September 7, 2018 
“If we want to achieve true gender equality, then everyone should have the same opportunities to flexible work.”
In this episode of our Lead Up Speak Up podcast series, we chat with Sarah Parker, one of the co-founders of Puffling, a rising job sharing platform.
Puffling came to be when 2 friends noticed a big problem in the market and in the way we work – and suffered from it first-hand as working mothers in senior roles.
For women, the trials and tribulations of returning to the workplace after having children are all too common. Sadly, as Puffling co-founders Sarah and Lija know well, this issue is multifaceted and there are various pain points to address.
Lack of diversity, flexibility and empathy mean that businesses often do not have equal representation in terms of gender; offer very few flexible options for those in mid- to high-tier positions; and are reluctant to accommodate the needs of parents, carers and students.
The Reality
– 1 in 2 women experience discrimination before, during and after maternity leave.
– 1 in 5 women will be made redundant, have their role changed, or end up resigning because part-time hours are not possible.
– 5% of CEOs and heads of businesses are female.
The Solution?
“We’ve created a community of experienced women who job share […] so that women can work part time without compromise – to yourself, your family, your employer or your team.”
And, of course, job sharing exists to benefit not only women but everyone, regardless of gender, age, life stage, position, industry, family life or educational situation. This is where flexibility meets diversity for the future:
“Work will be judged not for showing up and measuring clock time at a desk, but rather, the future of work means we will be judged (and employed) for the quality of work as is measured by our ability to execute on our ideas.”
