Experts have warned that pre-lockdown working arrangements did not work. They suggest that businesses should be encouraged to invest in family-friendly policies.
Working Families - UK’s work-life balance charity - conducted a survey on working parents and carers to discover their experiences of flexible working before and during lockdown - and their goals for flexible working after the lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Only 65 per cent of parents and carers surveyed had the opportunity to work flexibly before the onset of the pandemic, but 84 per cent now have that facility - with 63 per cent working from home and 52 per cent enjoying flexible working hours.
Despite 61 per cent of the parents and carers surveyed saying that family life was more stressful or much more stressful during lockdown, 65 per cent said they would like their future work arrangements to be extremely or very flexible and 32 per cent said they would like them to be moderately or slightly flexible.
Only 1 per cent of parents and carers said they did not want any flexibility in future - but 13 per cent said they did not think they would have the choice of working flexibly despite wanting to. Half of respondents said their employers were unsympathetic and did not offer practical help with their childcare needs.
Of women currently working flexibly, 42 per cent said they needed to work this way to meet childcare commitments - in comparison to 28 per cent of men.
Experts are asking employers to continue offering flexible working after the pandemic - but to also be aware of the differences of flexible and remote working, ensuring all parents and carers have access to secure jobs with guaranteed, predictable hours and access to all parental employment rights.
Chris Parke - Chief Executive of Talking Talent - advises employers to discuss with parents how they can support them to have a healthy work-life balance. He states that businesses must understand that remote working is not the same as flexible working and says:
“Being at home all day does not offer working parents any more flexibility when it comes to balancing jobs and home – in fact, it blurs the lines. Even though remote working does have its benefits, it has also triggered another conflict. Without the clear distinction of being at work and being at home, working parents have faced juggling the responsibilities of both, whilst being in the same environment. Any companies not offering the right support and company culture could find their high-talent individuals eschew them in favour of more forward-thinking firms.”
Mandy Garner - Managing Editor of WM People - stated that flexibility has been crucial throughout the pandemic and added:
“Flexible working has, for many years, been the number-one demand of working parents, and many women have left their jobs or found it difficult to get back into the workforce because of the lack of it. It’s clear, however, that the demand for flexible working from parents – and many others – is there. It would be a pity if we emerged from Covid and returned to pre-lockdown ways of working, when they clearly don't work for a great many people."
Jane van Zyl - Chief Executive of Working Families - said:
“It’s becoming abundantly clear that there’s no going back to business as usual in a post-Covid working world. Employers have realised that many more jobs can be done flexibly than had ever been considered before and now is the time for these employers to invest in creating long-term strategies to support robust flexible and family-friendly policies and practices. An increase in high-quality, flexible jobs will not only help employers increase their productivity, talent attraction, and diversity - but it will also help the long-term economic recovery of the UK by opening the labour market to those who were previously shut out by inflexibility.”
Recently, the CIPD launched its campaign calling for the request for flexible working to become a right from day-one as their research showed that 46 per cent of employees do not have access to flexible working arrangements.
Peter Cheese - Chief Executive of the CIPD - said:
“We need a new understanding about what flexible working is and we need employers to embrace flexible working arrangements beyond home working, to give opportunity and choice to all. Employees may not always be able to change where they work, but they should have more choice and a say in when and how they work.”
