Attitudes to flexible working and family life

This report is the first to examine attitudes towards flexible working and family life. Drawing on a study of over 1500 members of the Amalgamated Electrical and Engineering Union (AEEU) and interviews with 53 AEEU shop stewards, the report:

· examines attitudes to, and uptake of, flexible working practices among employees who work full-time;

· compares the attitudes of women and men, those who do and do not have caring responsibilities and those at different occupational levels;

· considers the ways in which workplace culture and individual circumstances determine attitudes to flexible working;

· explores the career implications of flexible working.