This month as we celebrated International
Women’s Day and Mother’s Day, I pondered about what stops mother’s from realis-ing their full potential.
For a long time, I believed that becoming a working mum would simply mean adding children to the life and career I had already built. I thought I could maintain a full-time role, progress professionally, and raise a family without having to compromise too much. The reality was very different.
After my first child was born, maternity leave quickly taught me that caring for a baby required more time, energy, and emotional labour than any job I had ever done. Returning to work meant leaving the house before 7am to commute into London, missing mornings with my child so I could benefit from “flexible hours” that allowed me to be home by 5pm. Yet despite this flexibility being officially offered, I was often made to feel like a part-timer for leaving before 5pm.
Effort and loyalty were measured in hours spent in the office, not in out-put, and that inevitably shaped how I was perceived within the team. Even with family support for childcare, I felt exhausted and burdened by guilt: guilt about being away for so long and about missing important moments in my child’s early development.
When I had my second child, I chose to take an extended maternity leave. Living on one income changed our lifestyle, but it allowed me to be present during those formative early years. When my child turned three, I was ready to return to work, not just financially, but because I wanted to use my skills again and regain a sense of balance and fulfillment.
What surprised me was how difficult it was to find work that genuinely fitted around family life. I needed school hours and flexibility around drop-offs and pick-ups, yet there were very few roles that valued experience while accommodating those realities.
That changed when I joined Viva Slough, a small community interest company offering true flexible work-ing. Five years on, I’m still there, and that longevity matters.
Flexible working isn’t about working less; it’s about working differently.. At Viva Slough, flexibility is built on trust and accountability. There is no guilt attached to leaving to collect your children, but there is a shared understanding that when deadlines are tight, everyone steps up. The result is a highly committed, efficient team.
This approach has enabled the ór-ganisation to grow, retain staff, and build loyalty. When people feel trusted and respected as whole human beings, they work harder, stay longer, and contribute more.
If organisations want strong, resilient teams, flexible working cannot be treated as a perk. Done properly, it is a strategic foundation for success.
Amandeep Mangat is the Deputy Leader of Viva Slough and her role includes helping women who have taken a career break back into employment
