Between October - December 2018, the female employment rate was 71.4%, which is the highest it has been since comparable records began in 1971*. The male employment rate was 80.3%. 9 million women were working full-time and 6.3 million were working part-time.** With stats like these it has become increasingly difficult for parents to juggle work and child care. Last week was probably a difficult one for mums and dads across the country as they sought to balance work with school midterm.
Maggie Old, Director of HR and Support Services, explains “For those of our staff with children, half term and school holidays are often a logistical and costly nightmare. It forces them to either take annual leave or juggle childcare with work whilst trying to be mum or dad as well as recruiting, running payroll, or dealing with day to day work issues. We thought that it would remove a lot of worry, so we welcomed our staff’s children between the ages of 5-16 into offices throughout the UK.
Whilst this is first BYKTW day with Kelly UK, we do offer work from home opportunities when available and some flexi working so we can work
around our staff’s demanding schedules. As the old saying goes, make sure you work to live, not live to work.’
London - Meet Louise and Ethan (aged 9)
Louise is our Client Liaison Manager with her son Ethan
What did Ethan think about his day at his mum’s work?
‘He loved it. He said he liked listening to mummy work in the office and meeting mummy’s boss that I talk about all the time. (in a good way of course 😊)
What would Ethan like to be when the grow up?
‘He wants to be a You Tuber which is tells me is an actual job (really! I’ve got some work to do)’
Birmingham - Meet Mary and Zebalon (aged 6)
Mary is on of Kelly’s Engineering Recruitment Consultant
What did Zeb think about his day at his mum’s work?
“He had a great time at the office, cleaning out desks, getting everyone’s breakfast and playing with all our desk toys.”
What would Zeb like to be when he grows up?
“He wants to be a cricketer when he grows up at the moment! 😊”
Nottingham - Meet Claire’s girls, Esme and Poppy (aged 12 and 7)
Claire is a Recruitment Consultant in our Nottingham branch.
What did Esme and Poppy think about their day at mum’s work?
“The kids loved it, Esme liked the building and thought the toilets were cool?! Poppy liked lying on the sofa and watching Hairspray on Mummy’s phone! They liked the meeting room – it was good for singing in! And the ‘spinny’ chairs, they would both like to come back with Mummy in the next school holidays.”
What would the girls like to be when they grow up?
“Poppy wants to go on adventures and save animals and Esme wants to be a famous dancer/actress, as long as she can perform she will be happy!”
*https://www.forwardrole.com/blog/2019/03/women-in-the-workplace-a-look-at-female-employment-in-the-uk
**https://www.catalyst.org/research/women-in-the-workforce-uk/