Mothers & daughters: still left holding the baby

Jean Thompson, 53, started her working life in 1971, as a secretary in a small firm of building contractors. ‘After two years I left to have my daughter, and I more or less announced that I would be leaving for good, when I told my boss that I was pregnant,’ she says. In contrast, Sarah, Jean’s daughter, had her baby son two years ago and took 10 months off, before returning to work full-time. ‘I only qualified for the statutory maternity leave of 18 weeks. My wage is vital for our mortgage, as my partner is on a fixed-term contract that is renewed every 9 months,’ says Sarah.

Nationally, 25% of mothers go back to work, well before their 18 weeks are over, because they can't afford not to. Back in the 1970’s, however, one salary was enough to keep the Thompsons’ finances in order – an increasingly rare situation today.

How does Jean Thompson view her daughter’s state of affairs? ‘I look at my daughter and see that she has a career as well as children, and this is the key difference. I worry about her level of tiredness. Looking back at my own experience, I decided to dedicate my life to the kids because my husband was the main breadwinner. But I wonder if women today are genuinely choosing the situation that they find themselves in, as opposed to being forced?’

Research conducted in the 1990’s showed that, on the whole, the more generous the maternity provision, the higher the proportion of women going back to work, after the birth of their child. Women who qualified for extended maternity absence were more likely to have returned to work than those only entitled to statutory maternity leave (72% compared to 56%).

Next page: have things changed that much?