March 14, 2005 1:39 PM

The long road back from "opting out"
Posted by Diane Danielsonat 1:39 PM

This week's BostonWorks' Out in the Field column looks at some of the statistics behind women opting out.

Women who leave the workplace after having children often have a tough time getting back to work. The reason: Many companies are reluctant to take them back, according to a survey of 2,443 executive women and 653 men.

The survey, funded by Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, and Lehman Brothers, reveals that most high-performing women in top jobs don't simply opt out: Ninety-three percent plan to return. And, on average, they stay out only 2.2 years, a much shorter period of time than conventional wisdom suggests. Of those polled, 40 percent took time out at some time.