Half of mothers refused flexible working

Half of working mothers surveyed said they had had a request for flexible working rejected or only partly accepted, the TUC has stated.

According to the union organisation, the poll of nearly 13,000 working mothers shows the system "is broken". It also found that:

• two in five (42%) respondents said they were worried about their employers’ negative reaction. Others thought there was no point asking as any request would just be turned down (42%);

• most (86%) women working flexibly said that they have faced discrimination and disadvantage due to their work arrangements; and

• two in five (42%) said they would not feel comfortable asking about flexible working in a job interview.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady commented: “It’s time to make flexible working the norm as we emerge from the pandemic. It’s the best way to keep women in work and to close the gender pay gap.”

https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/half-working-mums-dont-get-flexibility-they-ask-tuc-survey