Attitude to working mums has changed, say experts

Since mothers have been given more flexible working patterns, attitudes towards them in the workplace have changed for the better, say a group of experts.

The British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (BAWE) president Tatjana Hine said: "People are obviously more flexible, we try and be more flexible in regards to our time regarding children and that I think is vital."

She added: "It is very important because we understand how difficult it is."

The new flexible working patterns were introduced in April this year, extending the right to flexible working for all parents with children under the age of 16.

They are subject to a number of stipulations, for example, employees must not be agency staff, and must have worked continuously for at least 26 weeks on the date they make their request, nor can they have made another statutory request during the past 12 months.

Ms Hine's comments come after data from the Office for National Statistics highlighted that two-thirds of three and four-year-olds go to school and children in the UK today are attending school earlier, which could mean mums get back into the workplace quicker.

The Focus on Children report shows that in UK schools the figure has risen from 21 per cent in 1970/71 to 64 per cent in 2007/08.