Balancing work with being a parent is the reality for most mothers and fathers today. Most men, and some women, work full-time when their children are under school age. Others work part-time and some do not have paid work, but work at home looking after their children. For working parents employment involves having to balance their children's needs and the needs of their partner (if they have one), with the demands of their job and the responsibilities they have in the workplace. A major issue for most parents is finding the sort of childcare that they feel happy with, and having the money to pay for it. Even if a parent has chosen to stay at home, they too will probably need additional childcare support at some point, whether it's to go out for an evening, to allow them to undertake training or if there is a family emergency. The law recognises that working parents and pregnant women have specific needs and there are several laws that deal with these factors.

 

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Last updated: 12th February 2008 at 02:02:03