Women and work
At Mumsnet we’ve set ourselves the task of making parents’ lives easier, and many of the answers lie in the workplace - including improving parental leave provisions, tackling maternity discrimination and campaigning for affordable childcare.
By Mumsnet HQ | Last updated Mar 26, 2024
From the gender pay gap to the motherhood penalty, and from pregnancy and maternity discrimination to the yawning gender pension gap, the intersection of motherhood and work can be really painful for women. Most mothers in the UK do some form of paid work, and work-related issues - the good and the bad - prompt thousands of forum conversations on Mumsnet every month.
At Mumsnet we’ve set ourselves the task of making parents’ lives easier, and many of the answers lie in the workplace. From parental leave provisions to inequalities in domestic chores, and from childcare to pregnancy discrimination, Mumsnet campaigns for the changes women need.
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Following a survey in which a massive 82% of parents and prospective parents say they are reluctant to ask potential employers about parental leave policies, we are calling for large employers to publish their parental leave policies for all to see.
Childcare
Increasingly, Mumsnet users tell us that the cost of childcare is simply not affordable - and more often than not, it's women who are forced to reduce their hours, forego promotions, or even leave work altogether as a result. This motherhood penalty isn't just a problem in the short term - it has lasting financial consequences, widening the gender pay gap and the gender pensions gap.
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Flexible working and hybrid working is something that women (in particular mothers) have been desperate for for years. Changing the culture of work towards output rather than presenteeism, towards family-friendly flexibility with meaningful work-life balance, is good for everyone.