What Women Need from Employers to Increase Their Working Hours

One in two women in Germany works part-time—but only one in seven men does. Among mothers and fathers, the divide is even wider. But nearly half of all mothers would also work 30 hours or more per week—if the conditions were right.
Companies can do a lot to tap into this untapped potential. For example, allowing mothers much more flexible work schedules than before, especially during off-peak hours. Or, allowing more work-from-home arrangements—most mothers are willing or able to commute only up to 25 kilometers. To be clarified: Where is physical presence really necessary? Or, to put it another way: The team can expect a clearly defined core work period—for example, in the morning—while, conversely, a woman with child(ren) also has the freedom to respond quickly to family or personal emergencies when the unexpected arises…