Inflexible working

A key issue for many returning mothers is being able to adopt a flexible working pattern. Women are far less likely to return to their pre-birth employment in workplaces where there are no family-friendly arrangements in place, such as flexible working, or childcare support at work. One in six women change jobs after becoming a mother, mostly because their employer could not offer part-time or child-friendly hours, suffering a pay penalty as a result.

The EHRC research shows that the worst industries in this regard are arts, culture, leisure, agriculture, fishing, mining, manufacturing, utilities and trade, where women are substantially more likely than average to report a negative experience.