Nearly half of female teachers who have requested flexible working have had their request denied, a conference has heard. The NASUWT’s Women Teachers’ Consultation Conference saw hundreds of female teachers gather in Birmingham last week.
A real-time poll at the event found that 45 per cent had had requests turned down and that three-quarters of schools did not have a flexible working policy. Half of the teachers did not believe that colleagues in their school working reduced hours had been given a “workable” timetables.
General secretary Chris Keates said: “Women are being denied their rights to flexible working. Spurious arguments, feeble excuses and blatant discrimination are being used to turn down requests. Even when women are granted flexibility, the unfairness and exploitation continues with many teachers still expected to undertake work-related activities on days they are not supposed to be working, invariably without payment.”
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