Flexible working 'still inaccessible to many families'

According to a report by Family Lives, workplaces are still fixed to the 9am to 5pm working hours model, forcing many families to make decisions about whether or not to stay in work. 

The report, Family Friendly or Failing Families, reviewed flexible working policies and measures being developed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to improve access to flexible working.

Claire Walker, director of policy at Family Lives, said more than 95 per cent of workplaces purport to offer at least one flexible working practice.

But she warned that many “are still unable to see the benefits and cost savings to them of this approach and parents are either being refused reasonable requests to change working patterns or are too afraid to ask”.

She added: “Because of rising living and childcare costs, many parents, especially women, are forced to leave the workplace taking vital skills and experience with them.”

Family Lives is now calling on government to do more to promote flexible working as part of its Modern Workplaces agenda. But the charity Family Action said that flexible working was only one issue that needs to be addressed to help families into work.

“Flexible working helps low-income parents return to work while managing their family situations. But for flexible working to be really worthwhile, work must pay,” Rhian Beynon, head of policy at the charity said.

“As more families in work are expected to be in receipt of welfare support, it is vital that the government’s Universal Credit ensures that work is financially viable for families so working families are lifted out of poverty.”

Maternity and paternity leave are also under review as part of the government's Modern Workplace proposals. But the Fatherhood Institute said that reforms in this area may not go far enough.

“The issue of reserved leave for fathers within flexible parental leave is going to be the key,” said Adrienne Burgess, joint chief executive. “A key feature of the Modern Workplaces proposals is, within flexible parental leave, a reserved 'daddy month', which is lost to the family if the father doesn’t use it.

“It looks now as if the government will ditch its own plan and instead seek to extend paternity leave, which fathers take when mothers are at home. Sadly, without a 'daddy month' within flexible parental leave, flexible working will remain a mums' issue.”