Money

Mumsnet makes noise about company silence on parental leave


The websites of FTSE 350 companies provide details about employee perks ranging from the availability of fresh fruit and snacks to details of eye tests and even massages, but most say little about their parental leave policies, according to Mumsnet.

Research by the online parents’ portal found that only 38 companies across the FTSE 350 and just under a quarter those in the FTSE 100 were clear on their websites about the parental leave options for potential job hunters.

Mumsnet was concerned that the absence of this information — which would typically include how much paid leave workers can expect and at what levels of remuneration — could deter women from applying to work in these companies.

The website pointed out that Greggs published details of employee discounts on its baked goods and Pets At Home gave information on paid leave to look after a new pet on its employee benefits pages, but neither mentioned parental leave options.

Mumsnet called on political parties to include a requirement for large employers to publish parental leave policies in their forthcoming election manifestos.

The Conservatives and Labour are competing to attract female voters ahead of the December 12 poll with family-friendly policies.

Labour has pledged to extend maternity pay and ensure that there are stronger protections for parents returning to work as part of its promise to close the gender pay gap by 2030.

The Conservatives have also revealed a “road map” for gender equality policies.

A survey of more than 1,000 parents and prospective parents conducted by Mumsnet showed that keeping parental leave policies hidden has an impact on those returning to work or looking to switch jobs.

More than 80 per cent of those surveyed said they were reluctant to ask potential employers about their practices on parental leave because they feared it “would make a job offer less likely”.

Two-thirds said they had found it difficult or impossible to find information about parental leave when considering a job.

Mumsnet wrote to the companies that had not published their policies to request clearer information. Four — Hiscox, J Sainsbury, Landsec and Standard Life — then published the information.

More than a dozen, including ITV, made a commitment to issue it in the near future, and a further eight said they would actively review this move.

Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet, said: “Our hope is that this sort of transparency will help close the gender pay gap and encourage a race to the top in terms of parental policies. For companies with over 250 employees, publishing policies may soon become a statutory requirement, so why not get ahead of the game?”



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