A TUC survey has found that 71% of working mums who have applied for furlough following the latest school closures have had their requests turned down. The job retention scheme currently allows employers to furlough parents who can’t work due to a lack of childcare, but the TUC says many mums are missing out as the scheme is not promoted to parents – 40% of all mums were unaware that the furlough scheme was available to parents affected by school or nursery closures. Working mums told the TUC they were struggling with the strain of being expected to carry out their jobs as normal, while balancing childcare and home-schooling. They were also concerned about being treated badly by their employers as a result: 90% said that their anxiety and stress levels had increased during this latest lockdown and 48% were worried about being treated negatively by their employers because of their childcare responsibilities.
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