IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/gender/v29y2022i5p1495-1510.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Maternity provision, contract status, and likelihood of returning to work: Evidence from research intensive universities in the UK

Author

Listed:
  • Joanna M. Davies
  • Lisa Jane Brighton
  • Florence Reedy
  • Sabrina Bajwah

Abstract

Reliance on fixed‐term contracts and a lack of adequate maternity provision for fixed‐term workers could be contributing to the loss of women from academia―the so called “leaky pipeline”―but evidence on this is lacking. This paper describes variation, between research intensive universities in the UK, in the maternity provision they offer to fixed‐term workers and presents preliminary staff data on the likelihood of returning to work following a period of maternity leave for academic and non‐academic staff on fixed‐term versus open‐ended contracts. A gendered lens is applied, investigating how the intersection between contractual status and maternity provision contributes to gender inequality in academia within the context of hierarchical neoliberal academic organizing and the masculinized “ideal” academic. Staff data was obtained using a Freedom of Information request made to the 24 Russell Group universities in the United Kingdom. The odds of returning to work after maternity leave were 59% lower for staff on fixed‐term compared to open‐ended contracts (pooled odds ratio: 0.41, 95% confidence interval: 0.26–0.64). Maternity provision for fixed‐term workers varied between institutions, with most operating policies that limit access to enhanced maternity pay for staff on fixed‐term contracts. Wider adoption of maternity policies that are more compatible with employment on fixed‐term contracts, including: no continuous service or return to work requirement, full financial support for staff facing redundancy during maternity leave, and appropriate signposting of redeployment obligations, could help to support more women to stay in academia.

Suggested Citation

  • Joanna M. Davies & Lisa Jane Brighton & Florence Reedy & Sabrina Bajwah, 2022. "Maternity provision, contract status, and likelihood of returning to work: Evidence from research intensive universities in the UK," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(5), pages 1495-1510, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:29:y:2022:i:5:p:1495-1510
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12843
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12843
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/gwao.12843?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Theresa O'Keefe & Aline Courtois, 2019. "‘Not one of the family’: Gender and precarious work in the neoliberal university," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 463-479, May.
    2. Mariya Ivancheva & Kathleen Lynch & Kathryn Keating, 2019. "Precarity, gender and care in the neoliberal academy," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 448-462, May.
    3. Nicola Maxwell & Linda Connolly & Caitríona Ní Laoire, 2019. "Informality, emotion and gendered career paths: The hidden toll of maternity leave on female academics and researchers," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 140-157, March.
    4. Meredith Nash & Brendan Churchill, 2020. "Caring during COVID‐19: A gendered analysis of Australian university responses to managing remote working and caring responsibilities," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 833-846, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kathryn Haynes, 2024. "Resisting sexisms, aggression, and burnout in academic leadership: Surviving in the gendered managerial academy," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 2286-2302, September.
    2. Karen Jones & Alan Floyd, 2024. "Women academics experiences of maternity leave in the neoliberal university: Unmasking governmentality," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 92-114, January.
    3. Quintero, Katherine Restrepo & González, Candy Chamorro & Patiño-Jacinto, Ruth Alejandra & Haynes, Kathryn, 2024. "Gender stereotypes of women accounting academics in Colombia," CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON ACCOUNTING, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anna Maria Górska & Karolina Kulicka & Zuzanna Staniszewska & Dorota Dobija, 2021. "Deepening inequalities: What did COVID‐19 reveal about the gendered nature of academic work?," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1546-1561, July.
    2. Marta Vohlídalová, 2021. "The Segmentation of the Academic Labour Market and Gender, Field, and Institutional Inequalities," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9(3), pages 163-174.
    3. Kate Seymour, 2024. "Circling the divide: Gendered invisibility, precarity, and professional service work in a UK business school," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(5), pages 1873-1893, September.
    4. Özlem Altan‐Olcay & Suzanne Bergeron, 2024. "Care in times of the pandemic: Rethinking meanings of work in the university," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(4), pages 1544-1559, July.
    5. Katherine Doerr, 2024. "“Flying under the radar”: Postfeminism and teaching in academic science," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 710-726, May.
    6. Anastasios Hadjisolomou & Fotios Mitsakis & Steven Gary, 2022. "Too Scared to Go Sick: Precarious Academic Work and ‘Presenteeism Culture’ in the UK Higher Education Sector During the Covid-19 Pandemic," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 36(3), pages 569-579, June.
    7. İbrahim Sönmez, 2021. "A Missed Opportunity for Men? Partnered and Employed Individuals’ Involvement with Housework during the COVID-19 Lockdown in the UK," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-13, April.
    8. Brad M. Barber & Wei Jiang & Adair Morse & Manju Puri & Heather Tookes & Ingrid M. Werner, 2021. "What Explains Differences in Finance Research Productivity during the Pandemic?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 76(4), pages 1655-1697, August.
    9. Dide van Eck & Eline Jammaers, 2021. "Chronicles of conflicting care in confinement: Documenting the work experiences of seven ‘patient zeros’," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(2), pages 735-748, March.
    10. Danielle Docka‐Filipek & Lindsey B. Stone, 2021. "Twice a “housewife”: On academic precarity, “hysterical” women, faculty mental health, and service as gendered care work for the “university family” in pandemic times," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 2158-2179, November.
    11. Julia Coffey & Julia Cook & David Farrugia & Steven Threadgold & Penny Jane Burke, 2021. "Intersecting marginalities: International students' struggles for “survival” in COVID‐19," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(4), pages 1337-1351, July.
    12. Beck, Matthew J. & Hensher, David A. & Wei, Edward, 2020. "Slowly coming out of COVID-19 restrictions in Australia: Implications for working from home and commuting trips by car and public transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    13. Anna Carreri & Manuela Naldini & Alessia Tuselli, 2024. "Inequalities in Academic Work during COVID-19: The Intersection of Gender, Class, and Individuals’ Life-Course Stage," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-20, March.
    14. Maria Bastida & Luisa Helena Pinto & Ana Olveira Blanco & Maite Cancelo, 2020. "Female Entrepreneurship: Can Cooperatives Contribute to Overcoming the Gender Gap? A Spanish First Step to Equality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, March.
    15. Ethel L. Mickey & Joya Misra & Dessie Clark, 2023. "The persistence of neoliberal logics in faculty evaluations amidst Covid‐19: Recalibrating toward equity," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 638-656, March.
    16. Sorana-Alexandra Constantinescu & Maria-Henriete Pozsar, 2022. "Was This Supposed to Be on the Test? Academic Leadership, Gender and the COVID-19 Pandemic in Denmark, Hungary, Romania, and United Kingdom," Publications, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-13, April.
    17. Sarah Duffy & Michelle O’Shea & Liyaning Maggie Tang, 2023. "Sexually harassed, assaulted, silenced, and now heard: Institutional betrayal and its affects," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(4), pages 1387-1406, July.
    18. Lauren Bari & Tom Turner & Michelle O'Sullivan, 2021. "Gender differences in solo self‐employment: Gendered flexibility and the effects of parenthood," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(6), pages 2180-2198, November.
    19. Meredith Nash & Brendan Churchill, 2020. "Caring during COVID‐19: A gendered analysis of Australian university responses to managing remote working and caring responsibilities," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 833-846, September.
    20. Margaret Hodgins & Rhona Kane & Yariv Itzkovich & Declan Fahie, 2024. "Workplace Bullying and Harassment in Higher Education Institutions: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(9), pages 1-19, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:29:y:2022:i:5:p:1495-1510. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0968-6673 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.