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

flexible working hours, and an understanding attitude when you are absent because children are sick

Term time working. Possibly split between two parents so not off all school holidays.
Flexitime.
A more understanding attitude with regards to being off to care for ill children.

Larger companies could provide creche facilities.

Follow Norway's example. Both parents have the right to up to 10 days off work per calender year with full pay to use when children under 12 or childcare are ill. Single parents get both parents' quota and can have up to 20 days. 3 or more children under 12: 15 days per parent.

Flexi time - I'm very lucky with my employer but this would make it even better. Term time working also.
I have the ability to buy extra annual leave which is brilliant.

Trusting employees to work from home would reduce pressure. There's a lot of time-wasting done in the average workplace so being office bound is not the answer to effective working whereas little things like being able to take the laundry out in your lunch hour, or make a phone call in private is a real bonus. Skype, conference calling and online tools for collaborative working all reduce the need for endless pointless meetings and some business travel. As well as saving staff time, they're cost effective solutions for employers.

Greater flexibility to work at home

Flexible working hours whilst children are small - and better provision for childcare..

I agree with other posters greater flexibity to work from home.
I work in a school so miss most of my own dc special school events.
Flexibility working in school would be great to.
Dp spends so many hours a week commuting which would be much more productive spent working at home to avoid the rush hours.

A living wage and flexible hours

YY to the living wage. Definitely this one. I also like the idea of there being a maximum allowable difference in salaries between the top and bottom levels with the company or organisation.

I'm the employer and a mum of 2 so my view is the more flexible you are, the more you will keep good staff. Suggestions include, allow staff to bring a child into work in emergencies, encourage flexible working, create a benefits package that benefits the whole family not just the employee. In addition, many parents want to work part time in senior roles and you can find amazing people if you consider this, which many companies won't.

Flexibility and trust on part of employer and employee.
I work in local government and in fairness my employer is fairly supportive. Flexi time is available and works to everyone's advantage. Compressed hours is possible but although one person works school hours only, our present manager would prefer a jobshare situation.
Working from home is tough because we don't have the money to spend on the infrastructure to back it up. Basically we have to answer phone calls from the public and this can't be done at home. Of course senior management can work from home but there is an attitude of presenteeism to some extent. I've had to fight to be given permission to work from home one day a week on a temporary basis while pregnant. I've been asked to keep track of what work I do but I don't have to do this when I'm in the office! It's felt that I can't manage my team when not actually sitting with them despite having email and ability to monitor work completed.

Also echo what everyone has said about emplyers recognising that men have parental responsibilities too. I earn more than DP but his manager seems to think childcare is my domain. Although DP can arrange rotas to help with drop offs and pick ups, there's no sense of flexible working within the company and they offerlegal mminimum only for paternity leave. The owner has also confirmed that he has no intention of amending this. He might be the face of the government's flagship pension scheme and have 4 kids, but some of the company attitudes seem outdated.

Flexible working hours

Flexible working should be the norm in the workplace even for full timers being able to come in later so you can deal with emergencies or the school run etc makes life so much easier and being able to make up the time later rather losing pay makes sense. Also being able to take holiday days at short notice to deal with sick children or appointments.

We need more employers to focus on the expectations placed on fathers in the workplace and to get rid of the notion that childcare is a mother's responsibility. I know I am generalising, but I think it is fair to say that most mothers with successful careers have partners who are not only supportive but actually, really, take on 50% or more of the childcare and house-running duties, which can only realistically be achieved with a certain amount of flexible working. Conversely, most of the high-earning fathers I know have partners who are SAHMs, work long hours, are expected to travel frequently with little notice, basically have jobs that effectively require a SAHP.

yy to part time hours considered for more senior roles. This a huge career barrier for both myself and DH at the moment.

I wish employers would not equate part time working with "not taking your career seriously". This is generally assumed for all PT working mothers, and DH was told this to his face by his line manager during his appraisal after going PT.

I think in essence I am saying it is the employer attitudes that need to change most urgently, we already have many of the legal mechanisms but the ingrained patriarchal crap is hard to swim against, for everyone.

Flexibility is essential, although I can understand how hard it must be for employers too as most have to deliver a level of service for certain hours in the day.

My own view is that is that in one marriage/domestic set up with children there is only room for one high flying/high earning career and that the couple should between themselves work out whose this will be, not the employer. Society as a whole has to stop seeing raising a family as a "second rate" role and accord it some status.

If you take on a demanding job, how is it fair you get flexible hours/holidays just because you chose to have children. What about those with elderly relatives. Or those who CHOSE to be childless and have a career and work hard at it.

That's not what this thread is about though amother

We're not necessarily talking about "demanding" jobs though, these are bog standard ordinary jobs that take up 40 hours a week plus commuting.
And you know what? Flexibility works for all employees. A fair number of my colleagues who take advantage of the flexi theme do so to allow them to do ordinary things like go to the hairdresser, take the dog to the vet, meet a friend for drinks after work. You know, all those little things that make life a bit simpler.
I had my career before I chose to have children and I work just as hard at it as people without children. The reality is the majority of the work force have children and sometimes a bit of flexibility is needed.
Your set-up might work perfectly well for some couples but the reality is employers expect the mother do abandon their career, not the father, and then it's really hard to get back into the workplace once those children are older.
As for society recognising that raising children should have a higher status - you're right and that is EXACTLY what we're discussing here!

i think that flexi time would be great and also if they maybe create their own childcare centre at the work place there would be less hassle as child and worker are going to the same place and both parent and child would be more relaxed knowing they are close by and the companies could use the government childcare vouchers for this as well as it being a tax incentive to the company

Honestly? Flexible hours. At the moment I work from home and pick my own shifts. Because it's so flexible, I have enough time for myself, my family and work.

calendula I would love it if single parents were allocated double leave entitlement. There's no one for me to split school holiday cover with. School holiday childcare is £££££.

My previous job had flexitime, the work was always done and the phones were always answered. Sadly I had to leave for a job closer to home due to the commute and being a LP at breaking point.

Parking for parents who have to do the school rum. At my (NHS) workplace, there are no spaces after 8am.