Cross-Posted from Mothers & More Loop Discussion:
Thanks to the Mothers & More members who shared their personal stories about work and family. Your situations and experiences may be different from each other, but many of us see ourselves in one or another of you. I fully recognize that significant hurdles still exist and pay inequities are very real. Some of you are frustrated with the lack of OnRamps you are finding, and others with the fact that it essentially costs you money to go to work, but we have to believe that a shift is on the horizon.

Mother’s Day Campaign 2008
Connecting Mothers’ Voices

Mothers and More (www.mothersandmore.org) invited YourOnRamp's Betsy Bagley to participate in its POWER Loop guest discussion which focused on what it would mean if our society truly supported mothers, what we can do to work toward changes that will benefit us, and how mothers can be counted.

HR executives are taking notice of the contributions of part-time professionals. (See article and research below). The next horizon is helping line managers get comfortable with different management styles and measures of productivity. The acceptance of OnRampers and part-time professional work has to begin top-down, but it is still risky for mangers to hire them. While managers have to be willing to allocate work in a different way, individual candidates need to address the risks when they present themselves.

"Worldwide, more than 60 percent of executives said that their companies

"There are too many women doctors who want to work part-time, which is contributing to a lack of capacity in the medical system. Therefore, we should reconsider the amount of resources devoted to the education of women doctors and focus more of them on men."

In her blog (http://worklifefit.com/blog/), Cali Williams elevates the discussion around the above premise put forth in Canadian and British publications. (Recognize that in these countries the training of doctors is most often paid for by the government.)

Last week, YourOnRamp was at the 43rd Annual Women’s Symposium at SMU in Dallas which was focused on Educating Women for Social and Political Leadership. One apparent theme was that leadership is a process and each step needs to be respected. Don’t we all aspire to lead? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could skip up the steps to a leadership position? The symposium was comprised of multigenerational participants and the older women were advising the younger generation that a leadership role is often earned.

What a great show to highlight the professional value a woman can retain after a career break!

As one of the initial women to take advantage of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) after giving birth to my first child, I want to ensure that it is as effective as possible for other women. While it has its limitations, it is an important piece of legislation that recognizes the significance of caring work and the role of the workplace in supporting families. The new regulations open access for some groups and could make it more difficult for others to receive FMLA benefits.

I was in Austin, TX last Friday at the Women in Business Leadership Conference sponsored by the McCombs School of Business. I was invigorated to be amidst the energy of current and recently graduated MBA students. It doesn’t seem long ago since I was sitting in their seats with my own dreams of a new career. I realize my perspective of the work world was different then. I knew I would soon have to choose between a full-time career and taking time off for a family. I am excited that these women won’t have just two choices.