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Regular work+family updates for
HR and diversity professionals.
Ben Black's monthly summary of everything you need to know about work+family - female leadership, flexible working, gender diversity and a bit of childcare and eldercare news to boot...
Childcare funding challenges
Sam Gyimah is gradually getting the hang of the poisoned chalice that is the UK's childcare policy. There will be plenty of challenges in the coming year - will the switch from childcare vouchers really happen, and what does the offer of 30 free hours actually mean - are questions that will finally need answering. But having an eloquent, personable, working father in charge of answering those questions is helping get the industry vaguely onside. That in itself is an achievement.
Working dads continued to make the headlines
If we are ever going to reach that hallowed place where life-opportunity is not influenced by gender then dads need to be a huge part of the conversation. The best businesses realised that some time ago.
In that context it was good seeing the Management Today figures. One in 3 part-time workers is now a man. Best of all the roles are often senior and well-paid; real progress.
Female leadership ups and downs
Elsewhere the US military finally bowed to the inevitable, and admitted that women were eligible for ALL combat roles.
Impressively the number of women in the ranks of female billionaires has increased. They are still dwarfed by the number of men on the list but an increase of 7-fold in 20 years is still good going.
It wasn't all plain sailing though. The Sunday Times noted that the number of female directors at the UK's best private businesses has halved despite all the talk of gender-diversity. Hmm.
Eldercare in crisis
And finally more depressing news from the care sector; the care home market is effectively in crisis, not helped by Four Seasons (the largest private operator) aggressive private-equity backed gearing. Reduced Local Authority funding, an ageing population and appallingly short-sighted Government planning all to blame.
Best wishes for the year ahead.
Ben Black
