Flexible working: ‘I was an office boss who didn't get working from home, until motherhood changed everything’

• Michelle Kennedy, a former corporate lawyer, once dismissed flexible working
• But motherhood shifted her perspective on work-life balance and the need for flexibility
• She founded Peanut, a women’s community, with a flexible working policy that supports parents
• New research shows flexible working could unlock £10 billion for the UK economy
• Flexible working enhances multitasking, productivity, and work-life balance for parents

A CEO who once had little patience for employees requesting time off changed her mind on flexible working after a significant life event.

As a former corporate lawyer, Michelle Kennedy said she "expected everyone in the office", and struggled to understand the need for flexible working. But everything changed after she became a mother.

After leaving the demanding world of law, Kennedy transitioned into tech, rising to deputy CEO of dating app Badoo and serving on the board at Bumblef. The experience, combined with motherhood, shifted her perspective on work-life balance.

In 2017 – three years after having her first child – she launched Peanut, an online community for women.

Now Michelle runs her award-winning startup with a flexible working policy - two days in the office, three from home - designed to fit around the lives of her employees.

The mother-of-two admits: “I’ve gone from being someone who didn’t get flexible working to someone who can’t imagine running my business without it.

“I just didn’t appreciate how impactful life is on one’s role - not because I didn’t have a personal life but because I grew up in a corporate world where it didn’t matter.  You were in the office, come what may.

“That was the environment I grew up in, so my expectation was that’s what you do, that’s the discipline you have.  That unforgiving nature came from not really appreciating how people’s real lives connect to their job and their ability to perform. 

“What changed was having a child and becoming a mother. I realised that way of working just didn’t work. 

“And, the company would get far less from me if I was in the office 9 to 5, distracted by worrying about who was collecting my son from nursery and juggling everything during work hours. Then I had to commute on top of it - so I was far less productive.”

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Kennedy’s comments come as new research from Vodafone reveals the economic potential of flexible working for parents.

According to the study, giving new parents the option to work flexibly - rather than forcing them to take unplanned leave - could unlock over £10 billion for the UK economy.

Researchers surveyed parents across the country and found that 440,000 people currently out of paid employment would consider returning to work if flexible options were available.

Vodafone’s study also sheds light on the broader value parents bring to the workplace. Many develop skills while balancing work and childcare that benefit their professional performance.

According to the findings, 43% of parents say flexible working has improved their multitasking abilities. Around a third report better time-management (36%) and increased patience (also 36%).

Importantly, half of the parents surveyed said flexible working made them more productive at work.

At Vodafone, any employee who is having a baby (including non-birthing partners), adopting a child, or becoming a parent through surrogacy has access to its 80/20 policy for their first six months post-parental leave, from their first day at the company.

The 80/20 policy means new parents can work 80% of their contracted hours for 100% of the pay, benefits and holiday, for six months.

Kennedy says: “The belief that if you’re not chained to your desk, you’re not working is completely wrong. You’re working harder because you’re balancing work and person life..

“Staff are happy, productive, and willing to work outside of hours - not because they’re forced to, but because it works for their lives. What women can’t do is work and be childminders. That’s unrealistic. 

“But what we can do is skip the commute. And the time we save can be used productively, which frees up half-an-hour to collect our children or be there for something important. 

“It would be unfair to expect parents to manage full childcare while working. That’s not what flexibility is about. It’s about not missing the carol concert or pick-up. It applies to dads just as much.”

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