Let’s Talk About Flex

BLOGGER Anna Whitehouse, otherwise known as Mother Pukka has been travelling the country to spread the word about her campaign for flexible working and improved career options to help people gain a healthy work – life balance.

VIVA writer, Kerry Cabbin caught up with Mother Pukka, to find out what, 80’s tunes, spandex and flash mobs have to do with it all, and how you can join the #FlexAppeal campaign

Anna said: ‘Working life has pulled a massive U-turn with the Internet and other pixelated goods that means, we can sit in the tinned goods aisle of Tesco if we choose and still make shit happen.

‘With flex appeal we are pushing for people to be judged on their ability to produce good work and not on if they sit at their office desk past 6pm.

‘It’s a win-win for employee and employer in most cases, because flexible working means happier staff, lower costs and greater productivity’.

Anna explains: ‘The whole drive is based on one stat: 86% of companies believe they offer flexible working, while 77% of women in the workforce have faced discrimination or lost their job on maternity leave.  The core focus of our Flex Appeal is to get companies to sign up. We’ve already seen John Lewis, BT, BP, Virgin Money signed up, plus 70 more since launching the appeal’.

Shelly Wolstenholme, 30 from Greater Manchester is a first time Mum, to baby Scarlett. She is currently on maternity leave and is already worrying about her return to work and how she will manage being a working Mum, Shelley said: ‘I’m haven’t yet worked out what hours I will be able to do when I return to work, after maternity leave. My job is not the kind that you can do from home so, don’t think that would be an option for me, but flexible start and finish times to fit around childcare would be ideal.

‘I’m hoping to negotiate, going back part time and feel lucky that my employer is flexible like that, but I do worry about the finances, and the cost of nursery fees.’

The campaign exist alongside some serious shape throwing, which sees the yummy mummy squad, (and Dad’s, Grannies, in fact, any willing friends and family members) flash mob across , UK cities, with their Let’s talk about flex dance routine.

The next flash mob will take place at London’s Trafalgar Square, on Friday 31, March, at 12pm, we also know that Gloria Huniford will be there with BBC’s The One Show.

To join the campaign you can pledge your support here.