The Government this week releases a list of 113 “exemplar employers” who promote women-friendly policies such as flexible working.
The list of employers ranges from Lloyds TSB to smaller companies. The decision to choose examples of best practice was prompted after the Women and Work Commission recommended in 2006 the need for role models for promoting policies which encourage women in the workplace.
The companies on the list include those that carry out regular equal pay audits and those that draw up contracts which allow women to choose the hours they work and bank extra hours when business is busy. Some offer pre-maternity workshops so women can share the experience of working mothers.
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Link to report
The future of work is flexibility, says report
In ten years’ time millions of people will be working from home, juggling work and life issues, according to a report from the Chartered Management Institute.
Its report on the nature of work in 2018 outlines how employers will face increasing pressures to provide flexible working as employees vote with their feet. Providing flexibility over where they work will also bring demands for employees to be more flexible in how they work, says the report.
This means they may have to work shifts or be available on call depending on work demands. Many people will become “multi-employed”, working several days a week for a number of employers and work will become more project based, says the report.
Managers will need to be skilled in managing remote workers and skills deemed “female” such as emotional intelligence will come to the fore. All of the changes will be aided by improved technology.
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Government announces more tax credits for poorer working parents
Child tax credits will increase by £50 a year over inflation for the poorest working parents, the Government announced in last week's Budget.
This means that families with two children earning less than £28,000 a year will get £2 extra a week in tax credits. The move in this week’s budget is designed to encourage women to work.
From next October, child benefit will not be considered as income when calculating council tax and housing benefit. This means poorer families can still claim benefits while raising their income through working.
Child benefit will rise by £20 a week for the first child from April 2009. A new better off in work credit is also being introduced for partners of the unemployed or second earners.
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Conservatives seek to woo families
The Conservatives are proposing to let mothers pass any unspent maternity leave over to fathers after 14 weeks.
Tory leader David Cameron said it was about allowing parents to choose who looks after their children.
The Conservatives also unveiled plans to increase the number of health visitors by 2,700 to provide at least six hours support to families in the first two weeks after their baby is born.
They would also fund an hourly visit every two weeks for the first six months after a child’s birth and monthly contact until the child is one.
David Cameron said research showed a link between early development and better chances in adult life.
Speaking at the Conservative spring conference in Gateshead, he also announced a £10m a year fund for parents in the poorest areas.
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