We have developed the Parents at Work/NSPCC Family Friendly Employer Award to encourage organisations to help staff achieve the right balance between work and home life. When creating the award, we consulted young people to find out their thoughts.
One young person said: "Younger people need their mums to be there to look after them, but so do older children. Older children need to be able to sit down and talk about things that they can't speak to other people about."
Young people helped draw up the award criteria and played an integral role in the judging. They wanted to see policies that created real practical benefits for children, parents and employers.
Many parents feel the pressures of balancing their work and home lives.
But a great deal now have access to family friendly policies such as breaks from work and the ability to work reduced hours. The Family Friendly Award celebrates those employers that have done the most in this area.
On the other hand, many parents now work very long hours, despite it being almost a century since the average working time was reduced. There is considerable evidence that many parents are finding that managing their work and home life is very stressful, which in turn affects young people.
So far no major research has been conducted in the UK on children's views of employment. In the US, Ellen Galinsky's research, Ask the Children, found that young people wanted their parents to leave their work pressures in the workplace and be less tired, moody and distracted in the home.But little research has been done in this country.
Employers need to realise the views of young people are important and their opinions should be actively sought.Young people are the missing piece in the debate on work-life balance and their voices must be heard.
Employment has too often been seen as a matter solely for adults, but the views of young people are very important too. We know that about 1.5 million children under school-leaving age regularly work, often alongside adults. We also know that hundreds of thousands of young people go on work experience and the newer work-related learning schemes each year.
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