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.
When two heads are better than one – top tips for job sharing
Job sharing is a fantastic way to unlock flexibility, especially in senior roles. We were lucky enough to spend some time talking to senior civil servants Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne about how they've made their job share a success for over 13 years.
Do the new childcare proposals have what it takes to solve the childcare crisis?
We welcome the acknowledgement by the Government that families are struggling and the current system is failing parents and carers who find themselves unable to make work, work. But, as with all policy announcements, the devil is in the detail.
“She
onlyworks part-time” – Let’s call time on the part-time penaltyPart-time work is predominantly women’s work. It is undertaken by 38% of women, compared to 11% of men, very often so they can manage looking after their family. Working around caring commitments makes it the least flexible ‘flex’, and until the burden of care is shared more equally, women’s careers will continue to pay the price.
Q&A with Working Families Ambassador Elliott Rae
We recently sat down with our new ambassador Elliott Rae—founder of parenting platform MusicFootballFatherhood and one of the UK’s most prominent speakers on fatherhood—to talk about flexible working, mental health, and gender equality.
Q&A: How can flexible working support single parents?
We sat down with Julie Hawkins, a member of our Parents and Carers Panel and Founder of the Single Mums Business Network, to discuss how single parents can benefit from flexible working.
Flex Scrooges: It’s time to step out of the past and embrace the future of work
The dust hasn’t even settled from the Government’s announcement that employees will have the right to request flexible working from day one on the job. But naysayers like Sir James Dyson are already out in full force. It’s baffling that the clear benefits of flexible working to both business and the economy aren’t apparent to such a brilliant mind as his. So let me sweep away the myths about flexible working and share the good news about pioneering practices of our flexible future.
Supporting families in site-based sectors
For many people, flexible working has become the new normal. But not everyone has been able to enjoy the same access to flex. Almost half of working parents (46%) in the UK work in roles which require them to be at a specific location* which makes working remotely out of the question. If we’re to make flex fair for all, any conversation around flexible working must address the specific challenges of those parents and carers who work on-site, and start to find flexibility in every role.
Webinar insights: Flex for Fathers
Our National Work Life Week webinar on supporting fathers in the workplace was a fascinating watch. We heard Dr Jasmine Kelland, Lecturer in Human Resource Management at the University of Plymouth, share her insights from research on the experiences of fathers who want to take an active role in parenting.
Webinar insights: Bring out the flex in your small business
Our National Work Life Week webinar series kicked off with ‘Bring out the flex in your small business’. Here are some of the key takeaways from the session.
Why Flexible Recruitment Matters
This National Work Life Week we wanted a better understanding of the potential that advertising roles with options for flexible working has for opening up opportunities, for both parents and employers. Alongside our partners at SF Recruitment, we carried out a YouGov survey to ascertain what impact advertising flexibly would have on their choices and careers.
A chance for positive change
For National Work Life Week we spent some time talking to Saira Demmer, CEO of our partner SF Recruitment, about the importance and impact of their own flexible working policy and how this inspired their Flex for Success initiative.
Strengthening Shared Parental Leave: how to stop leaving parents behind
Ultimately, cultural change around SPL can only be precipitated when underpinned by policies that address the financial disincentives for fathers to care. The evidence shows that when employers offer leave and the financial motivation to take it, it’s embraced by fathers and partners