The government’s announcement that it is going to extend its free childcare to support more parents returning to work was met with relief by working parents. The high cost of childcare in the UK is no secret and the new support, which will be gradually introduced from April 2024, will allow more parents to return to work. Lauren Couch, Chief Revenue Officer at Growth Lending, believes that, while the announcement shows the government wants to help working parents, it’s up to businesses to follow suit to create flexible and supportive workplaces.
The days of only one parent heading out to work are long behind us, but many businesses remain stuck in the past when it comes to supporting parents in the workforce.
Swathes of the nation’s employees compete with a myriad of factors every day that make working and parenting difficult, whether it be sky-high childcare costs or inflexible working patterns set by their employers. As a working parent myself, it baffles me that post-lockdown, many employers are still reluctant to let their employees work from home when required or start earlier in order to pick up their children from childcare.
When it comes to the challenge of balancing a career and parenthood, it is an issue that impacts men and women alike, with many fathers also suffering at the hands of inflexible working policies. However, the reality is that society still expects women to take on a significant proportion of the burden when it comes to childcare.
I believe a major shift is needed to improve support for working parents in this country and we don’t have to look far to find inspiration on how to do this.
The approach that Nordic countries take to working parents is often heralded as the gold standard; these countries have a thriving labour market and huge investments have been made to improve gender equality within workplaces. The proportion of women in work in Nordic countries is larger than the global average and this is likely because women receive greater support from governments and their employers to balance parental responsibilities with their careers.
In these countries, everyone is eligible to receive financial support from the offset of parenthood. In Sweden, for example, parental benefit is paid for 480 days for one child – 390 days of which is based on earnings. As a result, tired parents grappling with their new roles face less financial strain during those critical early months of a baby’s life. Each parent can be paid for 240 days, or those who have sole custody of a child can take 480 days. The UK’s maternity leave and paternity leave offering is measly in comparison, with some new fathers only granted one week of paid paternity leave by their employer.
But it is not just enhanced parental leave that sets the Nordic countries apart from the rest of the world in its support for working parents. Significantly, it also pays to work in these countries because of subsidised childcare – a move the UK Government aligned itself with in the Spring Budget, which is promising. The Chancellor announced that access to childcare for children over the age of nine months would be widened. From a financial standpoint, this move ensures more parents find it profitable to stay in employment, which in turns provides a huge boost to an economy in desperate need of a larger workforce. Parents from lower income households were also granted more support from the government, with Universal Credit claimants now eligible to receive enhanced childcare support upfront rather than in arrears. It is heartening that one major barrier to employment has now been removed for working parents on lower incomes.
Parents who are financially empowered to go to work provide a great example to the children they are raising. Having working role models within their household encourages children to work hard at school and carve out their own careers, ensuring future generations can strive to achieve exactly what they want from work.
While UK law could do with taking a leaf out of Sweden’s book, British businesses also have a lot to learn. When parents eventually return to work after parental leave, Nordic employers often take the view that employees should prioritise working the hours they need to in order to get their work done. All too often, UK employers still hold the view that working long hours is the key to career success and this needs to change.
So how do British businesses make their workplaces more welcoming to working mothers?
First and foremost, women must take up key positions in senior leadership teams and throughout businesses as a whole. Women must act as decision-makers, to ensure other women feel supported and listened to.
The finance sector has long been scrutinised for being a male-dominated industry, but at Growth Lending we are trying to change this. Sixty percent of the senior leadership team is female and most of the team have children, many of whom are under the age of five. Working mothers should be empowered to share their skill set and experience in the workplace and this requires a company-wide shift in attitude.
Equal opportunities must be the top priority when recruiting for new roles and promoting within. Some businesses are implementing changes to their hiring strategies, such as actively seeking out women to apply for roles or implementing anti-bias training programmes. Working mothers should have the same opportunities for career growth as every other employee and hard work and talent must be rewarded.
Secondly, supporting women and working mothers must be ingrained into company culture.
Like Growth Lending, many businesses are now creating their own dedicated ESG task forces to spark real impact. These task forces ensure equality in the workplace is top of the agenda. Actions from these groups might include implementing training programmes or encouraging an open dialogue in the office around families and flexibility. Other businesses develop their own mentorship programmes. Some businesses are investing in future generations of female workers through initiatives that support training and development.
Supportive policies and resources must be put in place to make sure working mothers are looked after by their employers. While there is a financial toll taken on mothers who work, there is also an emotional one. Working mothers are often left feeling torn between their duties as an employee and their personal obligations to spend time with and look after their children. It is important that employers address these challenges by providing flexible working arrangements, as part of a wider policy of supporting staff with children. Some companies provide employee assistance programmes to help employees who are struggling to maintain a work/life balance. These services can signpost further support or refer employees for counseling services if they require them.
And finally, women need to be brought into the conversation about how businesses can best support them.
Whether it be through legislation or within individual businesses, more needs to be done across the board to keep working mothers in work. Listening to their concerns and reacting effectively is absolutely key. Mothers can bring a host of unique skills and experiences to the table and it is of paramount importance that they feel able and supported to contribute to the working world and make businesses better.