Already a subscriber?Unions are manipulating female employees with their faux support for working from home when in reality they are putting small businesses and employees – female employees in particular – at risk.Let’s be clear. This isn’t about providing work-from-home options as many businesses have done that already. Using the line that 9-5 work hours are outdated won’t work as we have been living in a 24/7 economy for a while now.
However, this will backfire. Unfortunately, unions no longer represent employees like they used to, so it’s up to us to question every move they make especially if they’re doing their best to convince the public it’s a positive one. Data from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency shows that 30 per cent of women work part time compared to 11 per cent of men. Female-dominated industries employ the highest number of part-time managers, yet union representation amongst this cohort isn’t particularly strong. With their macho shenanigans and brinkmanship tactics, unions could hardly claim to represent the interests of working mothers.
The on-the-go flexibility small business currently provide employees will disappear. This means that even if you do work from home they will be tracking your work, and when you want to have time off for personal reasons they’ll probably have to say no, as they’ll also be tied down by the fear of being dragged to Fair Work becauseResearch shows flexible work is unequivocally tied to women’s ability to participate in the workplace, giving them the opportunity to achieve financial independence.