A day in the life: Kyle

Published: 23 Oct 2023

With two children, one who has just turned a year old and the other who is in Year 4 of primary school, my mornings can be a touch hectic! My wife and I feed two hungry cats as well as hungry children before getting them ready to go to the childminder and school.

I’m immensely grateful for the flexibility my job offers so that I can log on if I wake up earlier than my kids and crack on with horizon-scanning the news and parliamentary events and checking my emails before hopping onto my e-cargo bike and doing the kids drop off. Once everyone has been delivered where they need to go, I log back on.

I’m very lucky that I can comfortably work at home with the radio on in the background and the fantastic backdrop of Ilkley Moor. Since the birth of my youngest daughter, there isn’t anywhere in the house that’s free from clutter, but it does remind me of the challenges faced by the families we are trying to help in balancing busy lives! 

I’m fortunate in my role that I get to undertake a range of different tasks on different days. I will often be responding to the day’s news and events alongside other tasks. I am constantly on the lookout for opportunities for our policy team to be involved with. My work focuses on writing to MPs, Peers, and local councils, or working alongside other charities and organisations to drive change or improve the law when it comes to reducing barriers that people with caring responsibilities face in the workplace.  

I appreciate the freedom and flexibility of managing my own diary and make space for regular catchups with other members of the policy and research team, as well as hearing about the vital work undertaken by our legal advice service, and the innovations the employment relationships group develop. As someone who migrated to the north of England, I also enjoy the opportunity to travel to London for our staff meetings, which are a great chance to catch up in person and for me to bring back a little present for my daughters! 

At the end of a normal day I will have a last check of the news and the day’s work to ensure any opportunities have been picked up, as well as checking whether any stakeholders we are engaging with have responded. Given the long and often erratic hours that MPs and their staff can work, responses can come in at random times of day, so checking this can sometimes be the difference between seizing an opportunity or not. 

I’m motivated by my own experience working in low-income jobs whilst having caring responsibilities. I’m familiar with the challenges facing the parents and carers we are trying to support, and this puts me in a good position to speak authentically to MPs, Peers and others.