HR Industry News

Encourage lone parents back to work with flexible working

— 5 March 2007 —

The government must do more to stress the benefits of flexible working to employers and job seekers alike, if it is to meet its target to get more lone parents back to work – according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development CIPD).

At present, 55% of lone parents work, but the government is keen for the UK to catch up with other parts of Europe. Finland and Denmark lead the way with an 80% employment rate and the government has set a target to get 70% of lone parents into work by 2010.

In plans outlined by John Hutton MP, single parents could stop receiving child benefit when their child reaches 11, rather than 16. He hopes this will encourage more single mums and dads to find work.

The CIPD’s employee relations adviser, Mike Emmott, said tougher benefit rules encouraging lone parents to take advantage of available childcare provision to fill vacancies, would help increase the number of lone parents able to enter the jobs market.

However, he added that the ability of hard-pressed lone parents to hold down jobs and perform well in them also depends crucially on the availability of flexible-working options.

Lifeworks Project Director, James Slater has criticized the move, saying current lack of infrastructure to accomodate single parents, turns the toughened benefit law into a punitive action, rather than a gesture of encouragement.

The government’s push to get more lone parents back to work will be limited in scope without more organizations offering flexible working options to working parents. Working parents need support, not pressure, to enter the workforce

James Slater, LifeWorks Project Director at Ceridian UK Ltd.

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