Working mums feel promotion out of reach - survey

The charity Working Families surveyed 755 parents with children under 18, who were either working or on flexi-furlough in August.

The survey also found that:

• 41 per cent of working mothers say being a parent is holding them back from promotion at work. 
• 50 per cent of those with extra caring responsibilities for a sick, elderly or disabled family member said the same. 
• Over a third (38 per cent) said that the people who work the longest hours are the most respected by senior leaders in their organisation 
• Nearly half (44 per cent) of working parents disagreed that the senior leaders in their organisation are positive role models for achieving a good work-life balance. 

However, there were also reports that the pandemic has led to positive changes in working life, for 41 per cent of working parents surveyed who said that the pandemic has had a positive impact on workplace culture at their organisation.

Nevertheless, parents said they were concerned that these changes would only be temporary: more than a third (36 per cent) of working parents, and almost half (48 per cent) of carers say now that lockdown is over, they are concerned taking time off for caring needs will be frowned upon at work.

Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, said, ‘It’s depressing to see that - in 2021 - so many women still find that being a parent stops them getting promoted at work. Half of people caring for another family member find their caring responsibilities do the same. So much talent and so many diverse perspectives are being lost because too many businesses can’t move past outdated workplace cultures.  

‘We take great heart from the fact that the pandemic has led to positive change in many organisations, and conversations about mental health and wellbeing are more accepted than they were. And we know from our work with our employer members that so many organisations are going above and beyond in implementing progressive policies – and reaping the rewards of that in productivity, retention and morale.' 

National Work Life Week, run by charity Working Families, shines a spotlight on what employers can do to help parents and carers get a healthy balance between their work life and home life.

Each year Working Families said it sees organisations from all sectors and sizes take the opportunity to focus on the wellbeing of their teams and celebrate good ideas and innovations. 

This year, the organisation said the week aims to encourage employers to build back from Covid, with greater focus on helping their teams get the balance between work and home right, and use it as an opportunity to have some open conversations with their employees about the change they want to see.

Just over half of parents surveyed (54 per cent) said their organisation supports parents and people with caring responsibilities effectively. 

The report also found that half of working parents (50 per cent) said open conversations about wellbeing and mental health are more accepted at work now than they were before the pandemic, rising to 61 per cent for carers.

The poll also found that 85 per cent of working parents agreed that work-life balance is a top priority and said that it would influence them when choosing their next job.

Van Zyl added, ‘While increasingly high numbers of managers and leaders recognise the benefits of family-friendly ways of working, there are still pockets of resistance across sectors. 

'But the experience of the pandemic has speeded up a shift in how many of us want to work, and those resisting positive change will find it comes back to bite them. Faced with a choice between an employer who puts effort into employee wellbeing and one that celebrates unhealthy working practices, I think we can all guess where the best and brightest talent is going to go.’ 

• The full report is available here: https://workingfamilies.org.uk/embargoed_report/