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Regular work+family updates for
HR and diversity professionals.
It's all happening up North...
I've been asked to talk at the Women's Business Forum in October. It's a huge event and doubly impressive that the 600 or so movers and shakers that attend are happy to make the trek to Yorkshire. (Although as someone who comes from God's Own County - "why wouldn't' they?"). I'm presenting under the title "Family Responsibility - Whose Is It?". I'm a bit nervous...
The event has been put together by the frighteningly energetic Heather Jackson who's not afraid of trampling over a few sacred cows (no pun intended) in her quest for gender equality. She likes a bit of controversy. And when you start talking about family and responsibilities it's easy to wander into sensitive territory. The truth is, there will never be gender equality in the workplace until there is equality at home. Equality at home won't happen until men stop being so macho and women stop turning into control freaks when motherhood arrives. You can see why I'm nervous!
Work vs home
But in fact there's a bigger challenge to address. Why should businesses care about what happens in the home? Most bosses, in most businesses, understand that a bit of diversity is good all round - good for culture; good for performance; and good PR.
Yet reaching out to fathers - isn't that going just a bit too far? I mean if you get your career men holding up their hands as dads then you will do wonders for the careers of their wives and you'll be doing your bit to smash the glass ceiling. The issue I struggle with is the glass ceiling you're breaking won't be your own, as their wife invariably works for someone else. Unless of course you employ both the husband and wife!
It's not all about mothers
Engaging men as fathers is an essential part of the whole. It's also an incredibly difficult one for employers to get their heads round. Luckily I'm on stage with a very impressive team of panellists - Sally Martin of Shell and Carolanne Minashi of Citi. The business case slide might just be one I lob subtly in their direction...
Ben Black
