Working mums benefit from smarter working practices

When Vikki Wright, 32, returned back to work in her job as a lawyer, following the birth of her first child Zach, now aged two, at Dickinson Dees in Newcastle - she had no idea how difficult it would be to juggle her commitments as a working mum

But thanks to Vikki's creativity and smarter working practices implemented by her employers, mums to be at Dickinson Dees, now benefit from a pioneering support scheme to help them through the transition of working woman to working mum.

Vikki's brainchild earned her a Creative Ideas Award with a cash sum of £500 from her employers when she came up with the idea of a maternity mentoring scheme.

Not only did she dream up the idea, she also helped to put it into practice and set up a support service which incorporated flexible ways of working, a good practice guide and mentors to advise mums to be.  The idea of the maternity mentoring scheme is for existing working mums to offer support and guidance to new working mums who are about to embark on a new and different working life,

Vikki was so passionate about the idea that she even worked out the details of the scheme and processes that working mums should follow when planning maternity leave.  She carried out research to test the market, canvassing ideas and arranging meetings with potential mentors to ensure the scheme was fit for purpose.

The pioneering scheme is now up and running and many mums are benefitting from smarter working practices, mentoring and support services to help them juggle work and family commitments.  It enables experienced mothers to exchange information and advice with less experienced mums so they don't feel isolated when they leave and return to work. 

Vikki, who is now expecting her second child in October said: "When I came back to work in 2005 after having Zach in August 2004, I had been away from the working environment for a long time.  It was a real shock to my system - adjusting to life as lawyer again. One minute I was washing nappies and the next I was facing the challenges of a very busy legal job.  The biggest challenge was getting back into a work routine making sure I was a good lawyer and mother and ensuring my work didn't suffer.

"It really was al difficult transition and I had so many things to think about - nursery pick ups, the welfare of my child and so on.  You are trying to be all things to all men - the perfect mum and the perfect lawyer and you don't know which way to turn.

"When I returned from maternity leave I was anxious and felt I had noone to turn to.  Then I realised that there were many working mums in the practice many of whom had experienced the same problems on returning to work. There was a wealth of experience that was virtually untapped - an army of women who could all help and support each other through the transition between work and motherhood.

"We have many working mums ranging from administrative staff to legal representatives who juggle parenthood with careers, all from different backgrounds and have children with a range of needs.

"This is when I decided to approach the partners to implement my ideas, which combined with flexible working practices would make life easier for many.  The partners were very responsive - the scheme is up and running and has been a great success.  Mums find it so useful to talk to colleagues who have experienced the same anxieties and concerns about returning to work.

"The mum mentors talk to mums to be, finding out about their situations and advise how much time they should take off and the best ways of coping with employment and motherhood.  They also make use of 'keeping in touch days' which were introduced as part of the work and family act 2006. These provide ongoing assistance and support whilst the employee is on maternity leave and organise training sessions and company updates for the new working mums on their return to work. For example lawyers get refresher training updating them on changes in the law.

"However, one of the most important things for working mums is flexibility.  It would be really stressful if working mums had to adhere to nine to five working weeks at a set location.

Theresa Wilde, HR director at Dickinson Dees said: "Feeling valued is very important for a woman when returning to work after having a baby and we value all our staff. The firm is committed in helping people have a work life balance.  In return we get dedicated and loyal staff who are committed to making the business a success.

"Smarter working practices include job sharing and staggered start and finish times which enable parents to take and pick their children up from school. Our staff are allowed to work from different offices and can access hotdesks from different practices.

Vikki added "Flexible working is so important when you are pregnant.  When I had morning sickness, I was given the opportunity to start work later and was allowed to work at sites closer to home so I had less travelling and didn't have to get stuck on congested roads when I was feeling under the weather.

Home working is also available for Dickinson Dees employees. Staff are provided with computers so they can access information and carry out their work remotely from home.  This allows many employees to keep in touch with company developments and legislative news.

Theresa said "We want to ensure that women feel able to return to work with suitable working arrangements and support so they are able to continue making a valuable contribution to the business"

Simon Roberson, regional chairman of Work Wise North East said: "Dickinson Dees are one of the leading partners in the Work Wise North East campaign and it is a real boost to the regional campaign to have the backing of this leading legal practice. They are innovative in their approach and have a tremendous amount of expertise and knowledge on smarter working practices which not only carry transport, environmental and productivity improvements but also assist work-life balance"

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For information about Work Wise North East, please contact:
Shelia Chapman, Sheila Chapman PR 07732 827 486 or scpr@btopenworld.com

For further information about the national Work Wise campaign, please contact: Roy Turner, Chelgate PR 020 7939 7939 or 07970 522232 or rt@chelgate.com

Notes to editors:

• A number of spokespersons are available for interview and comment. Please contact Sheila Chapman at contact details below
• Work Wise UK is organized by the IT Forum Foundation, a not-for-profit organization.
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