2/3 UK working moms struggle with inadequate childcare

Around 63% of working mums with primary school age children do not have sufficient childcare for the six-week school summer holidays, according to a new survey published by the TUC and campaigner Mother Pukka.

The situation is even worse for single mums; with more than three in four (76%) confirming they lack adequate childcare for the holidays. Working mums across the public and private sector reported huge challenges in balancing their work and childcare, with three in five (60%) saying they would find managing childcare in the holidays more difficult this year than previously. Of those who said they would find summer childcare more difficult this year: 

• Nearly one in five (18%) said they had used all their annual leave allowance already to accommodate home schooling during previous lockdowns. 
• One in five (20%) do not have their usual network of friends or family that they can rely on to help with their childcare this year. 
• Around one in eight (13%) don’t have access to their usual school holiday summer clubs. 

FLEXIBLE WORKING HELPS

Previous TUC research has shown that working mums have picked up the lion’s share of the increase in caring responsibilities during the Covid-19 lockdowns and school closures. This survey reveals that these school holidays will be yet another struggle for working mums. 

Mums told the TUC they are juggling a variety of means to try and manage their childcare during the school holiday; and many are relying on being able to work more flexibly than before to help them cope. Key findings from the survey revealed that:

• Nearly half (48%) of mums said they were managing caring responsibilities through some form of flexible working. 
• Around two in five (39%) will have to combine working from home with childcare. 
• More than one in four (27%) will work more flexibly than normal. 
• One in eight (13%) will have to reduce their hours at work. 
• One in eight (13%) will have to take unpaid leave. 

BALANCING CHILDCARE & WORK DUTIES

“Women have borne the brunt of the pandemic, on the front line in key worker roles and at home. Working mums picked up the lion’s share of caring responsibilities while schools were closed; with many sacrificing hours and pay to do so,” stated TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady. “But while restrictions may be lifting and ministers talk about us getting back to normal, working mums are still feeling the impact of the pandemic. Most mums told us they don’t have enough childcare for the upcoming school holidays and are now facing a huge challenge managing their work and caring responsibilities this summer.” 

It “shouldn’t be this difficult”, stressed O’Grady. “If ministers don’t act, we risk turning the clock back on generations of progress women have made at work. It’s clear parents are relying on flexibility more than ever to cope with the extra demands posed by the crisis. Let’s make sure everyone has stronger legal rights to flexible working arrangements. And I’d urge employers to be as supportive as they can to their staff who have kids, and not force them back to the office if working at home helps them balance their work and childcare.” 

CHILDCARE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED

There are approximately 62 days of holiday a year; and the average employee holiday allowance is 25 days. “The maths simply doesn’t add up,” according to Mother Pukka Founder Anna Whitehouse. “If we are going to recover from this pandemic and ensure the playing field is level for men and women at some point in the future, we need childcare to be part of our infrastructure – as important as roads, railways and signposts”

“If it’s tough for a two-parent family, have a moment to consider a single parent family. The current system has parents at breaking point,” highlighted Whitehouse. “Together with the TUC, I want to not just break the cycle; but rebuild a whole new way of working for parents which doesn’t leave them logging off from their careers or disconnected from their family.” 

GOVERNMENT ACTION

The TUC is calling on the government to: 

• Introduce a legal right to flexible work for all workers from their first day in a job and a duty to include available flexibility in job adverts. Flexible working can take lots of different forms, including having predictable or set hours, working from home, job-sharing, compressed hours and term-time working. 
• Introduce 10 days’ carer’s leave paid on full pay, from day one in a job, for all parents. Currently parents have no statutory right to paid leave to look after their children. 
• Invest in childcare. We need more funding for good quality affordable childcare throughout the year to support parents and help the sector recover from the pandemic. 

The TUC and Mother Pukka have also launched a petition calling on the government to introduce stronger rights to flexible working. Click here for more information.

Earlier this year, the TUC urged the government to strengthen rights and support for working parents, to avoid women’s equality being set back decades. Click here to read more.