Lack of flexible job options may be driving women out of the workforce

Research by jobs site Indeed also found the majority of lone parents surveyed struggled to find work due to a lack of flexible working options

A return to pre-pandemic workplace habits disproportionately affects women and single parents. Picture: Pexels

A return to pre-pandemic workplace habits is disproportionately affecting women and single parents in Ireland’s tight labour market, a study suggests.

Research by jobs site Indeed found that the majority of lone parents surveyed struggled to find work due to a lack of flexible working options, while almost half of mothers and female carers believe Ireland is now a worse place to work than it was 12 months ago.

The report also showed that out of 1,000 workers and job seekers, 62% of women reported having to take unpaid leave due to their caring responsibilities, while 73% reported having had to call in sick, in comparison with just 48% and 59% of men respectively.

Jobseekers still have something of an advantage due to low unemployment levels and a chronic skills shortage and Indeed’s vice president of the EMEA sales division Derek Diviney said employers who provide “meaningful supports” for parents and carers “are more attractive to a broader pool of talent and will experience higher levels of employee retention".

CSO findings indicate the push for a full return to the workplace has negatively affected participation among women workers. Picture: File

The report echoes separate findings from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) which indicated the push for a full return to the workplace, instead of remote or flexible hours, has negatively affected participation among women workers.

In the first year of the pandemic, the CSO's authoritative Labour Force Survey found, female unemployment jumped by a larger amount compared with males in the three months to the end of September 2020 due to the sectors affected. 

However, gains were made in female employment levels as flexible working arrangements became the norm. CSO research published earlier this year revealed the number of women working from home increased by 306% between 2016 and 2022. The number of men working from home rose by 114% in the same period.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

Meanwhile, over 70% of respondents in the Indeed research said that flexible working should be a legal right for parents and carers, while 81% believe that the Government should incentivise employers to offer more flexible working options.

This follows the right to request a flexible working arrangement for parents and carers, which came into force in recent months.

Almost all of the female participants in the research said they were more likely to stay in a job which provides supports for parents and carers, including flexible working, onsite or subsidised childcare, and employee support groups. 

Separate findings published earlier this year from a survey of more than 160 pension advisers, undertaken by the Independent Trustee Company (ITC), showed women also also vastly underprovided for when it comes to retirement planning, due to career breaks often associated with caregiving responsibilities.