Childcare

Why childcare needs to become an employer priority

Sadly, the recent news that almost a quarter of a million female workers are considering leaving their jobs due to a lack of adequate childcare support has come as little surprise.

Free childcare chaos leaves working parents unsupported

Working parents could be squeezed out of the workforce thanks to the government's confusing and understaffed free childcare scheme, experts have warned.

Time off is parents’ second biggest concern when kids are sick

Having to take time off work is parents’ second highest concern when their child is in hospital, according to research from MetLife UK, an insurance and employee benefits provider.

12 months of 2023: March

As we reach the end of the year, our 12 days of Christmas countdown revisits the key events of each month.

Half of parents consider quitting over office mandates

Half (50%) of UK working parents are looking for new roles because of their employers' return-to-office mandates, according to flexible childcare provider Pebble.

What to do when employees can’t get childcare

Trades Union Congress (TUC) research has found every English region is in a childcare recruitment crisis, so what can employers do if workers can’t access childcare?

Childcare in the UK becoming less affordable and reliable

The percentage of parents with children aged 0 to 4 who find it difficult to pay for childcare has increased from under a quarter in 2021 (24%) to around a third (32%) in 2022, according to new...

Could term-time working be a positive solution for both employers and parents?

It is that time of year again when children are eagerly awaiting the long summer break from school and many working parents are faced with the nightmare of both trying to find suitable holiday...

Fathers can’t afford paternity leave, finds TUC

Paternity leave is not taken at all by 21% of fathers, and financial worries are the biggest reason for this (27%).

Childcare costs forcing mothers to quit work

Three quarters (76%) of mothers who pay for childcare say it no longer makes financial sense for them to work, a study by mothers’ rights campaign group Pregnant then Screwed has shown.

Working parents warned to prepare for teachers’ strike

After an overwhelming vote for strike action by teachers, schools in England and Wales will close for seven days in February and March meaning working parents will have to arrange alternative...

Ford bolsters job shares with matchmaking app

Ford Motor Company has launched a matchmaking tool to help employees find potential partners for job shares.