To be, or not to be a working mum - that's the question

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.