Changing the mindset on flexible working

Have you seen an experienced colleague walk away from their job because it wasn’t flexible enough? Over a fifth of working mums say they have been forced out of their job because a flexible working request was turned down. Workingmums.co.uk Annual Survey also found that 38% of those still on maternity leave would not return Continue reading..

Creating a new work culture

How do we change work culture to make it not only more family friendly, but more human friendly? As poll after poll shows employees often rate flexible working higher than pay rises and more than six months after the government extending flexible working legislation to all employees, why is it not the default setting of Continue reading..

Growing a flexible business

How do you grow a flexible start-up into a flexible middle-sized SME without losing something of the work culture that allowed the business to grow and prosper in the first place? It’s a big problem for start-ups who totally grasp the benefits of flexible working, but as they grow are forced to develop policies which Continue reading..

The extension of flexible working – six months on

It’s just over six months since new legislation came in which entitles all employees to request flexible working. The aim was to level the playing field so employees did not feel parents and carers were getting special treatment and to create a more flexible working culture. But how has the legislation gone down so far? Continue reading..

21st century working

At the end of June the right to request flexible working was extended to all employees. Previously it only applied to parents and carers. Surveys just before the new legislation came into force suggested many employers were either unaware of the changes or had made no plans to accommodate them. A survey by online freelance Continue reading..

Don't feel guilty

Working mums’ guilt gets a lot of airplay these days. There is no denying that you are pulled in different directions as a working parent – although, interestingly, dads are rarely asked about guilt, the assumption being that it is a female thing.  There are definitely certain crunch times when you may feel particularly torn. Continue reading..

Work + Family: the show

“I have been offered a full-time job which will require five day full-time work plus evening and weekend work at a management level. I want to negotiate two days a week working from home. I have been working in a similar role as a home-based consultant for the past 12 months so they know I Continue reading..

Leaning in works both ways

According to Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In, equal parenting – or something close to it – is crucial for women’s career progression. She says: “As women must be more empowered at work, men must be more empowered at home…We all need to encourage men to lean in to their families.” It’s a theme which Continue reading..

Working mum guilt

Do you plead guilty to being a working mum? The issue of working mum guilt is the subject of many a survey or article in the media. Not a week passes when some celebrity or other does not ‘confess’ to feeling guilty that she works. Just recently it was Victoria Beckham’s turn… again. You wonder Continue reading..