Having children is holding Londoners back

Sad truths revealed

Nearly half of parents based in London feel they have been held back at work after having children, according to a new survey of 2,000 UK adults.

One in six (18 per cent) claimed to have been passed over for promotion while the same number (18%) has been denied a pay rise after giving birth.

The study was commissioned by AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), a leading professional body for vocational accountants, who are examining attitudes to women in the modern workplace.

Take a look at some of the shocking stats from the study:

• Eleven per cent of Londoners said they had been told that having kids would be detrimental to their career opportunities, and eleven per cent are putting off having children for the time being as a result.
• Nearly a third of parents in London also say their boss isn’t supportive when they need to take time off due to childcare.
• One in ten people in the region believe that women and men should not be paid an equal amount for the same work.
• And an incredible 30 per cent of London respondents think that the gender pay gap should be bigger for mothers.                                                                                                                                                      
• 21 per cent of adults in London have been paid less than their opposite gender for doing the same job.

Olivia Hill, Chief HR Officer, AAT said: “The results of our survey are a sad indictment on our workplaces and the experiences of mothers and fathers.

“Across the UK, a third of women believe that having a child has had a negative effect on their career, a figure which is three times as many as men, and shows just one area where women have a harder time at work than their male colleagues.”

Hill added: “After having children, men and women can experience the working world differently.

“Despite solutions such as shared parental leave coming in, the onus is still that women will generally pick up on childcare arrangements, and ultimately it is more likely to be their career which will be affected.

“Organisations can still do more to redress the balance if the gender gap is to truly become a thing of the past.”