Darling Hill

When Sen. Hillary Clinton made reference to the glass ceiling and mentioned that "there are still barriers and biases out there, often unconscious" in her speech that formally ended her presidential campaign, I was instantly sucked into the ensuing debate about whether a glass ceiling exists, and to what extent, if it does exist, she really managed to put any cracks into it. 

Candidates aside, as a mom who has taken a detour out of the professional world to stay at home with my children, I have come to see these barriers and biases which permeate the working world, especially certain professions, like the law. Sometimes they're obvious, but sometimes they're insidious.   

These barriers often surface alongside discussions of mom-friendly, flexible work arrangements, work/life balance, and/or career reentry. Although some people, like the female caller on a talk-radio station I listened to yesterday, are convinced that the glass ceiling (and probably even the maternal wall) is a complete fabrication--and in Hillary's case, according to the caller, an excuse for why she didn't win ("she's playing the victim card"), there are plenty of us who believe that there are mysterious--and not so mysterious--forces working against us.

There are those who believe there is more work to be done to level the playing field for women and mothers, especially on the employment scene.  Like more flexible work options that allow moms to better balance work and life, and be the women they are or dream about being. Work arrangements that accommodate both work and family needs, and "give parents the ability to work more flexibly, regardless of the person's level in the organization."  Win-win arrangements that help parents stress less and help businesses thrive (think ROI).   

If 18 million cracks in a glass ceiling seems like a big deal, watch out because there's a movement brewing. Thanks to organizations like Flexperience and MomsRising, momentum is rapidly building (think in this heat wave, a giant snowball) to tear down workplace barriers that have long precluded flexible, mom-friendly work arrangements, like telecommuting and jobshares. 

To learn how the workforce is rapidly changing, how the flexible, mom-strong workforce is coming soon to an employer near you, and how--believe it or not--flexible work arrangements can improve an employer's bottom line, keep your eyes open for flexible work events.  Like this one coming up on June 24th (8:00am-noon) at the San Francisco Hilton, which features leaders from top employers like Ernst & Young, Accenture, and Deloitte. This is one of those rare events that falls into the don't miss category.  It's ideal for employers or moms interested in flexible work strategies or understanding how flexible work environments are the hottest talent acquisition and retention tool.

The way I see it, whether or not a glass ceiling really exists, broad acceptance of flexible work arrangements, across all professions, just might be a step toward eliminating the debate altogether.  Now, that's something I plan to see happen in my lifetime.

Specially adapted from the author's original DC Metro Moms Blog post.

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