Work Life Balance

In the UK employees work longer hours than those in Europe. This affects the quality of life for everyone but particularly for those with children. It affects two parent families where the breadwinner, usually the male, may not get the chance to spend time with their children and also means that the main carer is unsupported.

Work life balance can help everyone get a better quality of life, but for single parents it is crucial if they are to go back to work. For example, what happens when your child is ill and you can’t go to work. At worst an employee could be made to feel guilty or they may have to use their own holiday entitlement. Employers with good work life balance policies should offer ‘dependent days’ between five and ten a year, which you can take off either in the event of a child’s illness or maybe to attend a school sports day.

Other work life balance policies such as ‘flexi-hours’, and maybe the opportunity to do some work at home, can make working life as a single parent much more manageable. There are a range of policies that employers can adopt and some laws that they must adhere to such as the ‘Right to Request - Flexible Working’. This applies to people with children under six and disabled children under 18.

To find out more about flexible working and your right to take time off in emergencies go to www.direct.gov.uk

If you are thinking about returning to work it is important that you consider what type of working arrangement is best for you, if you take a job where the employers are unsympathetic and inflexible then you and your family may end up feeling stressed and unhappy. Don’t be scared to ask at an interview about work life balance issues, if an employer can’t tell you about their policies it may mean that they are not the best people to work for.

It is now easier to find employers who will look favourably on work life balance issues and once you have found a good employer your working life as a single parent will be much easier.

Listed below are useful organisations that can tell you the best way to go about finding the right work life balance for your family and also tell you what your rights are. Additionally there are links to sites which give you an idea of the basic rights employers must give you. 

Working Families also have a special help line for parents with disabled children www.workingfamilies.org.uk