Who’s looking after the parents?

Moira Patterson decided on returning to work part-time, even before she left for her maternity leave. ‘My partner and I have had to be much more careful on the money front,’ says Patterson. ‘To have the right to return to work on a part-time basis as part of the law would relieve a lot pressure on couples; I was lucky that my boss is very flexible and that I work for a small, family-run company; for many women, there wouldn’t have been the choice,’ she says.

Some companies are sitting up and taking notice

Market Monitor is a telesales company with 26 employees. It does not have formalised work-life policies, but staff can work flexible hours to suit their needs. There is an open-door attitude to talking about work-life issues. As a result, the organisation benefits from a high level of commitment and loyalty among staff, low levels of absenteeism and a high turnover. Flexible working arrangements are tailored to suit individual needs. For example, one woman who has a child with special needs works term time only. Another works a four-day week to reduce stress following a long-term illness.

Should the state get involved?

Many women feel that because having a child is more than a lifestyle choice, it deserves help and support from employers and the rest of society. But should businesses carry the costs of losing staff? Should childless workers work harder to cover for them? Some may think that the answer to both questions is ‘no’.

Parents, especially women, need help to balance work and family care, employers and the economy will lose out on their skills – either because they have to give up work, or because they work less efficiently. Refreshingly, the Green Paper did offer as one of its goals, ‘safeguarding the health and welfare of the mother and child before and after birth’. The well-being of children or elderly dependants of working people often gets lost in today's debate over work-life balance and family-friendly employment. ‘Burdens on business’ usually get more attention.

The 2001 budget however, shows that the government is moving in the right direction when it comes to providing help for families and working parents. But giving mothers the legal right to part-time work or shorter hours after maternity leave would represent a meaningful addition to measures already in the pipeline.

Talk about your needs on the balancing work and home board

Further information

Women’s Unit website

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