Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats pledged to provide more family friendly ways of working in their manifestos and these translated to a joint commitment to, "encourage shared parenting from the earliest stages of pregnancy".

Whilst it is not yet clear what this might mean in practice, before the general election the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats made pledges to:

This latest global business survey from Regus clearly shows that flexible working practices are now mainstream across the world. Offering employees flexible working conditions (defined as being able to choose when and where to work), reduces costs, contributes to business performance, improves motivation and productivity, helps access a wider talent pool, and helps retain employees through an improved work-life balance.