Parents and carers
You told us in our inclusion and diversity survey that more support was needed for parents and carers.
Caring for others whilst holding down a steady job can be difficult, and a lack of flexibility from your employer can make it hard to maintain a good work-life balance – causing even more pressure.
Challenges to address
Pregnancy and maternity still slow down women’s career progression. The time new parents need to spend with their children often isn’t valued. People needing to adapt their working hours to care for others can find it very stressful to arrange.
Returning to work after a break to care for others can also be difficult, due to not knowing what to expect and how to best manage the workload. There’s also an increase in mental load, as you have more to think about and catch up on.
Breaking the barriers
Read about the achievements and experiences of others:
- It’s a balancing act: six pharmacists tell the PJ about parental leave and what to consider when returning to work.
- Flexible working – why is it so hard to arrange? (link to be added soon): Flexible working can be essential for everyone at particular life stages, says RCPharm Head of Professional Belonging Amandeep Doll.
What you can do
If you’ve been on parental leave and are returning to work, our Returning to practice guide for members includes practical advice and tips to help you return to the workplace with confidence.
If you’re a parent and carer who would like additional support in navigating your career, you can watch our webinar from 25:00s on building confidence as a parent and carer how it will help you thrive within pharmacy:
What we’re doing
Our parents and carers campaign aims to reduce the burden on you and remove barriers to inclusion in the workplace.
- We want you to be able to choose flexible working so you feel supported in the workplace as parents and carers. We’ll hear from pharmacists who have achieved this and will outline how to ask for flexible working.
- We’ll challenge negative attitudes to parents and carers through a brand new guide to the microaggressions you experience in the workplace.
- We want you to have better support when you return to work after time off for maternity, parental or carer’s leave and will help you understand what you’re entitled to.
- We want you to understand your rights in the workplace and will signpost you to get help.
We’re working to achieve real and lasting change for pharmacy through challenge, advocacy with our profession, partners and contributors within and outside of pharmacy.
Inclusion and diversity blogs
Many RCPharm members have written about their experiences in promoting and fighting for Inclusion and Diversity in pharmacy.
To discover their stories and learn about how their experiences, background and culture have shaped who they are today, browse through our collection below.
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Empowering inclusive leadership through the North West IPP Toolkit and steering group journey
Pharmacy leaders in the North West are driving meaningful cultural change through a co‑produced IPP Toolkit and a collaborative steering group, empowering teams to embed equity, diversity and belonging into everyday practice.