How does supporting families support us all?
Our discussion in The Green Room
As part of our Deloitte Yearbook, we’re revisiting some of the standout conversations from The Green Room podcast.
Over the past year, the series has explored the big questions shaping business and society, with each episode bringing fresh perspectives from experts across Deloitte and beyond.
This episode asks How does supporting families support us all?
As the world of work evolves, businesses need to do more than offer flexibility as a perk. Today’s workforce is navigating complex family lives alongside careers.
So, how do we design workplaces that are good both for families and businesses? Jackie Henry MBE, managing partner for People & Purpose at Deloitte UK, and Anna Whitehouse, journalist, founder of Mother Pukka and the force behind the Flex Appeal campaign, joined us in The Green Room.
Five things we learned from this episode:
1. The pandemic shattered old work structures
During COVID-19, “a sledgehammer was taken to the nine-to-five” says Anna Whitehouse, exposing the outdated assumptions baked into work patterns. The Industrial Revolution model - “men went out and earnt [sic] the bacon and women cooked it” - no longer fits modern life.
Flexible, inclusive working should be the norm. But while technology unlocks new freedom, some organisations are starting to favour a return to presenteeism. There are leaders once again assuming, “if I can’t see you, you aren’t working.”
2. Flexibility must be supported by culture
Flexibility without the right culture means added barriers and difficulties. Jackie Henry stresses the importance of removing friction from processes, so people can actually use the policies put in place to help them.
While some teams thrive on flexibility, others resist it, believing it will open the floodgates to flexible working. Anna argues that opening them isn’t enough, and it's about “smashing those floodgates down,” to create a workplace where different needs are accommodated without resentment.
3. Emotional intelligence is becoming a core leadership skill
At one leading bank, the chief operations officer asked each of his team members a simple question: “What is the rub in your day?” That small question uncovered issues ranging from separation anxiety to caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s. By encouraging the team to collaborate on solutions, productivity saw a 30% rise in three months.
This example highlights the business benefits of shifting from IQ‑only leadership to leaders with strong emotional intelligence, or EQ.
4. Flexible and inclusive working is a business imperative, not an employee benefit
Anna cites Stanford research that shows hybrid working can reduce staff turnover by 35% and sick days by 12%, without affecting productivity. The reality of flexonomics speaks for itself nationally too: if every business embraced inclusive working, studies suggest it could boost the UK economy by £55 billion.
There is a lingering idea that workplace culture is about “ping pong tables in reception” or “helping mummies see more of their babies.” In fact, it's about hard results - enabling companies to make more money through fewer sick days, better retention and higher productivity.
5. Transparency and listening are essential to creating inclusive workplaces
It’s important for hiring managers to be transparent about flexibility when advertising roles. It’s also vital for leaders to listen to their employees, a key to understanding what people actually need to do their job effectively.
From closing the gender pay gap to reducing burnout, supporting families supports everyone.
As Anna puts it: “Hold the woman who is holding the baby.”
Inclusive working is how organisations thrive.
Contact:
Mark Heads
Podcast and Brand Content Execution Lead
mcheads@deloitte.co.uk
