Back to work: Most women are returning to work to help ease the burden of rising cost of everything, but they are also looking for stability and flexibility from employers. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
PETALING JAYA: A former manager at a famous fast-food chain never imagined she would return to work after leaving the industry more than five years earlier.
Now employed as an assistant manager at a local restaurant, Analynn May, 36, said she had to leave her previous job due to medical reasons and to care for her children.
Currently, she is being trained to be the supervisor for the restaurant’s latest branch, giving her more responsibility.
“To be honest, I really enjoyed working in the service and hospitality industry – it is where I started in my teen years.
“It was also where I saw my career progress in the years I was in service, but I had to leave due to my heart condition and I wanted to spend time with my children,” said the mother of two.
When she decided it was time to return to work, Analynn searched high and low for a job that could provide her with stability and flexibility.
“When I had my interview at this restaurant in Petaling Jaya, I told them of my health condition and what I required from them. It was great that they were accommodating of my request and did not even try to low-ball my salary offer, and employed me as soon I was able to join the company.
“I think it is great that I am seeing more employers being supported by the government to enable women like me to return to work.
“Before getting hired at my current workplace, during interviews I was told to forget working and that I should just start an online business from home, which was ridiculous because starting a business would require money too,” she added.
Another mother who is job-hunting, Isla M, 34, was only offered starting positions or salaries that were way below her work experience.
However, she attended re-skill ing training programmes by the government to update her skills set and resume.
“I was previously a copywriter, but I have dabbled in all sorts of freelance work that allowed me to expand my skills set, such as editing academic journals and doing posters for marketing.
“I am looking to return to the advertising or marketing industry, but I have not been successful yet – however, I am positive I can secure a position following all the training I have attended,” she added.
Isla had left the full-time workforce for almost seven years but maintained her freelance work.
“While so far the interviews have been okay, the salaries I have been offered were too low. Sometimes the pay I get from my freelance work in a month was even higher.
“I want to work so I can build a career, but I must find a job where I can contribute to the household income equally like I currently am with my part-time work.”
When tabling Budget 2025 on Oct 18, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the Women’s Leadership Apprenticeship Programme (Perantis) would be intensified to produce more corporate figures among women.
He also said the Returnship programme would be implemented to encourage women to return to work in the financial sector by providing training facilities, followed by connecting with suitable prospective employers.
The government also proposed an additional income tax exemption of 50% for 12 months for employers who hire women returning to work.
Meanwhile, Dorothy Jane Boudville, a senior operations manager at Sodexo, a multinational specialising in providing a wide range of services including food services, facilities management, and employee benefits, said job stability was crucial when she returned to the workforce.
The mother of three girls joined Sodexo in 2016 when her children were between the ages of 15 and 18.
“Job stability was important as my two older daughters were about to start college. Facilities management was a completely new industry for me, and I faced the daunting challenge of meeting the company’s expectations during the critical probation period, while also managing a client with more challenging requests.
“To navigate these challenges, I relied on the same principles I used as a mother managing my home. Facilities management, in many ways, parallels running a household.
“Taking on a completely new career at this stage in my life was not the easiest, but I was lucky because I had supportive leaders who believed in me and guided me every step of the way – and to whom I’m grateful to,” she added.
As a mother, Boudville said she hopes that there would be more initiatives from companies to implement childcare solutions, such as subsidised childcare or partnerships with nearby providers.
“As such, the company could help by ensuring that appointed childcare agencies are fully compliant and by conducting regular audits, provide peace of mind to parents,” she added.
