Karen Miles, Editor of Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly, shares her story on work & family balance

 Karen Miles is the Editor of Kitchens & Bathrooms Quarterly, Luxury Kitchens & Bathrooms, Kitchen Yearbook, and Bathroom Yearbook. Karen shares her thoughts on juggling work and family with CareerMums. 

What do you do? Editor of a collection of interior design magazines for Universal Magazines

How old are your children? 4 and 7

What do you love about your job? The creativity of dreaming up shoots, stories and layouts, and interviewing interesting people.  I love the whole production process too, seeing our words and photography work their way through design and colour proofs to a finished product on the newsstand.  I’m also an interior design addict so it’s awesome to have a job that feeds my addiction!

Did you always have the intention of progressing your career after having your children? Yes absolutely, it just became about finding an industry, role and company that works with having children.

It takes a village to raise a family. Who helps you to manage work and family? My husband has flexibility in his company so we share the load as a team.  I also couldn’t work without my amazing father-in-law who is semi-retired and picks up the kids from school every day. 

When you come home each day, are you good at switching off from work? I don’t think the kids let you do anything else! You instantly switch into your “second job” mode because there’s always a billion things to do – dinner, bath, homework, school notes etc.

Every parent should have a selfish pursuit or ‘not-negotiable’ that provides them with an opportunity to relax and re-charge their batteries every week. What is your ‘not-negotiable’? It used to be the gym but I find that quite tricky to fit in now that I’m working full time.  Working on interior design mags I would have to say watching a design show or some other TV show like that so I can zone out and be immersed in something I love.  Otherwise retail therapy!

Have there been some difficult moments in your career with young children? What were they? So far nothing too terrible.  Just those feelings of disappointment when you can’t always be a part of every extra-curricular event like ballet class or a special assembly at school.

What advice would you give to parents who are about to return to work and resume their careers? Make sure it’s worth your time.  By that I mean find a job you love.  Because if you can’t be with your kids as much as you would personally like to, then it needs to be for a good reason or it probably won’t work for you.

What support measures should employers be offering to working parents? Flexible working hours, and the option to work from home when practical.  It’s also about an employer’s attitude too, you can have policies, but they need to be genuinely supported and valued.

“Where to Now?” 4th Women on Boards conference CareerMums Q&A profile

Today, we are profiling Dorothy Topfer who is is a lawyer for the Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport. Dorothy has over 20 years experience in government - in both legal and non legal areas. She has a broad understanding of governance and corporate issues enhance by practical experience as a board member and company secretary.

Dorothy also has counseling qualifications and is an experienced mentor. Dorothy is also a mentor for Women on Boards.

What do you do? Commonwealth public servant – more specifically I head up the legal team in a Commonwealth Department as the Principal Lawyer.

How old are your children?21,25 and 27

What do you love about your job? The variety and the interaction with all levels of people in the department and across the Commonwealth public service.

Did you always have the intention of progressing your career after having your children? I always intended to continue to work but as my family took precedence I worked part time for many years and was mindful that by doing so it would impact on my career progression. And it did – it is unrealistic to not think otherwise. However when looking back on it I am very comfortable with the choices I made.

It takes a village to raise a family. Who helps you to manage work and family? When they were little I relied on childcare and occasional assistance to collect children from school. Our parents did not live nearby so I was not able to rely on them except for emergencies. Girlfriends and mothers of other school children helped from time to time but as we lived in the country we did not have neighbours who could help. Working part time meant I was the primary care giver. However when the children were teens I managed to work full time as the eldest chose to become a weekly boarder at school and the other two kept their horses at a riding school near to their school so were busy with their horses each afternoon after school – this meant I could work until 6pm.

When you come home each day, are you good at switching off from work? Mostly.  If work is busy this can be difficult – at times I do need to work at night – which I do if I have to so I don’t wake up in the wee small hours and worry. It also helps that I live out of town on a farm in a beautiful natural environment and have a number of hobbies and pets. For instance most evenings I try to find time to work on my knitting projects as I find it an excellent form of meditation.

Every parent should have a selfish pursuit or ‘not-negotiable’ that provides them with an opportunity to relax and re-charge their batteries every week. What is your ‘not-negotiable’? Over the years it has varied – from fitness activities such as the gym and bollywood dancing to gardening or an annual girls ski trip. Currently I am involved in some volunteer activities and am about to join a book club.

Have there been some difficult moments in your career with young children? What were they? Finding time – there is only so much I can do if I work and raise children and it is important to accept that some things must give – important to work out what I can let go of eg cleaning and standards of catering and just finding time to relax with family. When children were little and became ill so couldn’t access childcare that was always a challenge. For some reason it always happened when we were both busy at work with deadlines or court appearances etc which did cause stress.

What advice would you give to parents who are about to return to work and resume their careers? To find a job that has flexibility and that you like – children always get sick and it is important to have an employer who recognizes that this will happen. Negotiate to be able to work from home if necessary or part time if you can afford it. I have worked all types of hours as the children grew – from 3 days a week when they were little to school hours when they were at school (which was great as I could collect them from school – but getting away from work in time was always a juggle).

Don’t be too hard on yourself – we are all doing the best we can and don’t try to be perfect. Good enough in most areas is fine.

Enjoy your children – the time you put into them when they are little is not only fun (by and large) it lays the foundation for a better relationship when they are teenagers. My children remember the times that to me were not so significant – sailing egg carton boaTs on the pond – playing hookey from school when there was a good snowfall so we could go skiing- Sorry school they weren’t really sick – but they still remember that we did this on a number of occasions. 

We learn so much from being a mother – how to negotiate, time management and acceptance of different ways of doing things. And these skills also benefit our career.

What support measures should employers be offering to working parents? 
Flexible working hours and ability to job share (if the work function permits) or work from home.

“Where to Now?” 4th Women on Boards conference: CareerMums Q&A profile

Today, we are profiling Nicki Bowman who is an experienced non-executive director. Nicki is currently chairman of the audit committee for an ASX300 listed mining company Blackthorn Resources Limited, and deputy chairman of a sporting not-for-profit organisation, Football South Coast Limited.

Holding degrees in Economics and Law (with honours) from the University of Sydney, she began her career as a corporate lawyer in a top 10 legal firm. A desire for close involvement in the commercial decision-making process saw her move to in-house roles at BHP and BlueScope Steel, and she then successfully transitioned to executive roles, first in BlueScope and then in the financial services industry. Since 2008 she has pursued a career as a non-executive director, with particular focus on strategy and governance.

Nicki is committed to encouraging and mentoring other women, and to examining and unraveling the cultural and behavioural biases that can often conspire to impede job satisfaction and advancement.

Nicki is also a valued mentor for Women on Boards. 

What do you do? 

I am a professional non-executive director

How old are your children? 

One child, 4 years old.

What do you love about your job? 

The ability to create and drive the strategy of an entire company.

Did you always have the intention of progressing your career after having your children? 

Yes, it never occurred to me that I would not.

It takes a village to raise a family. Who helps you to manage work and family? 

Definitely a village! A great child care centre, supportive husband, several baby-sitters, my parents.

When you come home each day, are you good at switching off from work? 

Yes and no. I tend to always have ideas rushing through my head, whether work or home related,  so it’s hard for me to “switch off”.

Every parent should have a selfish pursuit or ‘not-negotiable’ that provides them with an opportunity to relax and re-charge their batteries every week. What is your ‘not-negotiable’? 

Monthly remedial massage is crucial! On a smaller level, now that my daughter is a little older I can usually manage a morning cup of tea and quick scan of the paper while she watches cartoons!

Have there been some difficult moments in your career with young children? What were they? 

Yes! Apart from general dramas arising from kiddie illness or last-minute cancellation by child minders, there is a constant juggling process – teleconferences making prodigious use of mute button to mask toddler sounds, late pick-ups at child care due to long meetings and bad traffic, “Murphy’s Law” of critical meetings and commitments taking place on days which are not ordinarily days when my child is in pre-school…it goes on!

 What advice would you give to parents who are about to return to work and resume their careers? 

Flexibility of both partners is the key. It is NOT always the woman’s job to “solve” the childcare “problem” (even those terms are perjogative). If there is a genuine commitment to share parenting load, and a solid network of child care alternatives, then this will relieve many of the stresses and dramas which can be a huge disincentive to continue working. Think hard about your work and financial arrangements – lengthy commutes make flexibility in childcare much more complex. Having massive financial commitments adds to stress – really think about whether there are alternatives to your location/size of house/lifestyle. It is not always possible, but often we are sucked into a certain pattern of living without really interrogating what it means to us in terms of overall lifestyle.

What support measures should employers be offering to working parents? 

Employers should, where possible, focus on output and value, not “bums on seats”. Time, and flexibility of time, are huge issues for parents, and the “punch-clock” mentality of many employers is inappropriate in the modern age. There are many jobs that can be done remotely, job-shared, completed in less than the traditional 40 hrs/week, done in staggered shifts etc.

Women, Superannuation and Work

 According to Office for Women, it is estimated that by 2019, women will have on average half the amount of superannuation that men will have. Currently, the average superannuation payout for women is a third of the payout for men - $37,000 compared with $110, 000.

Why is this?

The work patterns of women are very different from men. Women are more likely to take time off work to care for young children, sick children, or other family members. It is important to acknowledge that taking time off work to care for others lessens a person’s opportunities in the job market and therefore the ability to earn superannuation – and secure a healthy financial future.

What are some possible solutions to this growing problem?

• The provision of paid maternity leave has the potential to increase women’s superannuation balances. Where women receive an income during maternity leave, they will continue to accumulate superannuation.
• More family friendly workplaces to increase women’s participation in the workforce. Job sharing, flexible hours, child care facilities, and working from home arrangements are all measures which support men and women to balance work and family responsibilities.
• Encouraging father-friendly practices in the workforce to lessen the sole burden of caring on women. Women now account for nearly 50% of our workforce.
• Speaking to a financial planner about superannuation so families are aware of the latest superannuation laws.

Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick has called for a broad Productivity Commission Inquiry to look at options to overhaul the care sector and acknowledge the impact of unpaid care on career progression and retirement savings for women.

Key among the proposals for reform, Ms Broderick is calling for the Productivity Commission to implement a carers' credit system, aimed at supporting those who provide care for others in their retirement.

"That would be where the government made a national superannuation payment each year for those carers who are doing a certain amount of care, maybe 20-25 hours a week, but that would ensure they weren't disadvantaged significantly in retirement," she said.

There is a great resource on MoneySmart (ASIC and Australian Government website) that provides calculators and tips to help you make better financial decisions. There is also information about contributing extra money to your superannuation account.

The other important resource to refer to is the Australian Taxation Office website. Find out more about:

• Superseeker
• Low income super contribution
• Spouse contribution – tax offset
• Super co-contribution