Codestone

Category: Workforce Mobility

Extending home working benefits can be a key part of creating fairer and more equitable employment conditions for female staff members.

Michelle Singleton, assistant policy officer for trade union Unison, stated that flexible working should be made a universally available option to help women break through the "glass ceiling" that prevents career progression.

She said allowing staff members to work flexibly is vital to improving work-life balances among staff, but noted that there is currently a stigma attached to the option as being solely for women who are also carers.

Ms Singleton therefore suggested that opening up access to home working will bring these benefits to more staff members, while also addressing the misconception that it is only for mothers.

"If ... people realised that it is a necessary thing for general wellbeing and mental health and balancing everyone's life, then that bias will be taken away," she explained.

This comes after Opportunity Now published research earlier this week suggesting that 82 per cent of women feel that having to balance their working and home lives is causing an impediment to their careers.

Posted by Lara Ward