How to make flexible working for parents work for you

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Flexible working for parents can help them to manage their lives – and their work – in a way that supports their families and the businesses they represent. Beth Turner, Director of Learning and Development at Robert Half explores how to get the balance right – and create an environment in which everybody thrives

Flexible working for parents has come a long way in the past decade, businesses are more open and employees expect more flexibility. Technology has helped everyone to work from anywhere, and the pandemic certainly accelerated this trend. But, the cultural evolution of businesses has allowed more freedom, more trust and more control in the working relationship. Also, more men are taking care of children or sharing the responsibility more equally - as businesses evolve, so do the roles of working parents.

So, what can businesses do to improve flexible working for parents? It’s not about doing everything for them; it’s about providing an environment in which conversations can happen, and working patterns meet the needs of both. Here are three things to consider.

Businesses are comprised of formal systems, which include policies and regulations, and informal systems, which relate to culture and leadership. A business can have all the formal systems in the world, but if the leadership team isn’t championing flexible working for parents, no one will believe in it and take advantage of the policies in place.

Fixating on a 9am meeting, which cuts through someone’s school run, can create unnecessary tension. Whereas simply moving it to 9.30am will help people to feel more relaxed and therefore more productive in that meeting. Leaders may not be clear on how to run their teams differently, so leadership training is key.

Employee networking groups are also a clever idea and an extension of informal support. They create a space to hold conversations and raise awareness of particular issues. For example, in Robert Half’s 2025 UK Salary Guide, 34% of employees agree that they would like some kind of on-site childcare, but only 21% of employers have anything like that in place. Progress on big issues like this can often start with a simple informal conversation.

Shared parental leave is helping young families to split the responsibility of newborn care, but it doesn’t have to stop there. There are plenty of ways a business can help once a parent returns to work.

Access to part-time hours means they can return to their job, but do so in way that allows more family time. Moving from full-time to part-time hours will usually involve some kind of application – and it is critical to have a discussion about how to make it work – but it can be an excellent solution in the early days. Mentors can also help with the adjustment process.

Meanwhile, there is a raft of policies to help parents to manage their working day: compressed hours, working Monday to Thursday, and a novel idea – ‘work where you want summer’ – can provide flexibility when parents need it most.

Leadership training and parent-friendly policies are just two sides of the flexible working triangle. Clear communication means that good intentions and support mechanisms can work in practice.

It starts with clear communication from senior leadership on what is acceptable in different scenarios. This allows the manager to have an open conversation about responsibilities, so both employee and employer can discuss challenges sand agree the best way forward. And, importantly, once they have agreed on something, no parent wants to feel guilty about arriving to work later or leaving earlier.

That means ongoing clear communication across the business about flexibility and instilling a culture to support the policies. Everyone has a role to play. At its heart, flexible working for parents is about knowing that someone has caring responsibilities. It’s not about leaders and managers shouldering those responsibilities; it’s about personal responsibility within the support network of a business. And it works best as a collaboration.

Businesses can improve flexible working for parents by encouraging the right behaviours through leadership, cultivating an open mind to different ways of working, and gluing both together with clear ‘no guilt’ communication. Arriving at a 9.30am meeting feeling relaxed is far better than being late – and stressed – at 9.10am.

For more of the latest advice on flexible working from Robert Half check out our insights page.

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