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

I also agree that a good employer encourages loyalty. I gave everything to my job for a decade before having kids. I honestly now wish I hadn't bothered, as there is zero pay back.

Firstly mat pay - I receive only ten weeks pay at 90 per cent which, for the private sector is extremely poor and means I am working up to 39 weeks. It's almost impossible to fund any maternity leave due to our financial commitments. Being forced to return to work after 4 months off feels so unfair when similar companies pay at least six months.

Flexible hours would also greatly help. Our local school doesn't have pre-school clubs and yet my employer won't let me start later. Similarly, a request for compressed hours or being able to leave for school pick up (and much reduced pay) was also declined on the grounds of fairness to others. This means our lives as a family are extremely difficult and stressful.

I plan to leave my current employer as soon as I am able. The company generally is very unpleasant.

more understanding that children get ill without warning!!

I think everyone should be more accepting of the fact that children get ill. A lot!

From what I have heard there are so many parents out there who are made to feel guilty for staying home with their sick children. I find that horrible and a change in attitude is necessary. It's hard enough to have your poor babies ill but to worry about your job at the same time is horrible.

I think too much stress is placed on women to return to work quickly, but then they find there is no support in place, if there child is ill etc. This means that sometimes children are sent to school when they are clearly unwell etc. This needs to be addressed so that parents can look after their kids in these situations.

Allow them to work flexible hours and be more willing to take on part time and job share employees.

Flexible working and recognising the fact that a work from home day means that you usually get much more done because you're not constantly interrupted by visitors to desk etc.
Appreciation that there are occasional genuine emergencies, my son had to have an operation on his eye with a few hours notice, work weren't impressed.

Flexible working hours I think is the big one for me that puts me off going back to work. I always worked in the voluntary sector and where they are flexible my 9-5 job was really 50 hours per week and that was expected even though we were contracted for 37. I know that many companies don't offer any flexibility at all or very little. I think though that companies often offer more flexibility for females than they do for men, particular those in more make dominated industries where its not the norm for Dad's to take any resposibility. Many parents could make it work if both parents were given flexible working but I know from friends that their male partners don't feel comfortable even asking for flexible working for fear of the impact towards them at work.

Flexibility with hours and carers leave for when your child is sick and you have to take time off to care for them. Currently I have to make the time back which is impossible unless I pay for more child care so I can go in!

The ability to do some work from home would be fantastic - sadly not an option in my job.

I don't think parents should get priority in school holidays - what about non-parents whose partner is a teacher or who want to go away with extended family with children? Also not keen on term time only hours outside education as it leaves less options for everyone else to take leave in the school holidays.

Employers should provide or help source childcare for weekends / bank holidays / very early mornings / evenings if the business requires it's employees to work at those times. It's almost unobtainable and it precludes parents with no local family support from continuing working in these jobs. Ridiculous when, for example, hospital located nurseries don't open on bank holidays, and retail jobs often require weekend working.

Help with handling school holidays would be a start. In order to have parental cover for all the school holidays my husband and I have to holiday at seperate times. So we are never on holiday together.

I think people should look at Richard Branson and how he is working the holidays there. I firmly believe this could work elsewhere.

Enable more parents to the ability to work from home (if computer based) or have flexible hours so you can work a set amount of hours per week, but you get to choose what hours you work (within reason).

On site crèches.
Flexi time during school holidays.
Allowing people to work from home.

Hours that fit in with school's day and terms .
I was very lucky that my employer changed my hours , so that I could arrive at work after I dropped my children off at school and leave work before picking them up. During school holidays I would have my holidays from work, obviously some of the holidays were unpaid, though I worked when my husband was off during the Christmas seasonal holidays. Now that my children are no longer young, I work long hours for the same employer.

Flexible working and TOIL are a godsend at my work for getting the work life balance right.

It has been said a lot but flexi time. Being able to work core hours and then leave to be at home or to do a school pick up etc and being able to work from home.

Also, understanding when kids are ill, have appointments etc that can't be changed.

I'm not the right person to ask this, though.

I'll not be returning to full time work until my son is at school. In the meantime, when he is at nursery, I study and volunteer and may find part time work. I can do this as I have a husband who works full time. Like the first poster said, often a true work/life balance is achieved when a parent has a co-parent also juggling to make everything work.

I'm not sure that a true work/life balance can be fully achieved where everyone is happy? Parents, employers, the kids. I am happy to be proved wrong, though!

Juggling work and family means two parents juggling, not just mums. My DH is a teacher which means late night and weekend working but I finish at 5pm so can do all the after work care. He gets school holidays off and does his work during my part time days off and then spends quality time with our daughter during the rest of the week.

Flexible working is helpful to balance appointments and poorly children. WFH allows for jobs that need to be down like repairs to appliances or building work to be done during working days instead of precious day off days when being stuck in the house would be a strain.

Employers could do more to support parents going through difficult times so when those times are over they can concentrate 100% on work. The employee will also be more loyal to that supportive company. I'm lucky because I have a supportive boss and work in the public sector.

Maybe understanding the different challenges that parents will face with their children at different stages of their lives - I.e acknowledging that if you have a baby and are coming back to work you might struggle with Childcare options and working with you to help. Or if you have a child just starting school you might want to be around for them more the first week or so. I'm lucky enough to work in a massively flexible and understanding organisation and I give back to them tenfold as a result.

My work doesn't offer contracts under 20 hours so I see so many parents struggle with childcare and time of for dependants. They do not seem to be very flexible so a rethink on putting there employees first would be beneficial all round.

Getting away from the standard 9-5 for all and allowing all to work flexibly, not just parents

Flexi hours and homeworking if needed. I had to leave my previous job as my boss didnt understand when i had to take my son to appointments or have time off with him.

Definitely working from home where possible. With broadband and a PC in many if not most homes this should surely be possible for many people, avoiding childcare problems, congestion on the roads and environmental pollution, cutting costs for employees.

An on-site creche that is completely funded (or heavily subsidized) by the employers of larger companies and councils. Mums (and Dads) then won't have to worry about child care and can work regular hours.

jaseos81 I think on-site creche's are a great idea! Knowing your child is just downstairs or in another room and if something happens, you are right there. They can come to work with you and leave with you. There's no rushing around here and there for the parents.

Adult learning courses and colleges often have on-site creches so employers having them shouldn't be too big of a problem, really.

I just think it would be great if employers could understand that people's lives aren't just all about their job. Employees have other things going on in their life, same for the boss. So just being mindful of that. Like lots of other people have said, if I had an understanding and supportive boss with regards to being a parent and a worker, that would help my work performance and I would be so loyal to that company.