Juggling childcare with a busy workload is often such a problem parents struggle to find jobs that are flexible enough to fit their lifestyle. According to research from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, as many as 54,000 women lost their jobs in 2016 due to maternity discrimination. And it discovered one in five mothers experienced harassment or negative comments related to pregnancy or flexible working. It is why Daisy Chain, an online platform that connects parents with family friendly employers, was launched by founder and director Louise Deverell-Smith. Being all too familiar with the challenges many working mums face, Louise wanted to bridge the gap. “After working in recruitment I became more aware that many mums were missing out on employment due to employers not being flexible to mum’s needs, especially when it comes to childcare,” she says. Louise met several companies who said they wanted to help women work flexibly, but could they put their money where their mouths were? “Yes, they could!” says Louise. “And on Daisy Chain there are employers who want to connect with parents and prove they are family friendly, flexible companies to work for. Companies such as Savills, Knight Frank, CBRE, Rendall & Rittner and Gerald Eves (to name just a few). “Since we launched 2017 we have attracted people (that happen to be parents) such as lawyers, finance directors, marketing managers to sales executives. Daisy Chain is free for parents where they can match and connect with employers to enhance their careers and work-life balance. Parents can register and provide information about their likes, interests and what they are looking for in a role. Daisy Chain then matches them to potential family friendly employers and if they are interested then they will get in touch. Crucially, parents can state when they are available, staying on control of their time. “I know how hard it is going back to work having had a baby, not to mention just going to work in the morning and dealing with the feelings you may have about whatever ‘mum’ issues arise,” says Louise. “So in addition to our ‘match + connect’ service, working mums and dads can also find helpful advice from our Daisy Chain contributors, including our fashion stylist, confidence coach, fitness and nutritionist expert, to help you along the path of being a parent!” Louise Deverell-Smith is founder and director of Daisy Chain
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