HIGHLY-QUALIFIED mothers are being excluded from full-time work because of a lack of flexibility in jobs, according to a report.
A study by the IPPR think-tank found that two-thirds of working women were unable to vary their start or finishing times, while one in four said it was difficult to take an hour or two off work to attend to personal matters at short notice.
The report said the UK had a "particular problem" with a lack of part-time work in skilled jobs for highly qualified workers, leading to mothers working part time in jobs below their skills level.
Women in Sweden and the Netherlands are more able to adapt their working hours than those in the UK, said the report.
The research also showed that women who work part time in the UK are seven times more likely to let care duties dictate their working hours than men in part-time jobs.
More than two-fifths of women who work part time do so mainly to take care of children or disabled adults, compared with 6% of men, said IPPR.
The report revealed that a third of women in part-time jobs were not happy with the amount of hours they work.
Dalia Ben-Galim, IPPR associate director, said: "Employers are missing out on top talent and highly qualified women are working in low-skilled jobs. That's a missed opportunity for both employers and employees.
"How work is arranged, and employees' level of autonomy over working hours, can have a big impact on how well people reconcile paid work with other commitments.
"An important indicator for flexibility is how employees' hours are set, and who has control over this. For example, fixed starting times set by an employer may conflict with the varying and changing needs of families.
"Flexible working in its current, reduced-hours form simply isn't flexible enough. The prevalence of rigid scheduling, especially in low-income jobs, often means that even reduced-hours work is not sufficient for meeting the more spontaneous demands of care-giving."
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