The “Great Resignation” has seen record numbers of employees voluntarily leaving the workforce during the pandemic.
Figures show that it is women who are leaving their jobs at twice the rate of men.This trend was triggered as the Covid-19 pandemic forced many women to give up or downshift their careers to look after children and loved ones[i]. Whilst Covid restrictions have for the most part been lifted, disruption persists. This includes higher costs for daycare centers, long waiting lists and reduced labour force making it difficult for many mothers to return to the workplace.
In July 2020, as people worldwide were under the first Covid-19 lockdown, Kirsty Hallows was enjoying a fulfilling career. She was Business Unit Director of UK and European operations for Fortress Interlocks, a Halma company that designs and manufactures safety equipment. When schools and day nurseries closed and her network of childcare became inaccessible, Kirsty was confronted with the harsh realities of working a full-time career while home-schooling her two young children, managing chores, and caring for her family. The married mother of two children, both under 10 years of age, had more than a full plate.
While many fathers have become more involved in household responsibilities, studies suggest the division of household labour during the pandemic largely fell back on traditional gender roles, with women carrying the larger share.
A difficult choice
As the stresses grew and she was close to burning out, Kirsty recognised she simply could not do justice to both her role and her family. That’s when she made the difficult decision to downshift her career. A working mother of young children herself, Kirsty’s manager sympathised with the challenges and sought to find an arrangement that would allow for more flexibility. Given Kirsty’s role was customer-centric and required regular contact with global stakeholders, that presented some limitations. Fortunately, one of the advantages of Halma is a diverse network of around 45 global businesses which provides options for employees to make career choices.
A supportive work environment
Using the power of Halma’s network, Kirsty was able to move into a new role as Commercial Manager at Navtech Radar, another Halma company based in Oxfordshire, UK. She has embraced the change as she has been able to put her skills in legal contracts to work, while enjoying a more flexible schedule working a four-day compressed week from home. “It’s made me feel like the balance is back”, says Kirsty. “I can deliver in the role and be there for my family”.
Kirsty is the first to admit that making such a decision did not come easily. “Your career is a big part of who you are. When you’ve worked for a long time to achieve a goal and you make a decision to move away from that, you do wonder how that reflects on you personally. I don’t know what the future holds, but I believe this was the right decision for me and my family and I feel very lucky to be working for a supportive company that helped me navigate through a challenging time”, she concludes.
Building inclusive businesses
At Halma, we’re committed to fostering inclusive work environments where women and men can meet both their professional ambitions and the needs of their families. This includes providing improved work-life arrangements, gender-neutral paid family leave enabling greater gender parity in caring responsibilities, and resources to support mental health and financial security. Our companies have also used remote and agile working to create more flexibility in how and where employees work, supporting them to achieve a better work-life balance.
You can learn more about our commitment to gender equality and the ways we continue to work to build inclusive businesses.
