'Nearly 70% women making career returns fear pay cuts'

Even as many large corporates are keen on getting back their women employees who have taken long breaks, most of such women expect a slash in their salaries from their last earned ones, says a report.

There are more than 7 million second career women in the country who are seeking to return to work.

More than two-thirds of respondents (69 percent) of a survey anticipate a pay cut on their re-entry due to the prevalence of what is called the 'motherhood wage penalty' (how mothers suffer severe wage and hiring disadvantages in the workplace), says a report by Avtar that is into diversity advocacy and workplace inclusion.

The report is based on an online survey among 783 second-career women between August and September and claims that there are over 7 million second career women in the country who are seeking to return to work.

About 56 percent of the women surveyed took their career breaks during the mid-career stage and 31 percent took it during early career stages.

When it comes to career return challenges, the report says even in the fourth industrial revolution era, women get insufficient support from their homes (23 percent) and this is cited as among the top three biggest barriers for them after absence of strong network and skill-gap being the biggest impediments with 59 percent and 36 percent, respectively citing them as concerns.

"We have been seeing how companies are benefiting by recruiting these second career women. While there has been steady progress, more and more companies across segments and geographies must come forward to implement women-friendly policies," says Avtar founder-president Saundarya Rajesh.

The report reveals that financial security and putting education to good use are the two most important and motivating factors for women to make career returns, both recording 38 percent response as the number one driver.

Interestingly, 63 per cent respondents indicate high career intentionality by preferring a full-time job, while only 23 percent want to come back to flexible roles.

Many women are willing to explore opportunities in the evolving market dynamics with 45 percent being open to the idea of a domain shift whereas 41 percent want to return to the same domain.