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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 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.

  • Ruth Hannant and Polly Payne - job share civil servants

    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.

  • A graphic quote that says "Off then part-timer? Thanks for coming in", The quote is for International womens day and is encouraging an end to the part time penalty

    “She only works part-time” – Let’s call time on the part-time penalty

    Part-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.