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The UK's national charity for working parents and carers

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Blog

Welcome to our blog where we explore news, policy developments and best practice ideas relating to how parents and carers can fully meet their work and caring responsibilities, and how their employers can best support them.

In the interests of open debate and the exploration of new ideas, any views expressed here may not necessarily represent the formal view of Working Families.

  • A father lies on a bed propped up with his elbow, reading a book with his son

    Beyond Flexibility: the emergence of ‘Generation Flex’ 

    This National Work Life Week we wanted to better understand the relationship parents have with family-friendly work practices, in particular how parents feel about workplace benefits, the value they put on flexible working and the impact it has.  

  • Photo of a smiling woman at work, holding a tablet

    Being the change: how a monthly donation can make all the difference

    It’s a belief in a better world and playing a part in making it happen that motivates so many to donate to charity. We consider every one of our donors to be a Changemaker, someone who is helping us reach more parents and carers, delve deeper into inequalities and build on our policy successes to make an even bigger difference to the lives of working families.

  • A worried looking mother looks at a laptop whilst on the phone. Her daughter is looking at her with her hand on her arm.

    Hanging by a thread over the summer holidays

    The summer holidays can be a source of stress and anxiety for many families whose work situation doesn't allow any flexibility to manage childcare and who can’t afford additional childcare costs.

  • A new, values-driven visual identity 

    We are delighted to launch our new visual identity today. As the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers, it’s vital that our brand helps to drive our mission and reflects the people and employers we work with every day. We have developed our new look and feel to support our objectives of empowering working parents and carers, supporting employers, and driving meaningful policy change.

  • Two colleagues talking with each other, sat across a table from each other.

    How employers can help their people weather the cost-of-living storm

    This guide, shaped by some of our progressive employer members, offers advice and practical actions employers can take to provide support to those who most need it. The cost-of-living crisis presents huge challenges, but also an opportunity for employers to think creatively and do things differently that may provide long-term benefits.

  • Image for carers week showing a younger woman holding the arm of an elderly woman

    Carers Week 2023

    Caring for loved ones can be a challenging role which deserves recognition and support in the workplace. Fortunately, there are many employers out there pouring time and effort into creating environments where carers can be open about their needs. Carers Week is a great opportunity to shout about some of our previous Best Practice winners who are doing just that.

  • A father lifts his young child into the air at the bottom of a slide in a playground.

    Be part of a major new research study on workplace support for expecting and new parents in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

    Working Families is excited to be part of a new large-scale research study on workplace support for new parents in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The research team, which involves researchers from the Universities of Middlesex, Manchester and Leeds, as well as Working Families and the Fatherhood Institute, is currently looking for both employer and employee participants.

  • Infographic showing that over 50% of working parents on lower incomes have had to reduce their working hours in order to manage childcare.

    Working Families Index 2023 – Spotlight report

    The last few years have been hard on all parents. But for those on a low income managing the spiralling cost of living, life has been especially tough. A lack of affordable childcare, soaring energy prices and other skyrocketing living costs have created a perfect storm in which lower-income families are in the eye of.

  • Mental Health Awareness Week

    Mental health is something we should all care about, all year long. But Mental Health Awareness Week provides a great opportunity for us to share some of the progressive practices that some of our previous Best Practice Award winners have put in place to support employees.

  • Sponsorship case study: Bright Horizons

    Bright Horizons is our sponsor for this year’s National Work Life Week. Working Families and Bright Horizon share a long history of partnership working. We asked them about their experience being a valued Working Families sponsor.