Nursery World - Work-life balance debated

Ways to balance work and family life, flexible working, and closing the gender pay gap were at the heart of a policy debate held at the Treasury last week and organised by the Daycare Trust.

The panel consisted of Alison Garnham, joint chief executive of theDaycare Trust, Dr Katherine Rake, director of the Fawcett Society andKay Carberry, assistant general secretary of the Trades Union Congress(TUC).

Ms Carberry said that the Government needed to do more to argue the casefor the benefits of flexible working to employers.

She said currently three-quarters of the UK workforce do not have anyaccess to flexible working, but 90 per cent of people who are entitledto request flexible working get it.

The TUC published a guide with the CBI last week on diversity in theworkplace.

In his keynote speech, the Government's business secretary John Huttonsaid he had ruled out extending flexible working to all because hebelieved parents should have priority. He said, 'The Government willalways put families first. If we gave all employees the right to requestflexible working I think that employers would have no basis on who toprioritise, over juggling childcare and someone wanting to work flexiblyfor entirely different reasons.'

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