Making Work Flexibility Fair for Everyone This Summer
Rethinking Work Flexibility for All This Summer
Summer can be a juggling act. Between school holidays, annual leave, and shifting team availability, managers are often at the heart of balancing workloads and making sure everyone feels heard. But as requests for time off or flexible arrangements roll in, a crucial question often gets overlooked – How do you make sure the whole team feels included, not just those with children or caring responsibilities?
That’s such an important question. Flexibility shouldn’t feel like a reward, it should be a way of working that supports everyone. It starts by listening to what people need, whether that’s study time, wellness breaks, or focus hours – and creating a culture where everyone’s time is respected equally.
Why Work Flexibility Matters
The workplace is changing. We’re seeing a generational shift in how people view family life, and it’s already having a ripple effect on workplace dynamics. According to the Office for National Statistics, 50% of women born in 1990 were childless by age 30, the first cohort for whom that’s true. And the BBC reports that women who turned 45 in 2018 were twice as likely not to have children as their mothers’ generation.
At the same time, we know many working parents still need support to balance their responsibilities. The key isn’t to place one group in opposition to another against the other, but to make sure flexibility is inclusive, not exclusive.
The Hidden Pressures of ‘Picking Up the Slack’
Recently, The Non-Mum Network founder Samantha Walsh sparked headlines with her Daily Mail article about being expected to work extra hours, cover shifts when colleagues’ children were sick, and take a backseat when it came to booking holidays. As a childless woman in retail, she felt her personal time was consistently valued less.
And she’s not alone. A study by ResumeLab found:
- 74% of workers believe parents are treated better at work than non-parents
- 87% believe working parents receive more benefits
- Non-parents reported being asked to do more overtime, take on greater workloads, and have their requests for time off deprioritised
While the study was US-based, Walsh’s experience, and the strong reaction it generated, suggest similar dynamics exist in UK workplaces.
As a manager, this isn’t about choosing sides. It’s about creating a culture where no one feels like they’re constantly picking up the slack,and where flexibility doesn’t come at the expense of fairness.
4 Ways to Create Inclusive Work Flexibility This Summer
1. Be open about workloads
Summer is a great time to bring the team together and set expectations. Who’s off when? What’s the capacity like? If someone needs time away, how will work be covered, and how can that coverage be recognised and rotated fairly?
2. Ask everyone what work flexibility means for them
Rather than only responding to childcare-related needs, make it a habit to ask the whole team what kind of flexibility would help them thrive. It might be time to study, space for creativity, or even quiet mornings to focus. Build this into 1:1s to show you value everyone’s life outside work.
3. Avoid assumptions when approving time off
It’s easy to feel sympathetic to childcare emergencies, but that shouldn’t mean non-parents’ needs get overlooked. Everyone’s reason for time off is personal and important. Show consistency in how leave and flexible requests are handled.
4. Share the load and the gratitude
If someone covers for a colleague, acknowledge it. Rotate duties wherever possible so it doesn’t always fall to the same people. Fairness isn’t just policy – it’s the everyday actions that help a team feel respected.
A Final Thought
As more employees delay or opt out of parenthood altogether, we need to rethink what work-life balance really means. If we only design work flexibility around caregiving, we risk leaving a growing part of our workforce feeling excluded, or worse, undervalued.
At Parent & Professional (P&P), we believe that inclusive, family-friendly workplaces means just that – inclusive. Whether you’re a parent or a professional without children, we’re committed to helping organisations build cultures that make work and life work together, for everyone.
Inclusive flexibility starts with recognising that every employee’s time matters. When managers take the lead in building fairness into their summer plans, everyone benefits, from stronger morale to better performance, and a culture people genuinely want to stay in.
For more on how to support managers, visit our Inclusive Leadership page.
Looking for more practical advice? Read our latest blogs – Can You Handle a Flexible Work Request? and How to Lead When Your Team’s Working Patterns are Flexible.