Adamson, M. and Beauregard, Alexandra and Lewis, S. (2025) Working parents and flexible work: contemplating gendered patterns and inclusive futures. In: Williamson, S. and Parker, J. and Donnelly, N. and Gavin, M. and Ressia, S. (eds.) Research Handbook on Gender, Work and Employment Relations. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, pp. 72-83. ISBN 9781035302550.
Abstract
The gendered nature of flexible working has been widely debated in employment research. This chapter explores changes and continuities in the use of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) by working parents in the UK pre- and post-pandemic. Our review brings together research on both mothers and fathers, examining factors shaping parental uptake and organisational offering of flexibility. In merging these literatures, we highlight how post-pandemic use of FWAs by parents builds on prior trends and we consider the potential of this crisis to reshape gendered patterns of flexibility. We argue that the pandemic has accelerated fathers’ use of FWAs for care purposes and helped to destigmatise flexible work, offering some grounds for optimism regarding future gender equality in the workplace. However, it remains to be seen whether organisations will undergo the structural and cultural change necessary to realise and sustain meaningful shifts in gendered FWA usage that would secure benefits for both parents and employers.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Book Section |
|---|---|
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Business and Law > Birkbeck Business School |
| Depositing User: | Alexandra Beauregard |
| Date Deposited: | 10 Jun 2025 15:36 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Jun 2025 15:36 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/55478 |
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