The quandary over whether to be a working mum or stay-at-home parent is common for many women, but luckily for Meko Oh, the decision was never a difficult one. Many women in their 30s are having to give up work because many employers fail to do enough to retain women who have reached the mid- to senior-management level, a Hong Kong-based organisation focused on corporate social responsibility reports. Yet thanks to the family-friendly approach and understanding of the needs of women in the workplace at Ipac Financial Planning Hong Kong, in Central - part of an international financial advice and investment group - Oh, 33, the mother of a two-and-a- half-year child and a five-month old baby, has been more than happy to remain working full time at the company. 'Ipac's focus on work-life balance and its family-friendly culture made it very easy for me to continue working,' says Oh, head of client services at Ipac Financial Planning Hong Kong, where she has worked for five years. 'I would have had no hesitation quitting if I had been working all hours and had no time to see my kids. 'I love my kids, but at the same time I also want to be a working mother. I like the balance I get; I am 100 per cent at work when I am in the office, and 100 per cent [a] mum when I am home.' Her employers - part of an international financial advice and investment group founded in Sydney, Australia, in 1983 that helps clients achieve their financial and chosen lifestyle goals - was awarded the American Chamber of Commerce's Best Company for Women Award this year. Judges made their decision based on the overall achievements of women in the company, its advocacy of women and innovation in supporting work-life balance, says Ingrun Alsleben, chairwoman of the Women of Influence Award's judging panel, who is the mother of one son and two daughters. Rainbow Pan, chief executive of Ipac Financial Planning Hong Kong and the mother of a teenage daughter, says: 'Any organisation starts with the employees. By taking care of the individuals and providing them with meaningful work, they are more likely to do their best. That productivity will impact on and enhance team work and help the company realise its goals.' The firm has 40 staff, of whom about two-thirds are women; half of these are mothers. More than three-quarters of the firm's management roles are filled by women. 'In Hong Kong, where domestic care and childcare is much more affordable, being a family-friendly company is much more pertinent because there is a larger pool of professional women able to work,' says Pamela Bradley, head of the firm's corporate consulting services. A willingness to be flexible, and an understanding of the demands of modern family life on women, as well as men, has been inculcated into the company's corporate fabric. For instance, Ipac has made it possible for working parents to start their day in the office later so that first they can take their children to school. Employees can also take time off to tend to a sick child, as long as they make up the hours later on. Other staff have negotiated flexible working arrangements, which include working from both the office and home, and there is also the offer of five days fully paid marriage leave. New mothers get 10 weeks leave at full pay - the statutory requirement is 10 weeks at four-fifths pay - and this can be extended by taking additional non-paid leave. 'We offer all our staff flexibility, support and career progression,' Bradley says. 'We recognise the importance of a work-life balance and the need for both men and women to participate in their children's lives.' Such an environment remains rare in Hong Kong, even though women make up nearly half of the city's current workforce. In 2009, a research report by Community Business, a non-profit organisation in Hong Kong that focuses on corporate social responsibility, found that only 47 - 8.9 per cent - of board positions on companies listed on the Hang Seng Index were held by women, while of the 42 companies listed only two-thirds had women on their boards. 'There has been tremendous progress for women in the workplace in the past eight years, but there is still massive room for improvement,' says Shalini Mahtani, the founder and adviser of Community Business and the mother of two children. 'Female professionals in their 30s are dropping out of the workforce in big numbers, and that's because companies are not doing enough to retain women at mid- to senior-management level.' Employee loyalty is particularly important in a service industry such as financial planning where trust with the client needs to be gained over the course of time. Bradley says: 'A low turnover helps business; it maintains a sense of continuity and helps in building relationships with clients. This is particularly crucial as we are dealing with peoples' finances, which is a very personal matter.' The benefits of a balanced work environment not only contribute to greater productivity, but also a happier and closer workforce. At Ipac, parenting tips are often shared over lunch, new mothers bring their babies into the office, and special interest talks, organised by the company, focus on subjects such as early child development, Oh says. Each year, the firm holds at least one event for the entire family. Bradley adds that, although the logistics of juggling flexible work arrangements and accommodating the various needs of staff can be challenging, it is ultimately a small cost to pay to ensure that all staff remain happy, productive and loyal. 'The traditional way of ensuring productivity is to stand over and watch someone, but we tend to take the approach of trusting the responsibility to the person and seeing what they can do,' she says. Companies will increasingly have to step up their work-life balance efforts to stay competitive and relevant in the workplace. Bradley says. 'It is easy to find out what other companies are doing. A workforce that offers work-life balance will attract talent much more easily.' Judge's comments Ipac Financial Planning Hong Kong is our award winner because it clearly walks the talk. It has the policies in place to support work-life balance for its employees - ranging from flexible working times, additional maternity or paternity leave entitlements compared with the statutory ones, and support for educational programmes to giving the employees their birthday off. The results are clear to see - 69 per cent of the company's employees are women, while 86 per cent of its executives are women. What also impressed the judges is that the company not only has very successful women in its own organisation but has also made the financial empowerment of women part of its business practices. It has developed various seminars around women and money and female entrepreneurship, plus others to encourage female financial independence, such as one titled 'Buy your own diamonds'. Ingrun Alsleben Chairwoman of the Women of Influence Awards' judging panel