You’re woken at 2am by a little voice calling out for you. They’re teething, they’ve got a temperature, or maybe they just need comfort. You soothe them, settle them back down, and crawl back into bed, only to be woken again at 5am. The alarm isn’t set to go off for another half an hour, but you’re up now and it’s time to get ready for the day ahead.
After that broken night’s sleep, you have to be out of the door by 6:30am because you’ve got an hour-long commute ahead. You’re in the office by 8am, the day is full-on, meetings stacked back-to-back, and the to-do list never seems to shrink.
Before you know it, it’s 5pm and you’ve got another hour-long journey home, dinner to make, bath time, bedtime… and somehow, you’re supposed to find time for yourself in there too.
This was my mum’s reality when I was little.
A two-hour round-trip commute, five days a week, no flexibility. She had no choice - it was just the way things were. She did it because she had to. And looking back, I honestly don’t know how.
Fast forward to now, and I’m a first-time mum to my toddler. I recently returned to work after a year of maternity leave, and having Yorkshire Housing’s flexible working policy has made all the difference. It allows me to balance my job and home life in a way that works for both me and my team. On top of that, my manager has been incredibly supportive, making it easier for me to transition back into work without feeling like I’m constantly on the verge of burnout.
It’s not just about women - many working parents, regardless of gender, are facing the same struggles. But for a variety of societal and historical reasons, the burden still often falls more heavily on mums. That’s why workplace flexibility isn’t just a perk, for many, it’s the difference between being able to work and being forced to step back entirely.
At Yorkshire Housing, we have Hub, Home, Roam. It means I can work from home, from our shared working space, from wherever I’m most productive. It means I can spend the time I would have used commuting on a morning walk with my son, loading the washing machine, or even squeezing in a Peloton class! It means that when he’s older, I’ll be able to nip off for school plays and sports days - things my mum only ever dreamed of doing.
But this isn’t just about convenience - it’s about long-term security too. Women in the UK have historically faced lower pensions due to career breaks, part-time work, and the gender pay gap. Many mums step back from full-time roles or reduce their hours to manage childcare, only to find it impacts their finances decades later. A lack of flexible working options forces some women out of the workforce entirely, making it even harder to build up pension contributions. If we truly want equality in the workplace, we need to think beyond just the here and now. We need policies that support women throughout their careers, making sure they don’t end up financially disadvantaged later in life.
It's a debate that’s dominating LinkedIn at the moment. I saw a comment on a post the other day that said "well, don’t have kids if you can’t manage them". Wow. As if raising the next generation of workers, carers, and leaders isn’t one of the most valuable contributions to society. The reality is, families exist, children exist, and supporting working parents benefits everyone in the long run.
I understand that flexible working doesn’t suit everyone and every sector. But for me, it’s been life changing. It’s kept my mental wellbeing intact, helped me be present for my son, and allowed me to still have a career I love. And on International Women’s Day, I want to say this: to the managers who get it, thank you. Because work-life balance isn’t just a “buzzword”. It’s what makes it possible for parents to balance everything, without burning out.
Some things have changed since my mum’s time. But not enough. Luckily years down the line my mum now has that flexibility and gets to make special memories with her grandson. And that’s why flexible working shouldn’t be a privilege, it should be the norm.