Two-thirds of professional women go into lower-skilled or lower-paid roles or work fewer hours than they prefer when they return to a job after a career break, according to research published by PwC, in conjunction with Women Returners and 30% Club. 427,000 UK female professionals are currently estimated to be on a career break and […]

Nearly one in five (18%) working mums have been forced to leave their jobs because a flexible working request has been turned down, according to Workingmums.co.uk’s annual survey published today. The survey of more than 2000 women in Workingmums.co.uk’s 10th anniversary year shows that 26% of mums in work have had a flexible working request turned […]

The workforce is getting older. There are currently three million working carers – people who combine full time careers with looking after an elderly parent. By 2031 there will be six million. The demographics are startling, but there’s some good news on the horizon, says Ben Black What is that exactly? Employers are becoming more […]

It has been more than two years since the right to request flexible working was extended to all employees with six months’ service. However, new research from My Family Care and Hydrogen has revealed a significant disconnect between the high numbers of people who want to work flexibly and the low numbers of employers who […]

More than half of British mothers feel they have been held back at work after having children compared to less than a quarter of fathers, according to a new survey that reveals the extent of gender discrimination in the workplace. One in five mothers claimed to have been passed over for promotion and one in […]

New research by charity Working Families for National Work Life Week (3-7 October) has found that parents who earn more than £70,000 a year are 47% more likely to work flexibly than those earning between £10,000 and £40,000. Today (5 October) is Go Home On Time Day, a campaign that aims to encourage employees around […]

As organisations nationwide consciously address the balance of work and home life during National Work Life Week, especially for parents, Pitman Training is inviting people across the UK to take up their free place in their Work-Life Balance drop-ins, which sees the team share insights from their Work-Life Balance, Time Management and Influencing Skills seminars […]

New mothers don’t just need employment protection while on maternity leave; they also need support to transition back into work, according to diversity consultancy The Clear Company. In light of recent reports from The Women and Equalities Committee and calls from MPs to address the discrimination pregnant women and new mothers face at work, The […]

A new report by the Women and Equalities Committee shows a shocking number of pregnant women and new mothers have fallen victim to discrimination at work. The committee is calling on the government to take action to protect these women and make it harder to make them redundant during and after pregnancy. The report reveals […]

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) reports that mothers under the age of 25 are six times more likely to be let go after telling their employer about their pregnancy. It’s a huge issue the commission is currently battling, but there are steps expectant mothers can take to avoid discrimination at work, according to […]

Despite the complexities involved with legislation for parental leave, organisations are making the benefit available to their workforce. According to Mercer’s new Global Parental Leave report, more than one-third of organisations worldwide have one centralised global policy that covers the various types of leaves available, including maternity, paternity, adoption and parental. Moreover, 38% provide paid […]

On average, women in paid work receive about 18% less per hour than men. However, new research shows the gender wage gap grows year on year after childbirth, as mothers in low-hours jobs see no wage progression. Research published today by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, shows that the […]

Children will be heading back to school soon, and many working parents are already thinking about how they’ll handle their work-life balance in the coming year. A new survey by FlexJobs shows employees with children 18 and younger value flexibility over higher salary when it comes to job perks. The survey of nearly 1200 working […]

Britain’s next generation parents are delaying plans to start a family mainly due to affordability concerns, new research from the Scottish Widows think tank the Centre for the Modern Family (CMF) has found. The latest CMF report reveals that almost half (45%) of 25-34 year olds plan to delay starting a family for at least […]

Three quarters of British parents will have to split their leave this summer and one in 10 will be forced to go away without their partner, according to research from Nationwide Savings. On the build up to the school summer holidays, Nationwide’s third national survey of 2,000 working parents reveals the many struggles they face […]

The number of men choosing to work part-time is set to rise in the coming years, according to a new report published this week. The report by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), entitled Working Futures, projects that the number of part-time male workers is set to increase by 20% by 2024. That […]

Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of Shared Parental Leave (SPL). The revolutionary policy that allows couples to share leave surrounding the arrival of a new addition to their family helps women get back into the workplace quicker and gives men the opportunity to care full-time for their new baby or adopted child […]

Thousands of London’s single parents are being locked out of employment due to the high cost of childcare, according to a new report by Gingerbread. Analysis by the national charity for single parent families reveals that half of single parents are forced to borrow money in order to meet the high cost of childcare in the […]