By Tina Vasquez (Los Angeles)

Last week, we discussed the motherhood penalty, a startling trend in which employers avoid hiring mothers out of the assumption that they won’t do their job as well because of their family obligations outside of the office. If, by chance, an employer chooses to hire a mother, that woman often gets paid much less than female, childless co-workers performing the same duties. Studies have actually shown that the pay gap between working mothers and childless women is actually greater than the pay gap between men and women. According to a new study by Regus, the global provider of innovative workspace solutions, a new trend is brewing and it’s one that actually favors mothers looking to get back into the workplace … if they’re willing to settle for part-time, that is.

The global study, which was commissioned by Regus, surveyed 11,000 corporations across 15 countries and found that 44 percent of companies worldwide plan to hire more mothers for part-time jobs over the next two years. Among U.S. companies the numbers are even higher, with 46 percent reporting plans to recruit more mothers into 2012.

West Region Vice President for Regus, Sande Golgart, believed this study to be of particular interest to Regus because many of their clients are working mothers and he believes providing part-time work to women with children can assist them in managing the work/life balance issues that plague so many women. “We think that there is much work to be done in making the transition from maternity leave back to the workforce as smooth as possible. Allowing mothers to take advantage of workplace flexibility demonstrates an understanding of the challenges that they face and paves the way for them to be more productive and less stressed at work,” Golgart said. “One of the most significant factors in improving employees’ work/life balance is offering the flexibility to work remotely, either full or part-time. Flexible workplace solutions are now available that allow corporations to offer those mothers returning to the workforce the ability to work full or part-time from home, along with a whole host of other workplace possibilities. By taking advantage of such measures, businesses worldwide will be better positioned to attract and retain the most talented personnel to their working environments.”

By Kelly Tanner (New York City)

At a certain point last year, employees at my company started cracking jokes that there was something in the water. Then certain nosier colleagues began examining waistlines for signs of growth. At first the phenomenon seemed contained to a single department, with almost a third of the employees in one stage of pregnancy or another. But then the situation spread to other divisions as well – it seemed like a corporate baby boom had arrived.

As a colleague and a friend, I love meeting the new babies in the office for the first time, as new parents proudly debut their little bundle around the cubicles. As a Human Resources professional, a baby boom presents a set of business challenges that can be difficult without some innovative solutions. Pregnancies require some flexibility from employers: they result in not only a small new little person for parents to balance with a career path, but also lots of time off needed for doctor’s visits, discomfort and lower productivity, long periods of time off, increased insurance premiums, and sometimes, a brain drain as employees leave to stay home with children. How can a company best be prepared to meet these challenges?

The odds are somewhat against us in the US, for employers and employees alike. All other developed nations have some form of paid leave available to employees paid usually through a social insurance system funded by taxes (with the exception of Australia, which nevertheless has a financial “baby bonus” system). In the Unites States, however, the burden is left entirely to, and at the discretion of, employers. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides workers with 12 weeks of job protection when away from work to care for a newborn or adopted child, and is available to workers of both genders for a total of 24 weeks between two parents. However, in the absence of a social insurance system, none of this time is necessarily paid leave. Employers are left to decide if they will pick up the slack of providing it.

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

On Tuesday, the Forté Foundation brought together movers and shakers from New York’s top companies as part of its 2010 Network of Women’s Networks conference. The theme of the conference was Driving Change through Innovation – and as keynote speaker Kerrie Peraino, Chief Diversity Officer of American Express explained, “Far from being the buzz words of this millennium, change and innovation, they are actually a call to action.”

Attendees were asked to focus not only on how change and innovation come to fruition within an organization, but how they themselves are change agents. And of course, because of the emphasis on networks, women were encouraged to build relationships and make new connections with other conference attendees.

Networking for Innovation

Kicking off the day with a speed-networking session, Amy Orlav, Professional Development Specialist at the Graduate Management Admission Council ®, joked, “What is the best part of any conference? Don’t say the food.” She answered, “it’s the networking!”