The government will face acute embarrassment this week when a leading workplace thinktank will accuse New Labour of encouraging employers to discriminate against women. A report from the Industrial Society will say that the Government's obsession with workplace concessions for mothers, unmatched by benefits for fathers, is forcing companies to avoid employing women altogether wherever possible. 'Family-friendly has come to mean mother-friendly under this Government,' said the Industrial Society's Richard Reeves. 'It has further reinforced the divide between men, who are seen not to have family responsibilities, and women, who are seen as having them.'
Mothers versus Men, to be published on Wednesday, will say that employment discrimination against women now makes more managerial and economic sense than ever before.
Since Labour was elected in 1997, a catalogue of policies has been promised to help working mothers. Maternity leave is soon expected to rise to one year from 44 weeks, some of which is paid. The IS believes that longer leave for mothers without a similar concession for fathers will make it even less attractive for companies to employ women.
Since last December, both men and women are also entitled to take up to 13 weeks' leave in the first five years of a child's life. That change was introduced by European directive, not by Whitehall.
'At least the political Right who argue that women earn less because they have children have an intellectually coherent argument,' said Reeves. 'The Government is peddling a fiction that women can be mothers at work competing equally with men.'
The report will be accompanied by a survey showing that women with childcare responsibilities are treated much more sympathetically by employers, who expect them to take time off. But the price of tolerance is often lower pay and less training. Men who need to look after a sick child are likely to ring in sick themselves rather than admit that they have problems at home.
'Women are becoming intrinsically disadvantaged at work because of the role they are expected to perform as mothers,' said Reeves. 'Men should be expected to take time off too.'
The IS will say that the only way to redress the balance is to provide equal treatment for parents regardless of sex. However, the cost of partly paid paternity leave for millions of fathers would almost certainly be opposed by the Treasury.
'If we are serious as a society about equality,' said Reeves, 'then we have to address the difference between the ability of mothers and fathers to compete in the workplace. The Government is taking an untenable position when it simultaneously calls for pound-for-pound gender equality in the workplace and in the next breath further cements women into a unique role as primary carers of children. It doesn't add up.'
Tony Blair's 'macho' decision not to take time off work for the birth of his new baby Leo last May will also attract criticism.
'The Prime Minister was presented with an ideal opportunity to send a clear message about the importance of fatherhood in terms of spending time with chil dren rather than just bringing in the money,' said Reeves.
'When he became a father again he said that being Prime Minister was "the kind of job" which prevented him having time off. The problem is that lots of men feel like that about their job and the simple truth is that there's no more important job than being a parent.'
A Labour spokesman insisted: 'Our policies are the product of an extensive "Listening to Women" campaign. Everyone who is trying to help women reach equality recognises that it's not a smooth process.'
Ministers for Women, Baroness Jay and Tessa Jowell, are responsible for championing family policy in Whitehall. They have already been embarrassed twice this year, after promoting Tony Blair's humiliating appearance before the Women's Institute conference and after backing a summit on female body image which produced a crop of unflattering headlines.
The Industrial Society was founded 80 years ago to promote better workplace practice. Its first major campaign was to secure the provision of lavatories in factories. It provides training and advice to many of Britain's leading companies.
ben.summerskill@observer.co.uk
