Career mothers poorly supported.

Only 16 percent of UK industrial and service companies offer workplace childcare facilities or contributions to the cost of having children – this compares with 78 percent that help out in the US. Iola Goulton, a consultant at Hay, said: “It appears there has been little attempt to adapt employee benefits to the increasing number of women who are choosing to put their careers first. This is symptomatic of a common problem with the UK’s current approach to employee benefits: packages are designed by baby boomers for baby boomers.” In the US, many companies offer convenience benefits such as workplace dry-cleaning and washing services, and provide take-home prepared foods. Factors such as these enable women to become mothers without damaging their career prospects. “Generation X women are less likely to sacrifice their careers for their children – they expect to be able to have both,” said Goulton. “UK businesses should be conscious of the danger of allowing the traditional notion of the homemaker wife to interfere with their ability to attract this growing number of highly motivated and skilled career women.”