‘Mum’s the word’ for creating a happy, productive and successful business

55% of mums who have returned to work after maternity leave feel their career has taken a backwards/sideways step – with figures for London and the East of England reaching over 60%
83% of mums who have recently returned to work feel employers should offer more flexible working opportunities; while 63% wish they could work from home
74% of mums who have recently returned to work after maternity leave have found it difficult to juggle child care and work
My Home Move develops new employee model to help mums find their place in the workforce and create business success

55% of mums, who have recently returned to work from maternity leave, feel their career have taken a backwards or sideways step, new research from My Home Move has revealed, jumping to 65% in London and 60% in the East of England.

Alongside this, 63% of new mums wish they could work from home and 83% state more flexible working opportunities should be made available for mothers returning to the workplace.

The research conducted by the UK’s leading provider of mover conveyancing services, comes as it announces plans to expand its National Network of Conveyancers (NNC), a ground-breaking employee model which allows experienced conveyancers (residential property lawyers) to work from home, set their own hours to fit around childcare commitments, while still experiencing the full benefits of being a full-time employee.

Commenting on these findings, Doug Crawford, CEO of My Home Move, said:

“For too long businesses have put themselves first and the needs of their employees second. At My Home Move we have turned this on its head, to enable our working mums and dads to experience levels of flexibility within their role, which would be difficult for them to find anywhere else. We trust our people to deliver on their work commitments and in return we respect their need to balance their work with their family life.

“Our experienced NNC conveyancers can set their own hours and manage their own portfolio of clients; and as full employees, they receive exactly the same benefits as our office based people. We provide the training, technical equipment and daily support, so our conveyancers can manage cases as if they were situated in one of our offices.”

With 70 experienced conveyancers already working as part of its NNC, located across the country, My Home Move plans to expand its network over the next 12 months; providing a range of conveyancing and managerial opportunities for the candidates.

Continuing, Doug Crawford said:

“Our research also revealed that 74% of mums who recently returned to work have found it difficult to juggle work and child care commitments. As such, we offer all of our mums and dads childcare vouchers, as well as the opportunity to change their hours so they can make school drop-offs and nursery pick-ups.

“To us it’s very simple; a happy employee is a productive employee and the success of our business is intrinsically linked to providing our staff with a great place to work.”

Over the last two years My Home Move has increased its transactional volumes by 25%, to cement its market leading position in mover conveyancing. Each year it helps over 50,000 people to move home, and since 2013 it has been presented with over 30 industry awards for its exceptional service. Earlier this year it acquired Leeds based firm Advantage Property Lawyers, meaning it is now on track to complete 100,000 mover transactions a year.

Earlier this year the Government announced an additional £5million would be made available for ‘returnships’ – to help those returning to work after long career breaks. When asked if people thought ‘returnships’ would help ordinary mums who had taken a career break to return to the workplace, 54% responded yes, with 16% saying they weren’t aware of the scheme.

Regionalised findings

The research also found that overall; mums in London seem to have the hardest time when returning to work after maternity leave, holding a top three position, when the findings are regionalised.*

Percentage of mums who have returned to work after maternity leave and feel their career has taken a backwards/sideways step (Top 3)

London – 64.8%
East of England – 59.9%
North East – 59.9%

Percentage of mums who’s requested for a change in their hours after maternity leave, to help them accommodate their family needs, WASN’T granted (Top 3)

London – 25%
North West – 10.4%
East of England – 10%

Percentage of mums who agree with the following statement – Since returning/when I returned to work after maternity leave, I have found it difficult to juggle child care commitments and work. (Top 3)

West Midlands – 82.3%
London – 79.3%
South West – 79%

Do you ever wish you could work from home? (YES) (Top 3)

London – 71.9%
Northern Ireland – 68%
South East – 66.6%

Commenting further, Doug Crawford said:

“We know that London can be a difficult place to buy a property, however it also seems a tough place for parents wanting to return to work after having children – especially with the long commutes on public transport, childcare costing around 33% more than the rest of the country** and a fierce jobs market. As such it is no wonder we see so many families relocating out of the capital to find a better work-life balance. However based on our model, it is possible to retain your best employees by offering them the career flexibility they need. ”

For further details on My Home Move and its current vacancies please visit www.myhomemove.com/careers or email [email protected]

Kindly shared by My Home Move