Larger companies offer more flexibility to returnee mothers

Larger
companies are more family friendly and offer more support and better
flexibility to parents according to a survey of 1,200 mothers.

The
research, conducted by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT), shows that 86 per cent
of mothers working at firms with over 500 staff feel their employer is family
friendly – offering part-time work, flexible hours and good maternity packages.

However,
this compares to 76 per cent of mothers working at organisations with under 20
employees who feel the same.

The results
of the poll, published in Practical Parenting magazine, finds that 13
per cent of women returned to work within three months and 60 per cent were
back after six months.

It suggests
that mothers would welcome provisions for extra leave in the Government’s
Employment Bill as 79 per cent wanted to be their child’s main carer for the
first year while only 29 per cent actually achieved this.

Belinda
Phipps, chief executive of the NCT commented: "Our survey of parents with
a baby or very young child reinforces the message that employers who support
flexible ways of working have a happier workforce and make a real difference to
the lives of hundreds of thousands of parents."

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Ross Wigham