"if you want something done well, hire a working mother".

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Said by Maia Dunphy in the Irish Times this weekend.

Surely a very unfair statement. Could you imagine if someone said, in a national newspaper 'If you want something done well, hire a man/single woman'.

I've worked with lots of great and talented people and they cover the entire range: women, men, parents, non parents, older people, younger people.

Just wondering if anyone agrees with her.

Boom_Bap

who?

somesoldiers

I hear she gave Johnny Vegas the Spanish Archer recently

Raging_Ninja

I've seen working mothers who are absolutely astounding at their jobs, great at time management and getting projects done all while working reduced hours.

I've also seen working mothers who are absolutely terrible at their jobs and are barely capable of getting anything done.

L.Jenkins

somesoldiers wrote: »

I hear she gave Johnny Vegas the Spanish Archer recently

Last year apparently. Had to Google her.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

I've seen working mothers are absolutely astounding at their jobs, great at time management and getting projects done all while working reduced hours.

I've also seen working mothers who are absolutely terrible at their jobs and are barely capable of getting anything done.

Yes, that's what I thought. 'Working mothers' aren't some homogenous group in the workplace. Some of them are hard working, talented, super organised or whatever. Some of them are just average and get by. And some of them are useless and lazy. Just like the rest of the population.

Odhinn

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

Said by Maia Dunphy in the Irish Times this weekend.

Surely a very unfair statement. Could you imagine if someone said, in a national newspaper 'If you want something done well, hire a man/single woman'.

I've worked with lots of great and talented people and they cover the entire range: women, men, parents, non parents, older people, younger people.

Just wondering if anyone agrees with her.

I suppose every now and again they have to fill space and nobody can come up with a decent article to throw in.

Surreptitious

She's trying to stay relevant. She is always hogging the media.

Hurrache

She didn't come up with that phrase, I heard it a long time ago. A cursory google even brings up another columnist that wrote about it 2 years ago, and an article from 2014 citing a study that found the same for a specific profession.

Did the boardsies from back then get their knickers in a twist, or is it just a new thing?

Shenshen

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

Said by Maia Dunphy in the Irish Times this weekend.

Surely a very unfair statement. Could you imagine if someone said, in a national newspaper 'If you want something done well, hire a man/single woman'.

I've worked with lots of great and talented people and they cover the entire range: women, men, parents, non parents, older people, younger people.

Just wondering if anyone agrees with her.

I wonder if it's a play on the quote "I will always choose a lazy person to do a difficult job because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it.", attributed to Bill Gates?

If it is, I get that's she's trying to imply that someone managing a busy, multi-faceted life might fit that description, too, but I'm not entirely sure if that is a fair assumption to make about all working mothers.
Some of them, certainly, but I've seen some proper headcases, too, in my time.

freshpopcorn

She's allowed to make statement like this because she's a feminists!

Hurrache

Hurrache wrote: »

Did the boardsies from back then get their knickers in a twist, or is it just a new thing?

Ah, probably not...

freshpopcorn wrote: »

She's allowed to make statement like this because she's a feminists!

Chinasea

Another kick in the teeth for women who can't have or have lost a child. Cope the eff on.

These women who have babies and start making out they are superwoman and are astounded at their life changing experience etc.

PS: The world is over populated.

Birneybau

Who cares what she has to say. We give mediocrity too much exposure in this country. Sharp elbows are all you need to get far.

Yer wan Maia Dunphy, Simon Delaney, Deirdre O' Kane. FFS

Fr_Dougal

I’m not quite sure what I’m outraged about, but it’s worse than hitler.

Neyite

Yeah, the hard-work ethic is automatically bestowed along with the child benefit and the park-anywhere blinky lights on our Dragon Wagons for us mothers. :pac:

One eyed Jack

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

Said by Maia Dunphy in the Irish Times this weekend.

Surely a very unfair statement. Could you imagine if someone said, in a national newspaper 'If you want something done well, hire a man/single woman'.

I've worked with lots of great and talented people and they cover the entire range: women, men, parents, non parents, older people, younger people.

Just wondering if anyone agrees with her.

I think she was giving her opinion based upon her experience, and honestly I don’t see anything wrong with her statement. I also wouldn’t see anything wrong with someone saying in a national newspaper that if someone wants something done well, hire a man/single woman? Do people not imply such things all the time when giving their opinions based upon their experience?

I still remember the furore over Mary O’ Rourke in praising her campaign team opined that they worked like blacks -

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/orourke-sparks-row-over-blacks-remarks-26403140.html

I understood what she meant then too. It was obvious she hadn’t meant to offend anyone, and the reaction to her comments were over the top then, God only knows what the reaction would be like now.

One eyed Jack

Chinasea wrote: »

Another kick in the teeth for women who can't have or have lost a child. Cope the eff on.

These women who have babies and start making out they are superwoman and are astounded at their life changing experience etc.

PS: The world is over populated.

You have to be taking the piss?

Riskymove

One eyed Jack wrote: »

honestly I don’t see anything wrong with her statement.

the implication is obviously that someone other than a working mother would not do a job well

Even if it is her experience, it is a generalization, which is usually frowned upon at present.

As for nothing wrong with her statement, if she had said "if you want a job done well, don't hire a working mother"...what would you think?

Your Face

If you want something done well, put it in at a higher temperature.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

One eyed Jack wrote: »

I think she was giving her opinion based upon her experience, and honestly I don’t see anything wrong with her statement. I also wouldn’t see anything wrong with someone saying in a national newspaper that if someone wants something done well, hire a man/single woman? Do people not imply such things all the time when giving their opinions based upon their experience?

I still remember the furore over Mary O’ Rourke in praising her campaign team opined that they worked like blacks -

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/orourke-sparks-row-over-blacks-remarks-26403140.html

I understood what she meant then too. It was obvious she hadn’t meant to offend anyone, and the reaction to her comments were over the top then, God only knows what the reaction would be like now.

A more apt comparison would be if Maia Dunphy had said 'if you want a job done well, hire a white person'?
Would you be okay with that statement?

Hurrache

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

A more apt comparison would be if Maia Dunphy had said 'if you want a job done well, hire a white person'?
Would you be okay with that statement?

Christ.

AustinLostin

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

A more apt comparison would be if Maia Dunphy had said 'if you want a job done well, hire a white person'?
Would you be okay with that statement?

Not really an apt comparison at all. A working mother would imply someone who has managed to stay on top of raising a family and on top of a career. I think she was implying the experience of managing a workload and a family makes one more efficient etc etc.

A more apt comparison would be 'if you want a job done well, hire someone with experience'. Would you have been over sensitive about that statement as well?

neonsofa

AustinLostin wrote: »

Not really an apt comparison at all. A working mother would imply someone who has managed to stay on top of raising a family and on top of a career. I think she was implying the experience of managing a workload and a family makes one more efficient etc etc.

A more apt comparison would be 'if you want a job done well, hire someone with experience'. Would you have been over sensitive about that statement as well?

I always heard the phrase "if you want a job done well, ask the person who is always busy", and i assume it's for the very reasons you say, that they manage to juggle their other tasks well and get on with it.

pleas advice

'if you want something done, ask a busy man' or woman

neonsofa

pleas advice wrote: »

'if you want something done, ask a busy man'

This is the phrase that I butchered in my previous post!

c68zapdsm5i1ru

AustinLostin wrote: »

Not really an apt comparison at all. A working mother would imply someone who has managed to stay on top of raising a family and on top of a career. I think she was implying the experience of managing a workload and a family makes one more efficient etc etc.

A more apt comparison would be 'if you want a job done well, hire someone with experience'. Would you have been over sensitive about that statement as well?

I don't think I'm being 'over sensitive' about the first statement.

'Hire someone with experience' is absolutely not the same as saying 'hire a working mother.'
If she had said 'in my experience having to juggle a child and a job has made me much better at time management' that would be fine.

But obviously you have no experience around women who cannot have children and who don't like being made to feel second class. I have, and I know how upsetting a statement like Maia's can be to those 'over sensitive' women.

Outlaw Pete

It was actually Aine Kerr that said it and sure nonsense like that is nothing knew with these types.

She also said: "Anything a man can do, a woman can do while breastfeeding".

Well, will look forward to seeing a woman running 100m as fast as Usain Bolt with a nipper hanging off her boobie so.

Chinasea

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One eyed Jack wrote: »

You have to be taking the piss?

Next time you get the chance, ask someone who is unable to have a child or has a lost a child how they feel about this and then report back.

Hurrache

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

I don't think I'm being 'over sensitive' about the first statement.
......

But obviously you have no experience around women who cannot have children and who don't like being made to feel second class.

Chinasea wrote: »

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Next time you get the chance, ask someone who is unable to have a child or has a lost a child how they feel about this and then report back.

You are being the very definition of over sensitive, and those who feel like they're being made to feel second class are too.

Should we drop every comparison which refers to a man, women, boy, girl, dog, cat, car, house, wife, husband, in case it 'offends' someone who by some stretch of the imagination feels slighted by the reference to any of those?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Hurrache wrote: »

Christ.

Tbh, he was middle eastern, not white but it's a common misconception...

Hurrache

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

It was actually Aine Kerr that said it and sure nonsense like that is nothing knew with these types.

As I said already, it's a term that's been in use a long time before this year.

Where was the outrage then?

Hannibal_Smith

Neyite wrote: »

Dragon Wagons

Brilliant :pac:

Ray Palmer

I have worked with working mothers who I knew before they became mothers. Every single one of them returned to do a terrible job afterwards.

Their focus was never work and they never would do overtime and reduced their hours.

Everything took second place to the children and that included their partners. A common complaint from fathers.

I am sure some people can prioritise things better but I have yet to see it. It reminds me of the BS women can multi task better than men. We are equally bad and the original study was based on house work where the women were familiar with the tasks and able to be more efficient versus men who weren't as familiar with the tasks. Done in the 50s and more recent studies on people with the same experience of tasks showed both sexes are equally bad at multi tasking.

Someone had an opinion. So what?

If some guy said "If you want something done well, hire a man with kids" I'd assume the logic was that he'd be motivated to provide for them.

I wouldn't be looking for ways to be insulted. I'm not compelled to agree, or even pay attention.

Hurrache

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I have worked with working mothers who I knew before they became mothers. Every single one of them returned to do a terrible job afterwards.

Might say more about your particular place of employment, or it's simply untrue, as it certainly does not fit one bit with my experience.

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Everything took second place to the children and that included their partners. A common complaint from fathers.

Nonsense.

Ray Palmer

Hurrache wrote: »

Might say more about your particular place of employment, or it's simply untrue, as it certainly does not fit one bit with my experience.



Nonsense.

I worked in a lot of companies. Don't know why my experience is nonsense and yours is valid. I work in IT where things change very quickly. A level of flexibility is required and every mother of a child have worked with prioritise their family and work to rule. My experience but have you only worked with super women who can balance everything?
I'm not saying they can't do the job I am saying they don't do the job as well as other or even themselves.

Pawwed Rig

Hurrache wrote: »

Nonsense.

Not sure why it is nonsense. Makes perfect sense to me. Child is sick? Child comes first regardless of work commitments.
Work fits around family rather than other way around.

Hurrache

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Not sure why it is nonsense. Makes perfect sense to me. Child is sick? Child comes first regardless of work commitments.
Work fits around family rather than other way around.

I'm talking about the suggestion that the poor father might get blue balls and it's a common complaint from the poor mites.

In these examples, is the mother the only care giver in the house, does the father not give a hand, splitting the time and effort between both parents?

Ray Palmer

Hurrache wrote: »

I'm talking about the suggestion that the poor father might get blue balls and it's a common complaint from the poor mites.

In these examples, is the mother the only care giver in the house, does the father not give a hand, splitting the time and effort between both parents?

I didn't bring up sex. It is a common complaint from many partners both male and female that their partners change after having a baby and neglect their relationships.
Nothing to do with who is doing the caring it is a change in priorities and more focus on the child than their relationship. It is as common as people complaining their partner doesn't do enough house work. You not being aware of it doesn't mean anything other than a lack of experience. Who knew children put a strain on relationships only discover last week

Hannibal_Smith

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Not sure why it is nonsense. Makes perfect sense to me. Child is sick? Child comes first regardless of work commitments.
Work fits around family rather than other way around.

My co workers have had far more sick days than my kids. When the kids are sick myself and the other half share between ourselves, depending who has what on in work, and it comes out of our holidays. Or we work it back up. Though if it happened where we both had something on, it would cause an issue. Thankfully we haven't had to cross that bridge.

Another RTÉ luvvie straining for attention.

hatrickpatrick

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

I've seen working mothers who are absolutely astounding at their jobs, great at time management and getting projects done all while working reduced hours.

I've also seen working mothers who are absolutely terrible at their jobs and are barely capable of getting anything done.

Careful now, you're not allowed to acknowledge the existence of the latter group, or you will be personally beheaded by Louise O'Neill whilst being simultaneously castrated by Una Mullaly for crimes against bajillionth wave transvegafeminism of colour.

Silentcorner

Candie wrote: »

Someone had an opinion. So what?

If some guy said "If you want something done well, hire a man with kids" I'd assume the logic was that he'd be motivated to provide for them.

I wouldn't be looking for ways to be insulted. I'm not compelled to agree, or even pay attention.

On its own, you are dead right, it's only an article.

However, the dominant narrative in media for some time now reflects the tone of the article, it is recycled in different forms all the time across media, the problem then becomes who is going to challenge that narrative?

Grayson

Silentcorner wrote: »

On its own, you are dead right, it's only an article.

However, the dominant narrative in media for some time now reflects the tone of the article, it is recycled in different forms all the time across media, the problem then becomes who is going to challenge that narrative?

I guess it's up to all the keyboard warriors here. Doing a thankless job to ave civilisation.

Chinasea

Hurrache wrote: »

You are being the very definition of over sensitive, and those who feel like they're being made to feel second class are too.

Should we drop every comparison which refers to a man, women, boy, girl, dog, cat, car, house, wife, husband, in case it 'offends' someone who by some stretch of the imagination feels slighted by the reference to any of those?

Absolutely not. There is enough stigma and negative innuendos that hang over childless couples and women. I'd suggest you might consider this before dismissing it.

AnneFrank

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

Said by Maia Dunphy in the Irish Times this weekend.

Surely a very unfair statement. Could you imagine if someone said, in a national newspaper 'If you want something done well, hire a man/single woman'.

I've worked with lots of great and talented people and they cover the entire range: women, men, parents, non parents, older people, younger people.

Just wondering if anyone agrees with her.

Sexism only go's one way, if you were to believe modern opinion all men are racist thugs.

eviltwin

Ryland Prehistoric Jigsaw wrote: »

I don't think I'm being 'over sensitive' about the first statement.

'Hire someone with experience' is absolutely not the same as saying 'hire a working mother.'
If she had said 'in my experience having to juggle a child and a job has made me much better at time management' that would be fine.

But obviously you have no experience around women who cannot have children and who don't like being made to feel second class. I have, and I know how upsetting a statement like Maia's can be to those 'over sensitive' women.

She didn't say it to hurt anyone. I think being over sensitive about this comment because you don't or can't have children is one thing but you might as well say any comments about parents shouldn't be made because someone somewhere will be hurt. Maia Dunphy should be able to give her point of view without having to pander to others .

freshpopcorn

Penneys should hire Margaret Cash for help with their clearance sale!

Wanderer2010

This is too broad a stroke. As said, I work with working mothers who range between excellent, to mediocre to downright awful. Another nasty side effect of a LOT of working mothers is talking to fellow workers as if they were children- in some cases completely unintentional as they are so used to telling little Timmy or Aisling what to do, in other cases 100% intentional and a passive aggressive tool when dealing with people they don't like. Workplaces are full of all sorts.

Silentcorner

Grayson wrote: »

I guess it's up to all the keyboard warriors here. Doing a thankless job to ave civilisation.

I guess we're a bit like Batman!!

It is no joke that being said, being from Limerick, I am very familiar of how hard it can be to question an ingrained narrative, and how helpless you can actually be, will we ever see articles questioning female toxic behaviour? I seriously doubt it!