"Don't send me someone who looks like she might get pregnant."
"Don't send me anyone who has young children."

The reality is that the Fashion Industry is made up primarily of women. Whilst we sympathise with these statements often said to us by our clients, overlooking the group of women who are of child-bearing/child-rearing age (20- to 34-year-olds) forces a lot of talented women to pursue work in other industries.

Whether or not the Fashion Industry hires women of child-bearing age, current economic realities are driving more young (would-be) mums into the workforce. Since 1986, the number of women aged 20-34 in the New Zealand workforce has risen 10.8 percent from 277,000 to 306,900 (as of December 2009). In that same 23-year period, the percentage of women in this age group who are choosing to work has risen from 65.9% to 71.2%.

Concurrently, total employment participation of all working-age women has risen from 55% to 63%, with the total number of women in the workforce increasing 53 percent from 716,400 women to 1,095,000. These trends are further reflected in the increase in the percentage of women (vs. men) in the total workforce from 42 percent in 1986 to 47 percent in 2009. (Source: Statistics New Zealand)

Many small companies find it frustrating and challenging to have to give young women a year maternity leave. This is especially true in the Fashion Industry where it is difficult to find a person to fill in for just one year on a technical role. It is unlikely that a skilled technical person will leave a permanent job to take up a one-year temporary maternity leave contract.

So the question to be asked is not "Can you find me talented women who won't get pregnant on us or who don't have young children?" but rather "How can we take advantage of the influx of talented young women entering the workforce while minimising the potential negative impact on our business of hiring women of child-bearing/child-rearing age?"

So what is the answer? Do we discriminate against young married women who are of childbearing age? Do we not employ women who have young children? What would be the consequences of ignoring this segment of the workforce?

The answer lies in looking for ways to make it easier for these women to 1) return to work sooner than one year after pregnancy and 2) care for their young children while pursuing a career in the Fashion Industry. If you can assist young mums in these areas, you'll have an increased chance of securing and retaining the talent you need to grow your business.

The Fashion Industry is not alone in this sea change. There is an opportunity for all New Zealand businesses to challenge their underlying assumptions about young women in the workforce and to create innovative approaches to address the demographic shifts in the workplace.

Bottom line: It is about creating programmes and a flexible, adaptable, balanced workplace that can assist mums to look after their children while pursuing a vibrant career.

What are some of the ways employers can make it easy for mums to return and continue to work?

Crèche Facilities

Following the lead of many of the large corporates, providing a crèche facility within your company or sharing a crèche facility with other companies in your business park can be a significant incentive that encourages mums to return to work earlier and to stay at work over the long term. The corporates have recognised that there is an enormous cost in losing great young women who find it too hard to return to work after having a child.

A crèche does not have to be your responsibility alone. I believe that SMEs can work together to solve this problem. The majority of SMEs rent their properties in business parks or at least are grouped together in some way. Like the corporates, SMEs would be wise to work together and attach a crèche that would be central to the other companies in the area.

A crèche can give women the ability to return to work sooner as its proximity to the workplace gives them the opportunity to check on and spend time with their babies during breaks and lunchtimes. This "incentive" will help the employee focus more closely on work without the worry.

As an employer you will need to consider whether the crèche is provided cost-free to the employee or if the employee has to pay for some or all of the cost (there might be tax implications to evaluate, as well). If the company chooses to pay some or all of the cost you might also consider a child care subsidy as an alternative, giving the employee choices.

Flexible Work Hours

It's not easy being a new mum. Family schedules get disrupted, sleep is interrupted and each baby has its own internal rhythm. By providing flexible work hours (within reason and with the understanding of teammates), mums can honour both their parental and professional obligations in ways that make it easier for them to bring the best of themselves to work - every day.

Working Remotely with the Help of Technology

Not all jobs require employees to be in the workplace throughout the full work day. Examine ways in which new mums can work all or part of their day from home. With proven technology such a Skype (a free computer-to-computer and low-cost computer-to-landline teleconferencing service), a phone call to a customer, a supplier or a distributor located anywhere in the world can be made from any computer with high-speed Internet access.

Also, with remote access to the company's computer network, low-cost file sharing Internet applications and even video conferencing, a telecommuting employee can participate fully in meetings and perform most, if not all, of her work from home on those days when there is a sick child to care for or when family responsibilities make it more efficient for mums to work from home. Naturally, guidelines and policies around telecommuting will need to be established; but it's not rocket science to create a programme that works.

Seek Input from Your Existing Workforce

As an employer, you don't have to come up with all the answers yourself. Explore how you can create a flexible, adaptable, balanced workplace. Engage your employees in discussing how to create a mum-friendly company so you can reap the benefits of hiring and retaining talented young women.

There are solutions. We all want our young women to have babies, and we all want those babies to be bought up in a happy environment.

I am constantly surprised that it is the women employers who are the toughest about employing young woman of child bearing age or who have young children. We feel that they are the ones who understand the most as they have most probably been there themselves.

While we understand the frustrations dealing in business with the issue of expectant mothers and their babies, we feel that society has a responsibility to ensure that women who want to work are not put under pressure with their young children. It is important that they can grow up to become well-balanced citizens and our future talent in the Industry.

By Managing Director, Gaye Harford in collaboration with Lorraine Warshaw