25% of working mothers prioritise flexible working

New research has revealed that a quarter of working mothers cited a flexible working schedule as their number one priority in a new job.

CV-writing service TopCV surveyed 1,017 UK professionals to find out how the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic had affected their roles as workers and parents. It found that 85% of working mothers whose jobs were adversely affected during the pandemic are now looking to secure a new position.

The study asked what matters most to working mothers in a potential job, and discovered that a flexible working schedule and a good company culture were the top two priorities. Historically, salary and bonus, and career progression have ranked as the top two criteria, but these considerations were pushed to third and fourth place respectively.

According to TopCV, this data follows earlier findings which highlighted that nearly two-thirds (40%) of working mothers stopped working during the pandemic due to childcare obligations, with 19% reducing their hours since the start of the pandemic.

Amanda Augustine, careers expert at TopCV, commented that it is clear that many working women have discovered during the pandemic that in order to be a good worker and mother, they require more flexibility from employers, although this can mean different things to each employee.

She explained that some may wish to work remotely on a part-time or full-time basis, while others may be more interested in modifying their work day’s start and end times or having the freedom to pop out of the office or go offline when necessary without fearing repercussions.

“Employers that offer various flexible work arrangements will not only attract a more gender-diverse candidate pool, but they’ll also show their current employees, who are working parents, that they understand and care about their needs,” she said.