At Sustainable Talent and Partners, we’ve built a business around people – not just productivity. And that starts with how we treat our team.
Flexible working isn’t a ‘nice to have’ for parents anymore – it’s essential. Yet, outdated assumptions still linger. When a woman asks for flexibility, it’s often expected. When a man does, eyebrows are raised.
That’s not just unfair – it adds pressure on women, reinforces inequality, and deepens the gender pay gap.
It’s no wonder that in a recent UK survey: 73% of employees said flexible working is the most important factor when considering a new job 64% said they’re more productive when given flexibility Yet many still feel judged – especially men – when they ask for it
We believe flexibility should be for everyone.
At Sustainable Talent: 35% of our team are working dads 29% are working mums. That means 64% of our workforce are working parents – and on average, we have 1.3 children per head across the team.
And we don’t pretend that work should be the most important thing in their lives. It’s not. Family comes first – and we back that with action, not just words.
Just listen to our team:
Callum Rasmussen: “The biggest thing for me is having the opportunity to pick Cora up from nursery earlier some days to spend more time with her in the late afternoon – walk back home with her on summer evenings.”
James King (left): “Flexible working is something that Sustainable Talent 100% values and supports.
“Not only that, STL is a company which actively promotes it. I personally have a beautiful 7 year old daughter and know first hand how important it is to be able to remain present during her younger years.
“The flexibility that STL offers allows me to attend assemblies, do school runs, make it to Sports Days, to name just a few examples, and this is something I truly value.”
David Honey: “Going from a full-time teacher in school 10 hours a day to a full-time recruiter working in a really flexible business has been a game-changer for me and my family. Just the simple things, being able to drop the kids at the childminder, not stressing about missing Christmas plays and school events, spending more time with the kids before and after school. Just knowing that the business agrees with my philosophy that family always comes first and actually practices this philosophy is so refreshing and brilliant to be a part of.”
Callum McPhilbin: “Being able to start later if needed to help out with Maia is a dream – I don’t feel guilty if I’m needed as a dad at home for an hour or two during the week. It’s great and I really admire it.”
Whether it’s school runs, assemblies, after-school activities or dealing with family illness – we trust our people to manage their time. And we get so much more back in return.
We also know flexibility is only really flexibility when it comes with trust. If there are heavy restrictions, it’s not freedom – it’s control. And if someone abuses that trust? That’s a people problem, not a policy problem.
It won’t ever be perfect – but we’ve been intentional from day one, and every decision we make is rooted in our values.
Flexible working isn’t a gender issue. It’s a people issue. And we’re proud to lead from the front.
What’s your story when it comes to flexible working?
Has your business embraced it – or still figuring it out?
Let us know in the comments.
We’d love to hear how others are approaching it.
