Should flexible working be available to everyone, or only to parents and carers?
We may be familiar with the phrase ‘work-life balance’, but some politicians now prefer to use the phrase ‘work-family balance’. They argue that government and employers have a responsibility to support flexible working arrangements for people who also care for young children or elderly relatives, but not for those who have other life aspirations. Others argue that a refusal to extend flexible working to everyone creates divisions and envy in the workplace that can be counterproductive. Jenni is joined by Ellie Lee, Lecturer in Social Policy at the University of Kent and Catherine Hakim, Senior Research Fellow in Sociology at the London School of Economics to discuss whether flexible working should be available to everyone, or only to parents and carers?
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