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Working Families Announces Partnership with the Executive Coaching Consultancy to Launch the Next Phase of the Parental Fog Index in 2026

Published: 18 Feb 2026

Working Families, the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers, is pleased to announce that it will be taking forward The Parental Fog Index Report (PFI) in partnership with the Executive Coaching Consultancy, with the next full report launching in May 2026.

The Parental Fog Index, developed and led by ECC since 2019, has become one of the UK’s most important measures of transparency in parental policies across major employers. The Index has shone a spotlight on how openly organisations communicate their support for working parents, catalysing improvements that have real impact on gender equality and workplace inclusion.

Since its inception in 2019, ECC has transformed the landscape of employer transparency:

  • The number of employers failing to communicate support for working parents has fallen from 31% to just 1%.
  • Visibility of paternity policies has risen sharply, now published as frequently as maternity policies for the first time.
  • More organisations are actively promoting their family-friendly practices as part of their employer brand, with record numbers sharing real-life stories, blogs, and vlogs from working parents.

Working Families commends ECC for its leadership, rigour, and vision in establishing the PFI as a credible, influential benchmark. Their research has played a vital role in exposing the drivers of the motherhood penalty, which accounts for 80% of the UK gender pay gap, and has highlighted the need for workplaces to support fathers and partners to take parental leave without penalty.

As Working Families assumes stewardship of the PFI, the charity will bring its deep expertise in employment rights, organisational culture, and family-friendly working to enhance the Index’s reach and impact. Through this partnership, the PFI will continue to evolve as a tool that supports employers, empowers working parents, and drives long-term systemic change.

Jane van Zyl, CEO at Working Families, said:

ECC’s work on the Parental Fog Index has created a strong and important foundation, showing just how critical transparency is if parents are to thrive at work. At Working Families, our work with employers and policymakers, alongside what we hear every day through our free legal advice service, shows the real difference that clear, accessible information makes for working parents and carers. Working alongside ECC, we will build on this momentum and take the Index into its next phase in 2026.

Geraldine Gallacher, CEO of The Executive Coaching Consultancy, commented:

We are thrilled to be partnering with Working Families on the future of the PFI. Their expertise, influence, and commitment to driving fairer, more inclusive workplaces make them ideal to take this work forward. The 2026 launch marks an exciting new phase, one that will broaden the Index’s impact and continue helping employers to support working parents.

The next edition of the Parental Fog Index will be published in May 2026, accompanied by enhanced guidance for employers, new analysis on the drivers of workplace inequality, and expanded insight into the experiences of working parents and carers across the UK.