Even though the
law states that it is illegal to discriminate against part-time workers and
that part-time workers must be treated no less favourably than
full-timers, with the same terms and conditions on a pro rata basis, many of
the UK's 2.8 million part-time working mothers
face discrimination on a daily basis.
"Shift patterns that make life hard for working mothers
could be considered to count as indirect discrimination" warns Stuart McKellar, a Director of the Honiton office of
nationwide people management specialists HR Advantage, commenting on recent
research by mothers' charity Maternity Alliance that found that women often
take jobs that are well below their skills level in order to find flexible
work.
"Many mothers are forced into taking badly paid part time jobs as the only way to balance their work and domestic responsibilities" said Stuart. "The onus is on employers to prove that they are not discriminating if a change in existing shift patterns creates problems for working mothers".
"Recent Employment Appeals Tribunal rulings have sent a clear message that companies must treat part-time workers fairly, regardless of seniority" explained Stuart. "Many parents want to work flexibly so that they can balance work and home life. Employers who want to recruit and retain the best workers, reduce absenteeism and create a more motivated workforce need to recognise that they should put in place flexible working policies that support work-life balance and staff's childcare needs, and make sure that their managers fully understand these policies. Employers can also help by providing current and new employees with basic childcare information" continued Stuart "such as providing contact details of local registered child carers and information about Child Tax Credit and the Working Tax Credit (which contains support for childcare)"
Childcare vouchers and employer subsidies schemes allow employers to support their staff with the costs of childcare. Financial support given through these schemes can be exempt from National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and tax for employees and free from NICs for employers.
"Working mothers should be seen as valuable members of the work force" concluded Stuart. "The skills required to successfully run a home and bring up children - multi-tasking, flexibility, planning, delegating, organisation, staying calm under pressure, meeting deadlines and negotiation - are also important in the workplace. Well run companies value these skills".
