the bar for them selectively, should be left at the door.

Workplace benefits and compensation are not personality awards but rewards for job performance.

Moderating one’s expectation in line with one’s contribution is the key. Very often, moderation is also

upwards, wherein an indispensable worker can extract a good deal to balance work-life better. In such

case employer has to reset expectations.

Re-skilling precedes re-entry

Quite often women are wishfully ensconced in the same world that they left behind when they took the

break from profession. Longer the break, chances are the world has moved ahead farther from their

world-view. Re-skilling oneself to be ready for contemporary professional demands is therefore a good

strategy. Very often this is not done though.

On the positive side though, given inertia of human mind and actions, even those in workforce fail to see

when the incrementally evolving changes have led to a need to re-invent self. Re-entry is thus an

opportunity to come prepared to a new skill or technology or even industry that others either fail to see, or

do not have enough time for.

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Flexibility is a virtue

Flexibility could mean working through your pregnancy, being accepting of part-pay part-time work

schedule, dropping out of rat race, a new role, a new company that has a crèche, a temporary job and so

on. It is an adversity situation that can be converted into an opportunity as research shows that main way

employees change their working hours per week-both increase and decrease- to a desired number is

through change of employer. (Altonji, 1990)

There is “over-working” of existing workforce to deal with that make re-entry difficult. Women looking to

re-enter workforce are willing to surrender pay for reduced work-hours. The problem however is

employers are not generally receptive to the idea. On the contrary, extracting overtime from regular

workers is economically more beneficial option to employers and they prefer that. Administrative

overheads like per employee health insurance costs, reduced labor force and unions, smaller

management teams are reasons for employer disinterest in re-entry. This leads to “time-divide” (Jacobs,

2009) where workers either over-work with little flexibility and more demand on them for work, or, have

less work with more flexibility. What this means for women re-entering workforce is that they need to

make a difficult choice at re-entry- a part time or soft entry not being welcome in a new company or being

at lesser wage, as against regular full-time work that is not easy given personal commitments. It is not

uncommon thus to observe many women not making the return at all.

Matching demand and supply: Space for marketplace

To meet this socio-economic need of both employers and employees, niche employment exchanges or

marketplaces have come into being. Fleximoms, a company that operates in this space, is one such

example. The reason it is a niche space because both employers and employees need working upon of

mindsets to make it work and that is what companies like flexi-moms brings to the table. Employers need

someone ready for the workforce back again, accept the flexibility that they may not be ready for and then

the employee has to re-skill herself.

Loyalty as an asset to encash

Leave from workplace for maternity or breaks for family reasons are best taken with long term permanent

employer. Avoiding re-entry, is thus best option for those who can. Once women quit, research shows

there is social and economic cost of re-entry that such women have to bear (see box)

9. Conclusion Problems faced by women in re-entering workforce after forced breaks are not going to go away soon. What we can best do is be prepared to face it and in that light the paper explores backdrop, causes and solutions. There is a long-term social view of the problem that mandates recognition of society’s needs that are fulfilled by women opting out of workforce temporarily. It merits addressing through laws, creating awareness for change in social mindset and overcoming economic obsession of firms. Since that is a

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long-drawn process, it is essential that women take other measures too for the short term as suggested in the paper.

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10. References Altonji, J. G. (1990). Labor supply, hours constraints and job mobility. No. w3474. National Bureau of

Economic Research, .

Drago, R. D. (2004). Gender and work hours transitions in Australia: drop ceilings and trap-door floors.

Jacobs, J. A. (2009). The time divide: Work, family, and gender inequality. . Harvard University Press.

http://www.hrmasia.com/resources/diversity/gender-matters-women-at-work/174617/

11. Author profiles Aruni Siriwardene

Aruni Siriwardene, is an Associate Director in charge of sales operations and contract management. A project manager at heart, she is also a PM trainer and consultant. She is a working woman and a mother of three; constantly trying to find that right blend of interaction with her work and family. Aruni has led many large scaled IT projects for North American government clients and is very versed in risk management. Her mission in life is to assist individuals to step outside of their virtualized boundaries, to discover the limitless potential within them. Postal Address: No:30, 1st Lane, Gothami Road, Colombo 8, Sri-Lanka Organization: Navantis IT (Pvt) Ltd. (www.navantis.com) Email: arunif@navantis.com; arunisiriwardene@gmail.com Phone: +94 773 95 18 87 Sandeep Khurana

Sandeep has over 25 years of experience in leadership roles in various sectors in managing large projects. An ex-Army officer and an alumnus of prestigious Indian School of Business, he has been Program Manager in India and US, for IT projects in government, insurance, energy, retail and healthcare sectors for over a decade. Sandeep is well-read and his diverse interests range across healthcare, decision sciences, social media, behavioral sciences and analytics. Sandeep has been visiting faculty in Project Management, strategy and analytics subjects in management institutes in public and private sectors. He is currently pursuing research in Information Sciences with focus on healthcare analytics, from Indian School of Business.

Postal Address: 107, Primrose, Serene County, Telecom Nagar, Gachibowli, Hyderabad-500032 Organization: Indian School of Business

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Email: khurana.sandeep@gmail.com ; sandeep_khurana2012@fpm.isb.edu Phone: +91 77025 77226