The Covid-19 pandemic presented us all with the challenge of having to work more flexibly. Whether it was transforming the smallest part of the home into an office or setting up a workstation at the kitchen table, our working lives changed dramatically whilst we adapted to working from home during the global pandemic.
Now restrictions have lifted, we have started to return to normality. Following this period of flexible working, however, The Flexible Working Bill was introduced to parliament in June 2021, to promote inclusivity within the workplace. With companies such as LinkedIn launching their new global #Flexiblels campaign and other large enterprises now offering various flexibility, it would appear to most that this is a new concept for companies to consider. But PG Paper have been a trailblazer of inclusivity since its inception – PG Paper was in fact launched by our founder, Poonam Gupta, at her own kitchen table back in 2003, and PG has been leading the way in supporting all its employees in the workplace ever since.
According to LinkedIn’s research, over half of working women have left, or are considering leaving a job due to a lack of flexibility. Despite this, there are still misconceptions and biases around flexible work. Research also showed that in the UK alone, 54,000 mothers feel forced out of the work-force every year after having a child. A staggering statistic, one that working mothers at PG Paper haven’t faced, for myself and other women returning to the business following maternity leave, have instead had their requests whole-heartedly supported. Flexi-time and part-time work is an integral part of the mix at PG, who are committed to encouraging all ambitious women in business, which is evidenced by a predominant female management team that continue to flourish under the business’ inclusive leadership style. PG Paper’s core values create a deep-rooted culture of family and inclusivity, which binds the whole business together.
Furthermore, members of the team work out-with the standard 9-5, to give them a positive work-life balance and to allow them to better serve the markets in which they operate. All flexible-working requests of course have to be treated on a case-by-case basis, and are reviewed to ensure that the change in work is not detrimental to the business, but PG are determined to do what they can to ensure that everyone is given a seat at the table of work.
Around 50% of women in the UK returning to the workplace have their flexible working requests rejected. This is why I personally feel privileged to work for a company which has supported me as a working mother, with both part-time and hybrid working, and enabled a work-life balance that allows me to continue my role within Management.
PG Paper was founded on being a pioneer in the paper industry, but has since grown to new heights, innovating further and pushing boundaries within all aspects of business. By trebling its turnover in the last 6 years and leading the way in inclusivity, PG Paper are a ground-breaking employer, forging their own path of success and demonstrating that inclusive employment is anything but a disadvantage.