Weekend working 'robs children'
Nicole Curnow
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Children are being starved of affection at weekends as more parents are forced to work unsociable hours to fit in with today's '24/7' culture, according to a study published last week. Research by the National Centre for Social Research found that one in three families in the UK had a parent who regularly worked at the weekend.
Research by the National Centre for Social Research found that one in three families in the UK had a parent who regularly worked at the weekend.
The study, based on data from the Labour Force Survey (1992 to 2003), found that two-parent families are more likely to have a parent working at the weekend than one-parent families. In 4 percent of families, both parents work at weekends.
Michael Clark, chief executive of the Relationships Foundation, the charity that commissioned the research for its Keep Time for Children initiative promoting family life, said he was concerned about the impact of this new 'time famine'.
'There is increasing evidence that lack of regular contact with and attention from parents can have a damaging impact on children's social and emotional well-being, not to mention their educational achievement,' he said.
Working Families policy officer Jonathan Swan said, 'Parents and families need employers to realise that their family life is as important as their working life.'
According to the National Childminding Association, demand for childminders outside the hours of nine to five and at weekends is on the increase. Chief executive Gill Haynes said, 'Childminding can offer greater flexibility, and we believe that more childminders will consider providing an "out of hours" service.'
Keep Time For Children: The incidence of weekend working is available for 15 from info@natcen.ac.uk. For more information see the website www.keeptimeforchildren.org.uk.
