Tell CBI what you think employers could do for parents to make it easier to balance work and family life? £250 voucher to be won!NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

As part of The Great Business Debate campaign, The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) have asked us to find out what Mumsnetters think employers could do better to make it easier for parents to balance work and family life.

Here’s what CBI say, “The Great Business Debate is a CBI led campaign to help build public confidence in business.

"Only around half of people believe business makes a positive contribution to society and we want to play a part in increasing that figure. We are doing this by:
• Setting out the facts and combatting myths about what business does and the contribution it makes
• Encouraging people to give us their views on business and where it needs to do more
• Providing an opportunity for business to take part in a constructive conversation about what it does and how it does it

"As employees, our experiences of working life have a big impact on our view of business. Companies of all sizes rely on their people for success, and want to make use of the best talents available. But there is an ongoing debate about whether employers are doing enough to ensure parents – and especially mums – are supported to balance their family and work life, without having to sacrifice one for the other. We're sponsoring this discussion with Mumsnetters to hear your views.”

So, what do you think employers could do to make it easier for parents returning to work to find a balance between family life and work? Maybe you’d like more employers to encourage flexible working hours? Or perhaps to prioritise parents when employees request to have annual leave during school holidays? Whatever it is, we’d love to hear it!

Everyone who comments on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a £250 Love2Shop voucher.

CBI are also hosting a round table event on this topic on Wednesday 26th November in Central London, which will be attended by business leaders and not-for-profit organisations, as well as Justine, our CEO. There are two places reserved for Mumsnetters also. If you’d be interested in attending then please PM me, we will then select two Mumsnetters at random.

Please note: Please be aware your anonymised comments may be re-used by the CBI on their websites, over social media and for broader PR purposes.

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

To consider flexible working arrangements like job sharing, working from home and varying hours.

To provide this for all employees regardless of gender.

Don't assume it's just mothers who want to balance work and life and understand that parents make loyal employees.

Give equal maternity and paternity leave and encourage your male employees to take paternity leave/work part time once they have children.

Understand that parents will want different amounts of flexibility at different times during their children's childhood, e.g. when one parent is on parental leave in the first year then the other parent will probably want to work full time again for a bit. When children start school parents may want to change their working arrangements again, either to fit in the drop off or pick up at school, or to have the flexibility to work more in term time and less in the holidays, maybe by having annual hours?

WFH and flexihours for all employees where it's suitable is a good idea.

I'm lucky in that my employer let me return to work three days a week and also do one day at home. The day I work from home means I don't have to pay for child care. I think employers should listen to requests from new mums but I don't think its a God given right that flexible working should be allowed. After all, it was our choice to have a baby. It would be nice if there was some flexibility for time off for Christmas plays etc but as for annual leave in school holidays I believe everyone should have the same options - child or not.

Flexibility - provided you can get the work hours done, either at work or at home, then being able to take your child to the doctors, watch the school play, looking after them when they're sick, won't cause problems at work.

To provide proper flexible working hours. For staff to be trusted to complete their work from home if possible

Term time work, school run friendly part-time working hours and flexibility for inset and sick days of your children. Especially when you don't have any family near you that could support you these 3 things become the make or break of returning to work.

Working from home! I have recently left my job in local govt basically due to not being able to WFH. Have 2 children one of whom has just started school. Had a 45 min commute after nursery drop off and although I did it for 4ish years, it was soul destroying. Like many, our family don't live nearby and my husband works long hours in a demanding job. I didn't want to be out of the house for nearly 11 hours each day and to have to put my children into childcare for such an extended period, and with no back up in the event of illness. I worked in a role that wasn't at all customer facing and also didn't really require me to be office based. All my meetings were planned well in advance and yet, as I was already working part time, my request for home working was rejected. So, I left. After thirteen years exemplary service and commendations for my work in various roles. If they'd allowed me to work from home, even one day each week, I probably would have stayed.

Flexible working hours, I work Monday to Friday full time and it is so difficult to fit in nursery and school pick ups. My son started school last year and we use school wrap around care. What became obvious early on is he really wants to be picked up at school gates rather than going to after school club. I have now negotiated with work I can do 10-6 one day, which means I can give breakfast at home and he looks forward to this each week.

Sometimes you feel very guilt working full time. More flexible hours would mean more school gate pick ups which would mean a very happy son

Flexi time should be given to all parents, when children are ill the parents should be allowed time off and more understanding is needed where holiday time is concerned as schools have a lot of holidays and it can be hard finding someone to look after then all the time.

Flexibility on both sides is the key. I need my employers to understand that sometimes I have to be Mum, however when I know a big deadline is looming I arrange extra child care so I can stay late or put in extra hours

The ability to work from home when DCs are ill would have kept me in my last position. It was an absolute "NO" so I left and found a job I can do from home. The job was completely doable from home as well...phone calls/scheduling and a lot of internet-based research. The vibe I got was "we don't trust you." Well fine, I don't respect you.

Flexi time would be the most useful

Team leaders and managers like to play God. Not willing to allow flexibility or show any understanding of what being a parent is like.

It would be great if there were more flexibility in working hours. Not just start and finish times but job sharing and number of hours/days worked per week. For Mums and Dads and everyone else as well!
Also the zero hours contract culture makes it very difficult for lots of people I'm sure. How can you run a household and budget properly if you can't be sure of your income.

be more encouraging & actively involve employees in the childcare vouchers scheme, I didn't even know about it until a colleague told me they had found out about it, but when I asked our employer about it I was told they don't get involved in the scheme, which is a shame as childcare can be so expensive.

I would love companies to understand better about school holidays and the importance of being able to take time off within these. Now that it is against the rules to take children out of school, if we are unable to take holidays in the school holidays, our family miss out on quality time.

I have been lucky enough to have managers who judge me on the work I deliver not the times I am sitting at a desk in the office. This had made a huge difference and not just in the obvious child care aspect. I am currently learning how to drive and being able to take a 2 hour lunch break once a week and then catch the work up at other times means I can have lessons at a time that doesn't leave me having to sorry out child care.

When dd was little I worked a 4 day week. I would work 8 to 4.30

Whoops! Posted early.

I meant to say. Worked 8 to 4.30 and then did the extra time once dd had gone to bed. It was great at that time.

I think as others have said trust is the key. If I am doing the work to the level expected why does it matter where I am and what time I am working?

Employers could do several things to make it easier for parents to balance work and family life. Depending on the employer's size and capability they could provide a creche, or simply allow flexible working.

Wherever possible, working from home occasionally would be great for parents, providing the employer trusts the worker to give full attention to his/her work, without too much distraction from children, etc.

As each company and employee require different things, negotiation between them is vital in order to reach a compromise suitable to both.

Flexible working hours is the real key. I also believe that allowing to accrue time in case of emergency or urgent time off would be beneficial for both.

The best thing that employers could do for me is to let me take more unpaid holiday. Those 5 weeks don't last long with so many school hols and I would happily take a week or two unpaid if it meant spending more time with my children.

My employers are great really though. Without grandparents however, returning to work would of been completely impossible due to the huge cost in childcare compared to wages. I can't see why the system like they have in Holland wouldn't start paying for itself fairly quickly. So many more working parents would equal more taxable income for the government. Not that that is the employers fault.

Allow flexitime and give an allowance of say two days a year to allow paid leave for child sickness

I think having flexible working hours would greatly help out parents.

As a single parent I struggled to find part time work over 16 hours per week. Employers far too often would rather hire two people on less hours eg 10/ week. So I ended up with three jobs at one point. Yes I'm talking about retail here, which is a massive area of employment. Zero hours, 'casual' contracts and the current low minimum wage should be illegal. Plus smaller businesses tried to get out of paying holiday pay. All these things, if corrected, would improve life for parents considerably and employers would retain staff by treating them better. And yes, a couple of days allowed sick if your child is ill... ?

Try to make it a priority to give them set shifts so they always know when they are working, so they can always have someone to watch the children, give them more notice on working hours, and shifts, offer advice and support for working mums. Be a bit more understanding in general to their needs