Career flexibility and family-friendly policies: an NIH-funded study to enhance women's careers in biomedical sciences

Abstract

Background: Although women receive nearly half of all doctoral degrees and show a high interest in academic careers, the pipeline is leaky. The challenge of balancing life course events with career trajectory is an important determinant leading to premature dropout or slower career advancement. This report describes the findings of the first phase of a National Institute of Health Office of Research on Women's Health (NIH ORWH)-funded study using survey and academic data for exploring satisfaction and awareness of/intent to use specific career flexibility options at the University of California, Davis (UCD).

Methods: All men and women faculty in the UCD's Schools of Medicine (SOM) and Veterinary Medicine (SVM) and College of Biological Science (CBS) were surveyed. Data also were obtained from deans' offices on use of family-friendly benefits by faculty.

Results: Three hundred twenty-five total survey responses were received from the SOM, 83 from SVM, and 64 from CBS, representing 42%, 46%, and 52% of their total faculty, respectively. In each school, large percentages of men (32%-60%) and women (46%-53%) faculty have children under 18 and a moderately high level of demand of family care responsibilities. Women were significantly more likely to be childless, particularly in the SOM (35% vs. 14%, p<0.001). For all schools, documented use of any family-friendly policy was low (0%-11.5%), as was awareness of policies, although both were significantly higher for women than for men. Significantly more women than men wanted to use policies or chose not to, particularly in the SOM (51% vs. 28%, p<0.001, and 37% vs. 23%, p=0.016, respectively), because of multiple barriers. Faculty in all schools agreed/highly agreed that policies were important to recruitment, retention, and career advancement.

Conclusions: Family-friendly policies are pertinent to men and women, as both demonstrate interest and need, linked to increased career satisfaction. A family-friendly policy is important, particularly for women in the biomedical sciences.

FIG. 1.

Family-friendly policy awareness. Awareness of School of Medicine (SOM) male and female faculty of policies/leaves for childbearing for up to 12 weeks or one quarter; modified duties to accommodate birth, adoption, or placement (includes paternity leave); extension of time clock to promotion to associate professor for birth, adoption, placement; deferral of merit/promotion reviews to associate professor because of birth, adoption, or placement; and reduction to part-time for family needs. Score: 1=not aware; 2=have heard of policy but do not know details; 3=mildly familiar with details of policy; 4=moderately familiar with details of policy; 5=very familiar with details of policy. *p<0.05.

FIG. 2.

Family-friendly policy use. (A) Actual (2007–2009) and (B) self-reported (past 10 years) family-friendly policy use for male and female faculty in the SOM, School of Veterinary Medicine (SVM), and College of Biological Sciences (CBS). Actual use of any policy (% of faculty) was provided by the Deans' offices for each school. Self-reported use (% respondents) was provided by respondents to study surveys for use of one or more policies in the past 10 years, denial of a request for policy use, wanted to use a policy but did not, wanted to use a policy but chose not to make a request, and did not take as much time off as felt needed. *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001.

FIG. 3.

Barriers to policy use. Reasons provided by SOM male and female faculty (% respondents) for lack of policy use as follows: could not financially afford it, might have placed an undue burden on colleagues, might have led to a heavier service load later, working on grant-funded research and could not stop working full-time, worried about repercussions, and did not want to stop or slow down the time clock to promotion.

FIG. 4.

Career satisfaction. Self-reported career satisfaction for male and female faculty (% respondents) in the SOM as a consequence of the existence of family-friendly policies due to increase in satisfaction even though may not use policies; increase in satisfaction because may need to use policies; no change in satisfaction; concern about how colleagues, chair, review committees, or others will react to policy use; and policies implemented fairly and applied to everyone in a fair manner. *p<0.05; **p<0.01.