Making work flexible

Many people - especially women - still struggle to balance paid work with other responsibilities.

The have been improvements in recent years, with the Government improving maternity rights, introducing paternity leave and giving some employees a right to request flexible working. But the UK still works the longest hours in developed countries, with a culture the hours you put in being an important 'proof' your commitment to the job.

And yet, where an employer offers flexibility around hours, everyone benefits - female and male employees and the employer.

Men get to spend more time with their families and break free from the stereotype that caring for children is not a man's role. For women, greater sharing of caring and work enables them to thrive in the workplace. And employers report higher morale, lower turnover of staff and greater productivity from employees focused on results not just being there.

What’s Fawcett’s solution?

We need practical measures so that everyone can benefit from flexible working:

Long hours cap: The UK must fully sign up to EU law limiting long working hours and take other steps to tackle our long hours working culture

New rights: a right to work flexibly for all employees, unless there is a strong business case against it

Flexible working not just for mothers: Much more encouragement for men - not just women - to take up flexible working options, whether they have children or not

Time for dads: Allow the second six months of parental leave after the birth of a child to be taken by either parent, but reserve of one month of this for fathers only

Realistic support: Make paternity leave earnings-related