The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Several Points Of View Regarding Irish Women And The Workplace - Essay Example

Irish Women Introduction The instructions claim that Some Irish women want reforms in the workplace that will allow them to compete more effectivelywith men and that others want us to introduce "family friendly" work practices that would limit the time that both men and women would spend on economic activities. Yet other Irish women are looking for more state intervention that would allow them to remain in their homes full-time with their children. The purpose of this paper is to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each of these points of view. Scenario During the 1990s, so many women surged into Ireland's workforce that they became known as 'Celtic Tigresses.' In fact, over half of the workers in Ireland today are women. According to Carvajal (2004, pg. 1), "But tigresses multitask. They hunt and also raise cubs. And so Ireland, which has one of the highest birthrates in Europe, is becoming a place where demographic trends are forcing companies to experiment with flexible working arrangements, ones that allow female employees to accommodate bosses and babies and lifestyles. The result is often a complete cafeteria of choices, from job-sharing and telecommuting to on-site child care and company-sponsored summer camps." Competing More Effectively with Men The equal treatment of men and women in the workforce seems to be a problem throughout the globe. Traditionally, statistics show that men are paid more and hold higher, more prestigious positions than women do. However, competing more effectively with men also involves other aspects of fair treatment. One of these aspects is job flexibility, such as the ability to work at home. In a recent survey, "The early results surprised the company. A huge amount of the men preferred a flexible form of working at home. And when we surveyed the workers, we found that a large proportion of people used the extra time they gained to be with their families or to do more volunteer work" (Carvajal, 2004). It has also been noted that men fear losing opportunities such as promotions when they choose to work at home, but that women tend to prefer the flexibility so much that they are not so concerned with that aspect (Carvajal, 2004). According to Carvajal (2004, pg. 1), "A major challenge will be to avoid a twin track in which men are in the fast lane involving continuous and often excessive hours in full-time employment, partly from home, and women are in the slow lane working reduced hours," wrote Ellen Drew of Trinity College's Centre for Gender and Women's Studies, in a study of Irish company work-life policies. Otherwise, she says, flexible work may become the preserve of "mothers of young children" - and something to be avoided by other ambitious employees." Family-Friendly Work Practices In times past, Irish mothers could turn to the grandparents of their children for fully reliable baby-sitting services while they attended work. However, times have changed. Now, many of those grandparents are also entering the workforce, leaving a heavy need for family-friendly work practices. "Some companies have taken notice. Intel Ireland, a unit of the big computer-chip maker, has adopted many strategies, beginning with gifts of Intel baby hampers to employees who are new parents. IBM in Ireland offers "mobile-working" from remote locations and is about to introduce job-sharing" (Carvajal, 2004, pg. 1). Disadvantages and advantages in this arena apply to the companies, too. High job turnover due to a lack of programs to balance family and work life can cost a company big bucks in training, hiring, and other expenses. "So three years ago, Eircom started studying the issue of balancing work and personal life. A varied program emerged last year that offered telecommuting, day-care support, sabbaticals, job-sharing and special leave for domestic purposes. Both men and women tried out the choices" (Carvajal, 2004, pg. 1). Staying at Home In Ireland, the number of telecommuting positions was up 44 percent in 2004 from 36 percent in 2002. The number of companies posting and offering telecommuting positions also rose from 44 percent to 36 percent during the same time frame. ""If a woman feels she can balance work and home, then she's much more likely to stay at a company. We are training managers to manage someone who is flexibly working even employees with concerns about future promotions were still working from home. In fact, we've promoted some of the e-workers because they're so productive" (Carvajal, 2004, pg. 1). There are a myriad of advantages and disadvantages associated with working at home. Sure, moms get to spend more time with their kids, but that is time that is not spent working. Oftentimes, work-at-home employees are paid by their output, so if they spend a lot of time with their children instead of working, their wages may suffer a serious decrease. Also, it is easy to become distracted while working at home, with family members, friends, and visitors assuming that, just because a person is working at home, that person must have ample free time to do as they please. For example, a husband who works at an office during the day may expect a wife to clean, take care of the children, run errands, and work at home all at the same time because he perceives her as having more flexibility than him. Another disadvantage to working at home is the idea of the separation of work and home. Some people who work at home feel as if they are always at work and have a hard time separating the two. The advantages to working at home or having a flexible schedule often outweigh the disadvantages, however. At least errands can be run when they need to be, children can be taken care of when they have to be, no baby-sitter needs to be hired, the person can work in a relaxed atmosphere often at their own pace and with their own preferred schedule. Conclusion The purpose of this paper has been to determine the advantages and disadvantages of several points of view regarding Irish women and the workplace. It appears that some Irish women want reforms in the workplace that will allow them to compete more effectively with men and that others want "family friendly" work practices that would limit the time that both men and women would spend on economic activities. Still other Irish women are looking for more state intervention that would allow them to remain in their homes full-time with their children. References Carvajal, D. (2004). The workplace: In Ireland, 'tigresses' burn bright. International Herald Tribune. Retrieved March 23, 2008, from http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/03/17/workcol_ed3_.php Read More