Parenthood is no easy task at the best of times. The responsibilities are endless and time is always against you. You have to be their physically, emotionally and financially. It’s a full-time job in and of itself.
Of course we have Government Benefits that are in place to aid those single parent households, but, and I say this as an individual that has grown up in a single parent household, it’s not good enough.
That said, what can be done? Many single parents only get a few hours a day to potentially work – and let’s be honest, who is going to employ an individual for only a few hours a week? Why not reject and discard them in favour or someone that will be there whenever you want?
The working world can be a heartless monster – but it’s understandable why. Money makes the world turn, weather we want to accept that cold reality or not. Recruitment methods have been designed to make the process as emotionless and distant as possible. You’re just a name on a page – a page filled with thousands of other names.
Nobody wants to stop and think and become emotionally invested in an individual that’s raising a child single-handed in todays world. We all want to just carry on, focus on our own problems and turn a blind eye to it all.
Those few hours a week, however, can make all the difference in the world. Nobody that wants to work should be denied the opportunity.
“There were 2.9 million lone parent families in 2020, which accounts for 14.7% of families in the UK; the proportions ranged from 11.1% in the South East of England to 21.3% in Northern Ireland. There were an estimated 27.8 million households in the UK in 2020, an increase of 5.9% over the last 10 years.” – Office for National Statistics
These are individuals that deserve the chance to earn extra income when they can. Why are we living in a world wherein it’s all or nothing? Full-time on no time, zero-hour contracts and a Minimum Wage System – the name of which says it all. Minimum? Why does it have to be a minimum? Negative connotations aside, the entire system is designed to be a negative experience.
It doesn’t have to be this way. It’s 2022 and we’re using recruitment systems that are antique at this point. It’s time for a change. It’s time for single parents to have the opportunity to earn additional income on their own time, no matter how few hours that may be.
I believe that time is now.