An interesting article on the BBC news website
When the right to request flexible working was extended to all employees in 2014, the move was heralded as a game changer in the workplace.
With anyone eligible to ask to work from home and/or reduce their hours, it seemed that a narrative long synonymous with working mothers and childcare had finally broadened in scope.
Yet it appears we are some way off the level playing field anticipated. While technology continues to blur the boundary between home and the office and the rise of the gig economy demands more workplace agility, it seems childless employees are still experiencing a bias that makes a work-life balance a pipedream.
“From accommodating religious commitments to managing long-term medical conditions such as anxiety and depression, there are many reasons why people need to work flexibly, but many employers still view this as a privilege just for parents with young children,” says Kate Headley, director of consulting at The Clear Company, which helps organisations recruit staff from a more diverse base.
“Instead, they need to open up their thinking to adopt flexible working and attract a whole new talent pool of qualified people that either can’t or choose not to work traditional hours.”
And for freelance social media director Georgie Gayler, who doesn’t have children, a bias over formal flexible working requests is only part of the story.
In her experience inconsistencies are rife and unquestioned across a number of informal arrangements, from time off automatically given when children are ill to leaving work early or coming in late to accommodate their needs…..
click here to read the full article
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