Almost 3 in 5 young working parents in low-paid sectors don’t know about their parental rights at work.

A TUC report published today (Friday 1 September) finds almost half (47%) of low-paid young mums and dads are struggling to balance work and childcare commitments, with 2 in 5 young parents feeling penalised when they asked for flexibility at work.

The new study of more than 1,000 low-paid mums and dads is part of the TUC’s new campaign for better jobs for mums and dads. A survey and focus groups with parents on low pay found that today’s irregular working hours are to blame for parents finding it harder to manage work and childcare.

There are over 265,000 young working parents in the South West. The region has also seen a significant growth in insecure work, with agency work, zero hours contracts and low paid self-employment accounting for a third (33%) of new jobs between 2011 and 2016.

People working on insecure contracts often don’t qualify for vital employment rights that help balance work and home life, yet are often touted as offering flexibility for those that need it.

However, as today’s report shows, the reality is that young mums and dads in insecure jobs are more likely to be given shifts at short notice and work irregular hours that leave many young parents at the mercy of indifferent employers. One in four (26%) parents told the TUC they had their shifts changed at short notice, and one in five (19%) are given their rota less than a week in advance.

Parental rights at work The last few decades have seen positive changes to employment rights for mums and dads as a result of campaigns by trade unions and parents, including maternity and paternity leave and pay. Currently these rights are only available to workers with “employee” status – meaning 1.5 million workers don’t have access to these rights if they become parents.

The TUC report also found more than half (58%) of mums and dads working in low-paid sectors like retail, hospitality and social care didn’t know what rights at work they were entitled to. Nearly two in three (63%) weren’t aware of their right to unpaid parental leave.

As a result, half (49%) weren’t using one or more of their legal rights to time off which meant they use sick leave or holiday to cover childcare. One in three (29%) had resorted to taking annual leave to cover their child being sick in the last year – and some were even prevented from leaving to look after their children in an emergency.

TUC South West Regional Secretary, Nigel Costley said: “Too many workplaces expect mums and dads to forget all about their kids as soon as they walk through the door. But it’s a nightmare to plan childcare when your boss changes your shifts at the drop of a hat, and you never work the same weekly hours twice.

“Many parents fear losing shifts, taking unpaid leave or being viewed badly at work if they need time off to look after their kids. And it is shocking that some mums and dads are being stopped from taking their children to hospital when they are sick.

“All workers should be given notice of their shifts at least one month in advance. Everyone at work should get the same parents’ rights from day one – and everyone should be given written information about these rights.”

“My advice to working dads and mums is this: join a union today. Your union will make sure you get your legal rights to time off to look after your kids.”

The TUC is calling for: • all workers – including mums and dads - to have the right to be notified of their shifts one month in advance.

• All working parents – including zero-hour contract workers, agency workers, and those in casual work – should have access to the same core parental rights from day one in their jobs.