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Wake Up
Call: Parents Walking Out Through Lack of Flexible Work
UK parents are
leaving work due to the lack of flexible working opportunities available
to them, according to a new survey for
Family Friendly Working. The cost of childcare is also forcing
parents to stay at home.
The survey
reveals that just over a third (34.6%) of parents who had left work
after having children had done so because of lack of flexible work
opportunities. Three in 10 (30.7%) cite the cost of childcare as a key
reason to quit.
The Employment
Act 2002 introduced legislation designed to help working parents. Since
April 2003 parents with young and
disabled children have had
the right to request flexible work. This right to request was
extended in 2009 to anyone with parental responsibility for a child aged
16 or under or a disabled child under 18 who receives Disability Living
Allowance. People can ask to:
-
change
the hours they work;
-
change
the times they work; or
-
work
from home (for all or part of the week)
 Director
of Family Friendly Working Antonia Chitty says,
“This survey indicates that parents are not getting the
flexible work that they need. More work is needed to see whether parents
are unclear about their rights, whether bosses are saying no, or whether
the flexible work available just isn’t flexible enough. The current
provision of funding for 2.5-3 hours pre school per day can be nigh on
impossible to fit in with most employment: the Government needs to look
at the way this is delivered and increase the flexibility of ways that
parents can use the funding.”
Parents
completing the survey commented:
“My boss was being very demanding,
insisting I would get no special treatment and that I had to be in the
office from at least 9am until 6pm. This was not an option with a three
month old baby so I didn't return.”
“My daughter was about to start
infant school. There was no way I could shorten my hours enough to be
there for her before & after school (especially as she was only doing 5
morning a week initially, and I was then working 3 days a week).”
“Working and so many school
holidays makes it difficult, especially as a single parent.”
Further
results
The survey
also found that around one in 10 parents (11.5%) are forced to quit
because of lack of childcare. A similar proportion (10.7%) left work
because having children changed their priorities.
1.
Antonia Chitty’s
Family Friendly Working
blog has been providing news and information for parents interested in
flexible working since 2007. The blog is relaunched this month with a
new look and easier navigation. Read it at
www.familyfriendlyworking.co.uk
2.
Antonia Chitty will be speaking at : “Supporting Family
Friendly Working: Implementing New Reform and Promoting Flexible
Employment” on 23rd February.
3.
Antonia Chitty has run her own PR business since the
birth of her daughter in 2002. She took advantage of being on maternity
leave with her son in 2006 to write her first book, and the Family
Friendly Working book (White Ladder press £9.99) followed soon
after. Antonia was voted the
Mumpreneur Conference
“Inspirational Business Mum of the Year 2009”. She is now working on her
10th book. Antonia is now mum to three and lives on the
Sussex coast. For more about Antonia’s work go to
www.antoniachitty.co.uk
4.
Antonia is the author of The Mumpreneur Guide which was
released on 1st September 2009 and is available from
www.themumpreneurguide.co.uk,
Amazon and all good bookshops.
5.
Survey Details. 214 people were surveyed between 15th
October and 15th December 2009. Of those, 130 had left work after having
children.
6.
There are an estimated 167,353 self-employed mums working
from home in the UK
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