Press room

	Who we are:
			Working Families is a campaigning charity which helps children, working parents and carers and their employers benefit from a better balance between home and work. To this end we lobby government, work with the media and advise parents and employers alike on current law, rights and best practice. Click here for more information.
	Press Releases:
			Our press room allows you to download recent press information in MS Word format. Press releases are listed and summarised under seven headings: Conferences and Events, Services, Launch of Working Families, Policy and Legislation, Surveys, Employer of the Year Awards and Best Boss Competition. Click on the link to download the file.
			Latest Press releases Working Families response to extension of Right to Request Do you have Britain's Best Boss? Chief Executive Sarah Jackson awarded OBE
			Conferences and Events Where next for work-life balance? New conference on parents' rights Culture Change conference with David Cameron Companies to learn from the 'best of the best' at Masterclass David Cameron to launch Working Families culture change report Productivity major conference on the links between flexible working and business effectiveness Conference and report on the state of work-life balance in the voluntary sector Work-life Balance and the EU - What can we learn from Europe? Is the Future Grey? – A crucial conference on older workers
			Publications New guide for working parents of disabled children New study on absenteeism finds flexibility can reduce absence levels Daddy’s Home!: new 'dad to dad' life planner
			Services Dads have rights too Working Families launch new advice service for dads New online guide to negotiating flexible working Help now available for ‘short-changed families’ Free coaching service for parents who want to work flexibly What working parents of disabled children want New web forum for parents and carers Flexible working does work for small business Work-life web forum for the voluntary sector Champion of childcare for disabled children wins award
			Launch of Working Families New charity calls for family friendly working hours A new voice for working families The changing face of family life
			Policy and Legislation Working Families response to extension of Right to Request Carers get new rights Working Families comment on Childcare Today report Working Families response to Ruth Kelly on Women and Work Commission Note to journalists about Additional Paternity Leave Working Families response to the budget Working Families respond to Cameron's "Improving Society" speech Working Families calls for paid paternity leave and ‘teeth’ for parental rights legislation Working Families respond to the Government's proposals on work-life balance Working Families welcomes Government childcare strategy The Right to Request a year on: new report calls for the right to work flexibly to be extended to all employees Handbook on new flexible working legislation - the Right to Request Parents comment on the new right to request flexibility Work and Parents Taskforce Report - Comment by the Parent Representative on the Taskforce - Nov 2001 Research supports the case for a legal right to work reduced hours - Mar 2001 Response to Budget - Mar 2001 Welcome for Green Paper on Parents and Work - Dec 2000
			Surveys Part-time workers are more productive, says new Working Families research Warning: working long hours can damage your health! More time for families: tackling the long hours crisis in UK workplaces Working parents put family friendly working hours ahead of other benefits How to put the Life back into Work-Life Balance Survey - September 2002 Working and Caring in London Survey 2002 Quality of Life in the City Report 2001
			Employer of the Year Awards ::Employer Awards - 2006:: Launch of new Employer Awards Working Families Employer Awards has new sponsor ::Employer of the Year Awards - 2005:: Employers of the Year Winners 2005 Employer of the Year 2005 finalists announced ::Employer of the Year Awards - 2004:: Employers of the Year Winners 2004 Employers of the Year 2004 finalists announced Launch of 2004 Awards ::Employer of the Year Awards - 2003:: Employer of the Year 2003 Winners Winner - Scotland Finalists Launch of 2003 Awards ::Employer of the Year Awards - 2001:: Winners 2001 Winner - East Midands Winner - Eastern Winner - West Midlands Winner - North East Winner - North West Winner - South West Winner - Yorkshire and Humber Winner - South East Winner - Scotland Winner - Wales Winner - Northern Ireland Launch of 2001 Awards ::Employer of the Year Awards - 2000:: Winner 2000 Awards
			Best Boss Competition ::Best Boss - 2007:: Do you have Britain's Best Boss? ::Best Boss - 2006:: Winner of Britains Best Boss 2006 announced Does your boss make you desperate? Competition to find Britain's Best Boss 2006 launched ::Best Boss - 2005:: Best Boss 2005 Is your boss a tyrant or a pussycat? Two thirds of working Brits resolve to 'get a life' ::Best Boss - 2004:: Best Boss Winner 2004 Best Boss 2004 - Launch/Call for nominations ::Best Boss - 2003:: Best Boss Winner 2003 Best Boss 2003 - Launch/Call for nominations ::Best Boss - 2002:: Best Boss Winner 2002 Best Boss Runner-Up Best Boss - Special Commendation1 - 2002 Best Boss - Special Commendation2 - 2002 Best Boss - Special Commendation3 - 2002 Best Boss 2002 - Nominations ::Best Boss - 2001:: Best Boss Winner 2001 Best Boss - Special Commendation1 - 2001 Best Boss - Special Commendation2 - 2001 Best Boss - Special Commendation3 - 2001 Call for nominations 2001 ::Best Boss - 2000:: Best Boss Winner 2000

	Contact us:
		For a comment on working parent issues or further information on any aspect of our work, please phone Head of Services and Communcations Maggy Meade-King on 020 7253 7243 or email press@workingfamilies.org.uk
		Information on our Employer of the Year Awards and Best Boss competition is available from Ali Garfath on 020 7253 7243 If you would like to receive press releases from us, please fill out the form below or call us on 020 7253 7243 or email press@workingfamilies.org.uk

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	Please tick this box if you do not want us to contact you except in response to this form. Click for our privacy policy

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Summary of Working Families activities

Our goal is to create a working world which satisfies the needs of children, working parents and their employers. In this world, everyone understands that families need time together; employers recognise that both parents may want or need to play a key parenting role; access to high-quality and affordable childcare is available to everyone who wants it; our long-hours culture is challenged and changed; and everyone respects and accepts flexible working.

Our work with parents

• For all parents, we offer information on employment rights, flexible working, negotiating with your employer and childcare. Click here for full listing of our free factsheets, or click here for publications list.
• Our legal advice service helps low income families, lone parents and families where a child or parent is disabled, and covers employment rights, negotiating with your employer, and in-work benefits. In 2000, only 12% of callers to our helpline knew enough about their rights to be able to use them.
• Our Children with Disabilities project helps parents of disabled children who are working or would like to work. The project has a parents' newsletter "Waving not drowning", and a handbook for parents. We have also produced materials aimed at helping social workers and health visitors understand the needs of working carers and to support them. Click here for further information.
• The Best Boss Competition invites parents to nominate an individual manager who particularly makes it possible for them to balance work and home. Click here for more.

Our work with employers
By helping employers understand the benefits of work-life balance policies, and supporting and promoting best practice, we can make a real impact on the lives of many working parents

We run the Employer of the Year Awards to celebrate and promote good work-life balance practice. Click here to find out more.

We organise a programme of best practice events and training - click here

We have 250 employer members, 55% private sector, 45% public

Balancing Work and Home in the Voluntary Sector is a Lottery-funded project to promote work-life balance to the charity sector and to offer information and support to managers and trustees. Click for more

Quality of Life in the City is an initiative supported by Goldman Sachs, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Simmons & Simmons. It was launched in June 2001 by publication of a report into work-life balance employment practice among City institutions, based on focus group research carried out February and March 2001. Click for more

We call for:

• Family friendly working hours for mothers, fathers and carers
• A right to request flexible working for all employees
• Affordable, quality childcare and elder care
• Increased provision of care for disabled children
• Paid emergency leave for family reasons
• An end to the long hours culture

Click here to go straight to our policy page.

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