Nursery World - Provide childcare or give staff flexibility, says KCN

Employers must either introduce flexible working arrangements to enable parents to meet the care needs of their children, or invest in childcare provision to allow their staff a better balance between work and home life, according to the Kids' Clubs Network. The KCN said last week that employers were more likely to offer their employees stress counselling than help them with their basic childcare needs. KCN chief executive Anne Longfield called for 'individual work-life contracts' so employees' working hours are arranged to 'match lifestyle and access to childcare'.

The KCN said last week that employers were more likely to offer their employees stress counselling than help them with their basic childcare needs. KCN chief executive Anne Longfield called for 'individual work-life contracts' so employees' working hours are arranged to 'match lifestyle and access to childcare'.

The KCN's call coincided with the publication by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of two reports to mark last week's Work-Life Balance Week, which pressed for employers to adopt flexible working hours and to make their staff aware of them. The first report, Employed Carers and Family-Friendly Employment Policies, by researchers from Sheffield's Hallam and City universities, found that half the employees at six large workplaces offering family-friendly work options - such as compassionate leave, carer's leave, flexitime, shift-swapping and a voluntary reduction in hours - were unaware of them.

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