JIVE - Creating Change for Women & Girls in Science, Engineering, Construction and Technology

Case Study - Yorkshire Water Returners Project

JIVE became involved with Yorkshire Water in 2005, as we knew the company operated good practice regarding Diversity, and employed a large number of women in Science, Engineering and Technology roles. This led to an approach from Yorkshire Water in 2006 for JIVE to work alongside Yorkshire Water on a Returners Project, working with female employees at the company who had experienced maternity and motherhood. JIVE were to design and conduct the research, and produce a report on the process including recommendations.

he Project built on the work Yorkshire Water already does as part of its overall approach to diversity. Following the work recently carried out on recruitment, attention in this Project focuses on retention and progression. The Project explored women’s experiences of maternity and motherhood at four key stages:

The period at work leading up to going on maternity leave
Being on maternity leave
Returning to and being back at work
Experiences and aspirations of progression

Yorkshire Water wished to explore the extent to which women’s experiences were similar or different across the three Business Units: Support, Environmental Business and Water. JIVE was keen to explore any similarities or differences between women working in technical/non-technical roles.

The fieldwork took place during October 2006 and three methods were used to gather data: postal surveys, focus groups and individual interviews.

Around 80 women were involved in the research.
The Project identified areas of good practice at Yorkshire Water, and the areas/practices/cultures that were less helpful for women experiencing maternity and returning to work. JIVE wrote a report for Yorkshire Water recording the process and making recommendations from the research.

Conclusions taken from the report

Women returners at Yorkshire Water show an enormous amount of commitment to Yorkshire Water – to the organisation, their work, colleagues and teams, and customers. This shone through the accounts given of their experiences of the workplace and they are a clearly a credit to the company.

Yorkshire Water is recognised as a good to excellent employer, compared to many other local employers women spoke of anecdotally. Many of the women spoke highly of the maternity package at Yorkshire Water and particularly the financial remunerations compared to other companies, and the statutory maternity pay. The ‘public sector’ (the Council in particular) was mentioned by a number of respondents as positively promoting flexible working options, for example, saying ‘open to job sharing’ explicitly in recruitment adverts.

Women’s experiences appear to be primarily defined by their immediate line managers and colleagues. Those with supportive people around them tended to have had the most positive and comfortable experiences. The sex of managers and colleagues appeared to have less significant impact on levels of supportiveness than their parental status.

Increasing acceptance and availability of flexible working options comes across strongly as the key way in which Yorkshire Water could facilitate the progression of women returners.

“If Yorkshire Water had not been able to offer part time hours I would have had to leave. Overall, it is a very flexible company and does try to accommodate wherever possible.“ Quote from female employee.

JIVE has continued their involvement with Yorkshire Water and has showcased them in the UKRC Good Practice Guide on Flexible Working featuring two female senior managers at the company who job share since returning from maternity.

Yorkshire Water invited JIVE to exhibit at their two day “Open to All” Diversity Conference in May 2007 and this was a rewarding and informative experience for staff at JIVE. The Returners Project was one of eight seminars at the Conference, and the HR and Communications Managers disseminated the research through a presentation delivered to at least 50 staff over the two days. The seminars were well attended and generated much interest and discussion especially amongst managers who have responsibility for managing maternity issues. The resource implications and challenges managers can face at this time is certainly an issue for the company and a possible area to be explored.