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..

Comeback kings and queens

Have you taken a career break and are you finding it hard to get back into the workforce? The financial services organisation Morgan Stanley is among a growing number of employers launching initiatives aimed at returners in recognition that there is a big talent pool of people who have left the workforce for various reasons Continue reading..

A work revolution

We’ve all heard about the advantages of flexible working for employees and more recently there have been a number of companies emphasising the business benefits. But a recent report has highlighted the wider social advantages of new ways of working – from local economic regeneration to greater democracy and environmental benefits. The report entitled It’s Continue reading..

Changing expectations

Shared parental leave is coming in later next April and, although employers are preparing for it, most think it will have little impact, at least initially. The evidence from what has happened with additional paternity leave seems to back this up. Research by law firm EMW last month [March] found only 2% of the 209,000 Continue reading..

Finding work after a career break

Whether you’ve just been made redundant or have taken a few years’ career break, looking for a new job can be a complicated business these days since the whole landscape has changed with the advent of social media. There’s much more emphasis on self promotion and taking a proactive, creative approach. But well before all 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..

Elder care moves up the work agenda in 2014

It’s the new year and there’s been a lot in the news about how the elderly are coping through the winter. Many of them are reliant on their families looking after them and elder care is likely to be a growing issue in the UK over the next decades as the population ages. Since many 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..

Pulling women up the career ladder

Vanessa Vallely has made it to the top of her profession and is among a growing number of women who are, as Labour’s Yvette Cooper put it, ‘leaning out’ to paraphrase the popular book by Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg. These are women who know first hand the barriers and challenges faced by women during their working Continue reading..