Call for job-sharing Welsh Government ministers

Welsh Government ministers should be able to job-share, according to a report by a group of AMs.

The assembly's equality committee wants ministers to take the lead on promoting creative, flexible working practices to other employers in Wales.

AMs say inflexible employers and discrimination mean mothers are more likely to be trapped in low-paid work.

The Welsh Government said it would consider the report and respond in due course.

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The report recommends that the Welsh Government "leads from the top", by encouraging senior leadership roles to be job-shared.

It also calls for a change in the law to allow job shares in roles such as ministers, public appointees and councillors, and that employers in Wales should receive specialist advice from the Welsh Government on how to deal with flexible working requests effectively.

Equality committee chair John Griffiths said: "During the course of our inquiry we heard some shocking individual experiences - women who lost their jobs during maternity leave, careers derailed because of the lack of flexible work, and fathers prevented from taking on caring responsibilities because of cultural attitudes.

"Preventing a large proportion of the population from contributing their skills and experience to the workforce is not fair and does not make economic sense.

"In light of technological, social and economic changes, now is the time to modernise workplaces so that they are fit for the future for everyone, not just parents."

"We believe the Welsh Government can set a standard in promoting flexible working, ensuring organisations in receipt of public funding are flexible by default and by reassessing its new childcare offer."