Mum’s the word
March 15th, 2010
Writing in the Telegraph yesterday, Christine Odone argued that mothers are fed up with Gordon Brown and his government, because “with their tax and benefit system, their employment legislation and child care system, Labour ministers have shown again and again that they value the full-time employee not the full-on mother; the careerist, not the carer.”
The only kind of mum who is rewarded for staying at home and look after her children is the single mum, says Odone. “She’ll get a council house and benefits – so long as she doesn’t get together with the father of her child (or the father of the next).”
An interesting view, because almost all the employment legislation dealing with work-life balance over the last 13 years has supported parents of young children. As long ago as 2003, the CIPD (the über politically correct professional body for HR) advised the Government to properly assess the impact of life-work balance legislation before introducing more.
While we can all see the need to support young families, it has created some very real problems for both employers and those employees who are not protected, especially in those industries where shift work is the norm. The description ‘flexible working’ usually means just the opposite for employers, as mums returning to work always want to work what are seen as the plum shifts (Monday-Friday -8am-4pm). This creates rigidity and a lack of opportunity in the rota. One of the commonest reasons for leaving among employees who work on rotating shifts is the reduction in availability of weekends off.
Employees who don’t have children or whose children fall outside statutory protection, end up doing all the lates, weekends and bank holidays. Without a shadow of a doubt, it causes huge resentment and employers have to manage that or lose good employees.
If an employee wants to work flexibly, employers must properly explore the request, but do not automatically have to grant it. The reasons for refusing a flexible working request are set out by the regulations. The decision whether to grant the request will turn on the particular facts of the case. We always recommend that when an employer has to refuse, clear evidence is given in support of the decision.
If you need help, advice or want to know more about flexible working, take a look at our website and our new retained HR service, the HR Hotline – unlimited practical advice for a fixed fee. Call us on 0845 644 8955 visit www.russellhrconsulting.co.uk or email pm@russellhrconsulting.co.uk
