Will having kids change my work life?

Introduction

Having a child should not mean that you cannot have a career. Different people will have different opinions on whether this applies in practice, but most will agree with the sentiment behind this statement. From maternity and paternity leave policies to workplace flexibility, there are a number of factors that can affect how having children impacts your work life. As part of our focus on The Modern Family, we wanted to explore this issue further and see how Pinsent Masons Vario accommodates employees both with and without children.

Expectations

Traditionally, there has been an expectation that most people will want to have children when they reach adulthood. Whilst this has never been absolutely universal, it still has global application across a range of different cultures. However, today a growing number of people spend more time preventing pregnancy than allowing it.

So, why might this be the case? The Child Action Poverty Group estimate that the cost of raising a child in the UK has increased to almost £160,000.00 for a couple and £200,000.00 for a single parent household. Cost is by no means the only factor which has contributed to this trend: the development of effective contraception, the empowerment of women and changes to maternity/paternity leave law have all also played their part.

We asked a number of Vario staff members whether they felt they were expected to have children. The general theme with responses was that none had ever felt professional expectation and very few had felt there was an expectation from family members or friends.

Workplace Interaction

If it is becoming more common for staff not to have children, this means that there will, over time, result in a greater mix of staff with and without children working together. There is a perception that employers lean on childless staff more than those with children because they are viewed to be more accessible employees. It is true that childless employees do not have to consider childcare issues, but it is not right to assume that they will be more available and willing to pick up extra jobs because of this. By treating childless staff in this way, you can create a culture where employees feel like they cannot say no at work when asked to go beyond reasonable boundaries.

If an employer thinks that childless employees are better for business, it would be logical to assume they account for this in hiring decisions. Even though being a parent is not one of the Protected Characteristics under the Equality Act, Pinsent Masons takes a strong stance that it would be wrong to dismiss a candidate based on their family situation.

Workplace interaction doesn’t just mean between the employer and the employee; it also covers how employees interact with each other. Parents may have less time for socializing or informal networking, while non-parents may struggle to relate to the challenges colleagues who have children face. This potential disconnect stems from there being fewer shared life experiences across a workforce. However, this can be a strength rather than a weakness. If a team has a strong and clear shared purpose, the diverse life experiences within it can allow each individual to come into their own by offering their perspective. Creating this culture is a key fundamental of leadership and is something Pinsent Masons Vario have previously discussed in conjunction with Kieran Holdcroft of Cushman & Wakefield.

Social Events

Social events are probably the most obvious stumbling block for an employer balancing the needs of employees with and without children. Penfold estimate placed the average cost of full-time nursery care for one child in the UK at £1,106.52 per month. If a social event takes place in an evening, babysitters might be needed on top of this. With costs mounting up, this effectively excludes single parents with young children from these occasions unless they can count on another family member to look after their children.

Equally, it is worth saying that evening work socials are not a bad idea. For many employees they are the preference. A growing focus on shared parenting, both after divorce and in continuing relationships, means that they are more, not less, accessible than they used to be for parents.

The best way to tackle this is to offer a range of events at a range of times and venues. Not everybody will be able to come to every event, but as long as they are represented and considered, this is generally not a problem. Pinsent Masons take this approach by offering family-friendly social events or by providing alternatives for parents who are unable to attend.

Benefits

The final question to consider in this article is, how can an employer ensure their benefits system is fair to both childless employees and parents. Maternity and paternity leave (and pay) are protected by law in the UK, but this doesn’t mean that employers should just not think about them. This article has already mentioned a growth in shared parental responsibilities, and this can be extended to cover early childcare. Offering extensive family leave policies can allow male employees to take additional leave when their children are young to help act as a primary care giver. Given that it is classed as family leave, this policy can apply equally to childless employees provided that the internal definition of a family matter is sensibly interpreted.

Following a common-sense approach like the example above, allows employers to carefully craft their benefits so that a situation that covers a parent, might also cover a childless employee. Flexible working arrangements are another application of this. Being able to work from home is extremely beneficial for parents (in particular during school holidays), but there is no reason why this couldn’t also be afforded to childless employees.

Conclusion

This article started with the premise that having a child should not mean you cannot have a career. The modern family can take many different forms, but the principle remains. Although it appears that there is no longer an expectation on employees to have children, there still seems to be a lingering idea that you need to treat an employee differently if they do. Accepting the diversity of the workforce is a good starting point. However, careful attention must also be given to the interactions between staff, employee benefits offered, and social events organised to make sure that discrimination is avoided.

This piece is part of our Modern Families campaign.  Read more about the wider campaign here.