Working parents need flexibility in their jobs

A recent poll of almost 1000 parents has revealed that a third of working parents are in roles below their skill level because of their flexibility needs.

Working parents need flexibility

The figures from the poll highlight how important flexibility is to a working parent.

• More than half (55%) of working parents in the UK would consider leaving their current job if they found another that had better flexibility.
• Only a third (31%) of parents would apply for a job that did not list flexible working options in the ad.
• 82% of working parents and 90% of unemployed parents would apply for a job that listed flexible working options in the advert.
• Flexibility is the top priority for two-thirds (66%) of working parents.
• Almost a third (30%) have said that they have worked in roles below their skill level to get the flexibility that they need.

Cost-of-living crisis impacts on working parents

The cost-of-living crisis in is putting families in financial jeopardy. Parents are needing to go back to work to afford the current economic climate yet are struggling to find a job with the flexibility to allow them to or cannot afford to pay child-care costs that come with a non-flexible job. Research from BITC found that weekly childcare for children under two costs some working parents more than half of their take-home pay. The nursery costs for children under two years old would cost 65% (£274 per week) of the weekly median take-home pay for one adult.

Offering flexible roles when recruiting employees offers an opportunity to parents who need additional income. There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding flexible working but since the pandemic, the way of working has changed as to where, when, and how work is done.

Advantages for employers to offer flexible working

• Attract and retain talented employees – flexibility is popular amongst many candidates, not just parents.
• Can help to reduce costs – if you are short on office space, having some people work from home part or full time helps to avoid paying for a bigger office space
• Extend your business hours – if parents need to work different hours than the typical 9-5, then this may provide an opportunity for your business to remain open for longer.
• Reduces absenteeism and sickness – parents are less likely to be absent from work due to childcare emergencies, plus allowing parents to have a better work-life balance due to not having to balance their commitments will help to reduce stress.
• Increase in productivity – studies have shown that allowing employees to work flexibly shows a sense of trust in the employer, which can lead to an increased sense of loyalty and desire to go that extra mile by the employee.

How can oneHR help?

Store you flexible working requests and policies on oneHR. Parents are then able to access this at any time and you also have a one-stop place for all policies and requests relating to this.

Shift patterns

If your employees are working different hours than the typical 9-5, you can make a note of this in the shift management section of oneHR. This way there is no confusion as to what your employee’s working times are.

WFH Days

As well as shift patterns, you can note what days an employee will be WFH. This way you can keep on top on your employee’s flexible working by knowing where they will be each day.

Performance Reviews

Set reminders for performance reviews to track your employee’s performance if you are worried about how flexible working would affect their performance.

HR Support

If you require further support on how you can introduce flexible working into your business, we have a team of expert consultants who will be able to provide you with advice surrounding this subject.

If you would like to learn more about how oneHR can help you to manage flexible working within your business, please get in contact with our team today. 

E: contact@onehrsoftware.com

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