One in three parents with young children has left a job due to a lack of flexible working, according to new research from the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The survey of 500 parents with children under seven found that many are being forced out of the workforce by rigid working practices.
The TUC said the findings show flexible working remains “stigmatised”, with high rates of rejection and negative treatment for those who work flexibly. A similar number of respondents reported that their informal requests for flexible working had been rejected, either partially or in full.
Three in four parents said they would be more likely to apply for a job if it offered flexible working. However, almost one in five admitted they were unaware of their legal right to request flexible working.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “As many parents return to work after the half-term break, anyone with kids knows that being able to work flexibly isn’t a perk. It is a lifeline for working families.” He added that the Government is right to make flexible working the default under the Employment Rights Act, but ministers must go further, including a legal duty on employers to advertise possible flexibility in roles.
