There has never been such a push for flexible working to be accommodated in the UK. Just last week, the government promised to strictly enforce employment rights for workers in the gig economy (such as consultants, manual workers, cleaners and delivery couriers). Whether it’s the most accessible job to find, the easiest to fit into your lifestyle or the best for a work-life balance, more people than ever are forfeiting the security of permanent, full-time work for flexible contracts.
It’s an industry monopolised by working mothers, who need flexible work to juggle childcare responsibilities, yet employers, recruiters and childcare services are yet to catch up with the growing market. Last week we reported that working mothers were losing out on a potential £1.3 trillion in earnings because they were forced to trade their experience and qualifications for flexible jobs that better fit their lifestyle.
While Jane Johnson, founder of Feel communications – a recruitment agency specialising in flexible work- is fighting that fight for us, there’s another untapped industry about to revolutionise the world of working parents. Cuckooz Nest is a pay-as-you-go workspace with an on-site crèche, allowing freelance or flexibly working parents to access childcare on a needs must basis.
It’s a service provided by few, and answers the demand for flexible child-care so well that they already have a 100-person waiting list. Their competitors, including Third Door in Putney, offer similar services but less flexibility, with monthly contracts the only option. Charlie Rosier, co-founder of the business, wanted her workspace to be as accessible as possible for working parents. We caught up with her to find out exactly how she was setting her business apart from the rest:
‘The difference of our space is that it is very flexible, you can really scale up how many hours you use the space depending on your work commitments and your child. So, at 6 weeks you might only want one morning a week where you need to get some emails done or make a few calls, or you might be project based and need space for 3 months but then not have another project for a few months. With Cuckooz Nest you can buy a bundle of hours and use them as and when you want, with 24-hour’s notice you can book through our app.’
The epitome of modern working, the idea was borne when Charlie was struggling to find affordable childcare as a self-employed business owner. Only able to take six weeks statutory maternity leave after having her first child, she realised that the statistic that childcare costs typically make up one third of household income in central London was all too real. Coupled with a lack of flexibility, the mainstream options just weren’t working for her:
‘I looked at nurseries but the problem with them is that you don’t really have much flexibility, it’s either 3 mornings a week or more that they want you to commit to. Being self-employed and also having such a young baby you want to have some flexibility, if you’ve had a bad night you want to be able to stay at home with your baby, not have to put them in nursery.
‘I then looked at a childminder who basically laughed in my face at the thought of me putting my six-week-old baby with them and I also looked at an au pair because that’s traditionally a cost-effective method. Again, I didn’t feel comfortable giving my six-week-old to an 18-year-old au pair, so really my only option was having a full-time nanny.’
Of course, full-time nannies aren’t the cheapest option, and Charlie quickly found out that employing a nanny for four days a week was taking up her entire salary. This first-hand experience was the foundation of Cuckooz Nest, when Charlie recognised that with 1 in 7 freelancers being working mothers, she mustn’t be alone.
It’s not just the lack of flexibility with mainstream childcare that Charlie is helping with her business, it’s also the stigma around working mothers that she aims to tackle in the new workspace. Creating a community of likeminded people is integral to her and business partner, Fabienne O’Neill.
‘There’s a huge guilt associated with being a working mum, you feel terrible for going back to work and leaving your child with a stranger, especially when they’re young. Many other people who work for companies with great maternity pay don’t understand why you would go back to work so early, so at Cuckooz Nest we’re building a community of people all in the same situation. There’s no judgement, it’s celebrated that your successfully juggling parenthood and a career.’
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So, will Cuckooz Nest be coming to a neighbourhood near you? With plans to franchise, it’s a real possibility. While the current space is located in Farrington, opening in Spring, Charlie has already been in talks to open a second workspace in Old Street. You never know, with the way flexible work is taking off, there could be a Cuckooz Nest for every McDonalds in a few years.