I was delighted yesterday to launch the new report from the all-party group I co chair with Jess Phillips MP. We were joined at the launch by Caroline Dinenage MP, the Minister for Women and Equalities.
Our group has carried out a year-long inquiry into "women returners" who are coming back to the workplace after time out to have children or to care for a relative. They face all kinds of challenges, and discrimination, in getting their careers back on track.
The report’s main recommendations are as follows:
Equalise Statutory Maternity Pay and Statutory Shared Parental Leave Pay so that couples are not financially penalised if they choose to take up Shared Parental Leave.
Government to enable mothers who are self-employed to claim a form of ‘Statutory Maternity Pay’ and re-examine how the self-employed are treated for maternity and paternity related benefits.
Government to work across all departments, in consultation with disabled user groups, to map and better understand what is needed to help women with disabilities to secure employment and progress within the workplace.
Government to consider offering more flexible, targeted support to a smaller number of parents for whom free childcare is most likely to make the biggest difference.
Every workplace with 250 or more employees should have a carers policy detailing organisational support available for those with caring responsibilities.
Employers with 250 or more employees should consider putting in place paid returner programmes or returnships with guaranteed training, advice, and support.
Government to take further steps to diversify the apprenticeships sector by specifying that a percentage of apprenticeships should be part-time or flexible.
Employers should promote best practice through a flexible working kitemark with official accreditation and assessment to increase flexible working visibility and actively encourage the uptake of flexible working.
Schools should ensure that information about self-employment and entrepreneurships are on the curriculum at secondary and sixth form level.
You can download the report in full. Do please get in touch if you have any questions or comments - this is not the end of our work on this by any means.