It’s hard to believe that in 2018 much of a working parents’ annual leave is still used to cover childcare emergencies, at the loss of time together as a family and wellbeing. Working parents still struggle to go home on time and if they do they are likely to take work home with them to do after the children have gone to bed; sacrificing their own time to recover from the working day. The working parents I talk to feel guilty at leaving ‘on time’. They often make themselves available on email and mobile.

The people in my

office that arrive between 7:30-8am are all working mothers. The working parent is often trying to do it all and are often reluctant or think asking for help will impact their career or might give the impression they are not as committed to their job as a colleague who doesn’t have the same responsibilities.

 

There are still attitudes that giving more workplace benefits to working parents is unfair. If I had a pound for every time I heard someone who doesn’t have any caring responsibilities say they’re penalised for not having

children…well I’d be a very rich person and I wouldn’t have to worry about balancing work and the guilt that sometimes comes over me at the strangest times!

 

So, what can we do? There is so much to do. But we can start with making sure we are having these conversations in the workplace at every level. We need to start using the working families campaign tagline ‘happy to talk flexible working’ around the workplace and in our adverts for jobs. We need to say we’re open to considering ways of working flexibly and mean it and we need

to educate people to value difference in the workplace. Who’s with me?