| cing a job and a family has always been a challenge | | | | provide 40% of two-year-olds with 10 hours of free |
| for working parents. During the downturn, however, | | | | childcare a week on a means-tested basis. |
| this has become even more of a juggling act as pay | | | | The Press Association reports that more than 22,000 |
| freezes, increased workloads and redundancies pile | | | | parents are calling on the government to abandon |
| extra pressure on parents’ time and earning | | | | this plan. |
| capacity. | | | | According to Simon Moore, managing director of |
| A common obstacle that parents in the UK face is a | | | | Computershare Voucher Services, the UK’s |
| lack of flexibility in the workplace. According to a | | | | largest provider of vouchers, said the outrage |
| recent CBI study, only 20% of companies in the | | | | expressed by working parents has been |
| country have family-friendly policies. The rest, it | | | | “phenomenal”. |
| seems, are focusing on the bottom line instead of | | | | "These vouchers are a real benefit to hundreds of |
| the individual needs of their staff. | | | | thousands of hardworking parents… I am not |
| UK labour law does give certain parents the right to | | | | at all surprised that parents are protesting against this |
| request flexible working, including those with children | | | | cut,” he said. |
| under the age of six or disabled children under the | | | | While certain families are set to benefit from this |
| age of 18. However, employers are not obliged to | | | | move, the remaining parents will have to reassess |
| agree to these requests, but must consider them | | | | their childcare options. |
| seriously, reports the BBC. | | | | Nanny-share schemes |
| New maternity and paternity leave laws | | | | While most people believe that hiring a nanny is a |
| In order to provide more support for working | | | | privilege reserved for an elite few, a growing number |
| parents, the government is introducing new legislation, | | | | of working parents are defying this assumption by |
| which will give parents more choice and flexibility as | | | | entering into nanny share schemes. These involve |
| to how they use their leave. | | | | two or more families pooling the cost of hiring a |
| According to Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and | | | | nanny instead of sending their children to a nursery |
| Equality, mothers will be able to transfer the last six | | | | or giving up work to care for them. |
| months of their maternity leave to the father, with | | | | The nannies either share their hours between the |
| three months paid. | | | | families, or bring all the children together in the same |
| “This gives families radically more choice and | | | | house. This means parents pay less for the same |
| flexibility in how they balance work and care of | | | | amount of childcare hours and nannies benefit from a |
| children, and enables fathers to play a bigger part in | | | | higher combined income. |
| bringing up their children,” she said. | | | | According to the Guardian, agencies that specialise in |
| The scheme is due to start in April 2011. At present, | | | | matching nannies to a pair or group of families have |
| however, statutory maternity and paternity | | | | seen a boom in business during the downturn. |
| payments are less than the minimum wage, which | | | | Nannies are welcoming the trend, too. Lisa Wilkins, a |
| means a lot of fathers and mothers from low-income | | | | nanny working in South London, said she prefers |
| households are going back to work sooner than they | | | | sharing her time between two families and added |
| would like. | | | | that a wider variety of families could now afford her |
| Working out of necessity rather than choice | | | | services. |
| The CBI reports that over 70% of mothers in the | | | | “More people can have the best type of care |
| UK return to work after taking maternity leave. While | | | | for their child,” she said. |
| it could be said that these working mothers | | | | Fiona Jull, a mother who lives in Wandsworth, opted |
| ‘have it all’, a significant number of | | | | for a nanny-share arrangement when she returned to |
| them are choosing flexibility over job satisfaction. | | | | work. |
| In fact, a recent study by WorkingMums.co.uk found | | | | "I looked at having a nanny but realised it would cost |
| that a staggering 88% of mothers who work have | | | | half my salary, so I decided to share. I found a family |
| opted for roles below their skill level. Around 63% | | | | – through a website – around the |
| said they were putting their career aspirations on hold | | | | corner. I drop my son off two days a week and he's |
| and choosing jobs that allow them more flexibility to | | | | here two days a week,” she said. |
| balance work and family life. | | | | Are children of working parents at a disadvantage? |
| One respondent reported giving up a job as a finance | | | | Adding to the pressures of being a working parent is |
| manager after having her third child because she | | | | the guilt that one’s children are not getting a |
| could not afford full-time childcare and her employer | | | | balanced upbringing. |
| allowed no flexibility in her position. She now works | | | | A recent study conducted by Institute of Child |
| for the same company as a part-time administrative | | | | Health, found that five-year-olds whose mothers |
| assistant. | | | | worked part- or full-time were more likely to |
| Others were more fortunate. One said that after | | | | consume sweetened drinks between meals, watch |
| taking an 8-year career break to concentrate on | | | | more television, use their computers more often, and |
| being a mum, she found a job in her chosen field that | | | | catch a lift to school instead of walking or riding their |
| offered flexible hours. | | | | bikes when compared with those children who had |
| “I have also been approached by a previous | | | | ‘stay-at-home moms’. |
| employer and have been able to negotiate a 1-day a | | | | Professor Catherine Law, who led the study, told the |
| week equivalent on a consultancy basis,” she | | | | BBC that fathers were not taken into account as |
| said. | | | | their employment levels had not changed, whereas |
| Family-focused workplaces | | | | the numbers of working mothers had increased |
| As an alternative to flexible working hours, some | | | | significantly in recent years. |
| family-friendly workplaces offer on-site childcare | | | | "Our results do not imply that mothers should not |
| facilities, which allow their employees to follow their | | | | work. Rather they highlight the need for policies and |
| careers and still be there for their children. | | | | programmes to help support parents,” she |
| Vikki Grimes, a training manager at Microsoft, said | | | | added. |
| having her sons at her firm’s on-site | | | | Experts have called for more research on the subject |
| crèche, which is just 50 yards from her desk, | | | | and numerous working mothers insist it is possible to |
| made her life easier. | | | | earn a living, feed one’s children healthy food |
| “They know where you are and if they need | | | | and ensure they exercise – all it requires is a |
| you, you can be there in seconds,” she | | | | healthy attitude. |
| explained. | | | | Lorraine Candy, Editor-in-Chief of fashion magazine |
| American Express UK is another company with | | | | Elle, believes that working parents raise well-balanced |
| on-site childcare and a family-friendly approach. | | | | children. |
| Around 30% of the company’s employees | | | | “I work in an industry populated with young |
| have flexible working arrangements and parents on | | | | people - many of them the proud produce of |
| staff benefit from enhanced pay for maternity, | | | | working mums. They are smart, ambitious, intelligent |
| paternity and adoption leave. As a result, the firm | | | | and grounded. They are inquisitive and engaged with |
| enjoys a return-to-work rate of almost 90% (up | | | | the world. They are, above all, |
| from 75% in 2007), reports HR Magazine. | | | | super-confident… Many of those I work with |
| Today’s childcare options | | | | cite their parents as role models, especially their |
| Around 340,000 parents in the UK currently benefit | | | | working mums,” she said. |
| from tax breaks on childcare vouchers, which equate | | | | It seems as if a significant number of mothers and |
| to a 31% saving on the first £243 spent on | | | | fathers in the UK are managing to earn a living and |
| childcare costs each month for basic rate taxpayers, | | | | find innovative ways to provide their children with all |
| or 51% for higher rate ones. | | | | the care, attention and guidance they need – |
| However, the government is planning to put an end | | | | and these working parents deserve more support |
| to this tax relief scheme by 2015. The reason for | | | | from their peers, employers and government. |
| ending the programme is to use the money to | | | | |