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![I donโt know who needs to hear this ๐๐ปโฅ๏ธ
But senior nurse lucyannewood got in touch and wanted me to share here.
Flexible working is not even a โnice to have at this stageโ, the NHS is on its knees as the staffing crisis continues and its one clear, cost-effective solution.
Thanks to Lucy, 13 more nurses have stayed in the NHS. Hereโs to tomorrow and many more ๐ฉ๐ผโโ๏ธ๐ฉ๐ปโโ๏ธ๐ฉ๐ฝโโ๏ธ๐ฉ๐พโโ๏ธ๐ฉ๐ฟโโ๏ธ. Want to help flexnhs? Share this post so others can see it can - and should - be done.
#flexappeal #nhs
**For context: Since 2018 weโve been working with flexnhs to find a way through the quagmire of flexible working inconsistency and pressure faced by those operating in a world of life and death. Weโre talking 12-hour shifts where nurses then go home to care for a risk-hungry toddler; weโre talking doctors doing keyhole surgery and life-saving procedures on no sleep. Then thereโs those who work for trusts and across administration Sellotaping together our prized institution. Huge thank you for our sponsor wearemcalpine lyndathwaite who funded the Flex Forever: Flexible Working Beyond a Crisis report that has been referenced throughout the NHS. Sir Robert McAlpine wanted to support Flex Appeal because of the high number of men who die by suicide on construction sites every year. This isnโt solely about mothers โฅ๏ธ.**]()
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2025-09-25 16:52:56
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![This ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐ฅฒ
So many of you have been in touch about losing your job on maternity leave. I never forget the deep-rooted anxiety trying to feed my colicky newborn at 3am while worrying that I wouldnโt have a job to return to. If you are an employer or covering for someone on maternity leave, please know this: itโs one of the most vulnerable times in a womanโs life. On a pure biological level. Your hormones are all over the place. You are leaking from everywhere. You often arenโt sleeping and you arenโt sometimes able to even walk out the door. You are giving everything humanly possible to the mewling life form in front of you. And while itโs an incredibly privileged position to be in, itโs a full-time job: one that breaks you down into many Lego pieces. So among trying to rebuild yourself and raise a ๐ถ๐ผ, if it becomes clear your maternity cover is going to replace you; that you donโt feel secure - and thatโs basic financial security - it can take you to a fairly dark place. Returning to work isnโt a โnice to haveโ for most. And reassurance, kindness - from employer and maternity cover - isnโt much to ask. Itโs also illegal to push someone out in this way, so thereโs that, too.
#flexappeal
**Iโm wearing a perfect white T-shirt from feminist brand stripeandstare. There is no better fit out there. ๐ถ๐ผโs easy-melt maize snack ellaskitchenuk**]()
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2025-09-23 00:10:07
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![This ๐ฅฒ
Itโs burning scars, leaking boobs, knackered eyes; itโs 4.13am and desperately Googling blackout blinds.
Itโs love on another level but tiredness that saps mind, body and knackered parental soul. Itโs the best thing Iโve ever done and, equally, the worst when home alone trying to piece together fragments of mind, career, body and self.
Itโs Mother Natureโs biggest task; the toughest job in the world but without fair remuneration. Economies thrive on the unpaid care and work of women. (Insure.com has just released its 15th annual Motherโs Index, which totted up the unpaid work mothers typically do at home and placed it at an annual salary of ยฃ107, 709 โ a 4% increase from last year.)
So when someone asks โwhat do you doโ? Youโre not โjustโ anything. Youโre a mother. Iโm a mother โฅ๏ธ
**And yes, thank you linkedin for finally adding โparentโ to the job roles drop-down menu. Itโs not โtime offโ to care for your family, itโs very much time ON.**]()
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2025-09-21 23:58:47
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![Itโs astounding that these comments are still here in 2025 ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป
Iโm exhausted by the flexible working conversation always centreing on women and pregnancy. Without the division of childcare being equal, the gender pay gap will continue widening.
Bottom line: the vast majority of men I speak to WANT to work flexibly but arenโt allowed. Companies step up ๐๐ป
#flexappeal]()
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2025-09-16 17:10:50
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![Over the moon to be the key note speaker at Future of Work Europe 2025 this November at excellondon. My biggest speaking gig yet; this means a great deal.
Iโll be sharing the full journey of #FlexAppeal โ the campaign that helped get flexible working into UK law and proved that flexibility isnโt a perk, itโs a right.
If you care about inclusion, balance and breaking the 9-5 mould, come be part of the conversation.
๐๏ธ 25th November 2025 | 09:20-10:20 | EXCEL London
๐ค โFlex Appeal โ From Campaign to Changeโ
โจ Use code ANNAFOW20 for 20% off tickets โ valid for 1 week only!
๐ Secure your spot - link in bio.]()
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2025-09-15 19:23:38
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![This ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป
Stop forcing everyone back to the office five days a week. Where is the research proving itโs โgood for businessโ? There is NONE. By contrast the biggest survey of its kind across 3 million tech and finance employee has found no increase in profits forcing everyone back. BUT what it does is force top female talent out of your business. Which widens the gender pay gap. And decreases profits. Go figure ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ
So please donโt stop fighting against this nonsense. The 9-5 was born in the Industrial Revolution when men earned the bacon and women cooked it. Well, itโs a brave new world where we are all earning and cooking - so businesses, itโs time to get with the equality programme. Before you lose cold, hard cash. And your best female talent.
Happy Friday ๐
#flexappeal
Evidence: โreturn to office mandates and brain drainโ (Ding et al)]()
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2025-09-12 23:43:40
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![When secretspauk pixibeauty rehabyourhair make you feel a million bucks officialntas
Run by my wonderful friend emilyperkssecretspa this is one business run by a busy mother for busy mothers - anyone, really โฅ๏ธ. Manicures, pedicures, home facials and anything else you need to feel less knackered.]()
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![Hungover but make it fashion loveandroses.
The best cure on the iconic belmondbritishpullman to celebrate thewhitmoreโs new collection. Accessible โ๏ธ and this dress is wipe-clean โ๏ธ. The only two words needed for my maternal wardrobe. Well done thewhitmore itโs stunning ๐๐ป ๐๐ป ๐๐ป ๐๐ป ๐๐ป and thanks for your support of Flex Appeal. It means the ๐.
๐ท georgeonaboat]()
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2025-09-11 22:01:22
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![Have never loved a dress more rosa_clara for officialntas ๐
In hand-painted โsuffragetteโ purple to match my tattoo. Thank you tatiana_londonstylist for making me feel comfortable and, well, myself tonight among the anxiety. And to secretspauk emilyperkssecretspa and pixibeauty for the invite. And to my girls who have seen me in everything from postpartum pants with leaking boobs to dusted-off and vaguely together cherryhealey zoehardman mamastillgotit_ mum_and_a_mic.
Dress rosa_clara
Shoes phaseeight
Bag jasperconranlondon
Jewellery sifjakobsjewellery
Skin sadaf_jaffari
Hair hadleyyatessalon
Team charlottebelletobinpr bellepr_]()
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2025-09-11 00:37:08
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![AD | Watch until the end. The ๐ makes everything ok.
On the day that she goes fully into childcare, it was only right be matching in #Mymarks marksandspencerstyle โฅ๏ธ. Little one, Iโm going to miss having you by my side 24/7 ๐ข. If you know you know. Itโs been a blast.
**Sign up to marksandspencer The Parenthood and get 10% off baby grows until your baby turns 2.**]()
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2025-09-10 18:31:43
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AD | Watch ..
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![And you chose this rosa_clara dress for officialntas โฅ๏ธ
Thanks for all your votes, I love it ๐
Styling tatiana_londonstylist]()
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2025-09-10 01:14:42
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![1 or 2 for officialntas tomorrow?
In love with them both rosa_clara tatiana_londonstylist โฅ๏ธ]()
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2025-09-09 19:33:12
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![AD | Navigating the online world with kids = arguably terrifying. But eeโs free in-store online safety sessions (yes, free, and available across over 400 stores) actually helped make sense of it all. Add in their new Safer SIMs plans, specifically designed for u18s, plus a customisable P.H.O.N.E. Contract, which helps families set boundaries around phone use, and youโre not left winging it. The reality is once your kid goes to secondary school and starts walking solo or taking the bus on their own, you need a solution to keep in touch without the Internet fear. To book a 30-minute session at your nearest EE store, visit https://ee.co.uk/store-finder]()
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2025-09-08 00:15:22
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![AD | Hands up ๐๐ผโโ๏ธ if youโve spent half your parenting career as an unpaid taxi driver. Same. Enter uberuk Teens: your 14โ17 year olds can now get themselves to sports, clubs, matesโ housesโฆ safely, while you track the ride in real time. Itโs so easy and simple to set up and a real game-changer.]()
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2025-09-05 01:16:39
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![๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป To anyone uniform-sorting, stationery-sourcing and keeping track of unrelenting school emails and parent Whatโs App groups right now. While trying to clothe yourself, eat a carrot occasionally and Zoom-in on work calls without losing mind/ body/ soul.
The overwhelm is real.
#backtoschool #flexappeal]()
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2025-09-04 00:36:15
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![๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป
You are not failing, it is too much.
And itโs not just a hunch. Or emotive blather from a knackered mother. Cold, hard facts right here: officefornationalstatistics data finds mums earn a painful ยฃ302 less per week than Dads. Thatโs 33% less per week than their male counterparts. Next Monday 1 September mums essentially work for free until the end of the year. Why? Maternity discrimination โ๏ธ Inflexible roles โ๏ธ Mothers paying for expensive childcare out of their salary โ๏ธ Parental leave that reinforces archaic gender norms. It has to change.
Please know something big is coming from us. Itโs time for loud, furious action. Watch this space ๐
#flexappeal]()
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2025-09-02 01:46:00
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![Today at 11.45am Iโll be talking about women being f***ed over in the workplace - the theme of my new novel โInfluencedโ. Iโll be at happyplaceofficial opening up the floor to questions about driving a career, having a baby and not burning out in the process. See you there for kick-off at 11.45am. With a waterstones book signing straight after.
#flexappeal]()
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2025-08-31 12:05:09
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![This is a proper pinch me moment ๐๐ป๐ญ
Thank you for having me as your September cover star psychologiesmagazine. A magazine I used to read on the Tube to counter the utter burnout and stress I felt in my inflexible job. Full โญ๏ธ moment๐๐ป.
In the September issue as kids head back-to-school, this is about the personal collateral damage of businesses saying โeveryone back to office 5-days a weekโ. The damage to relationships, the damage to kids and the burnout thatโs ripping through a generation of mothers who donโt care about โhaving it allโ but are doing it all.
Because what these businesses (hi dyson lord_sugar) are really saying is โback to officeโ apart from โyouโ. And the โyouโ is anyone with caring responsibilities or disabilities. Itโs not even flexible working Iโm asking for, itโs bigger than that - itโs inclusive. Including everyone you humanly can in your business, at your table. And, yes, it would be nice if businesses also didnโt make 74,000 mothers redundant on maternity leave. Basic equality, really.
Thanks psychologiesmagazine for amplifying this message for our ๐ถ๐ผ
#flexappeal
**and thanks to the women in my life who have supported me in being heard charlottebelletobinpr charlottegrayphoto shoutybear millroadfilms**]()
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2025-08-29 17:58:06
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![AD | I donโt think โthe juggleโ comes close to describing working and parenting. So many balls and often many of them dropped. My eldest now gets the bus to school, which was a huge step for all of us. Emotionally and administratively (no more school run). But if she misses the last bus and Iโm at work, then the panic descends. For a couple of months now Iโve been using uberuk for teens, which helps your teens get from A to B safely and securely when you canโt be there. Verified drivers โ๏ธ Can track the ride โ๏ธ and spending limits โ๏ธ. Game changer for those panic-stricken moments where you canโt be in two places at once. Get Uber for your teen #UberTeens]()
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2025-08-29 00:40:14
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![๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป
Just in case you are losing your mind somewhere between papering over the cracks for summer holiday childcare and uniform-sorting for back-to-school. You are not failing, it is too much.
And itโs not just a hunch. Or emotive blather from a knackered mother. Cold, hard facts right here: officefornationalstatistics data finds mums earn a painful ยฃ302 less per week than Dads. Thatโs 33% less per week than their male counterparts. Next Monday 1 September mums essentially work for free until the end of the year. Why? Maternity discrimination โ๏ธ Inflexible roles โ๏ธ Mothers paying for expensive childcare out of their salary โ๏ธ Parental leave that reinforces archaic gender norms. It has to change.
Please know something big is coming from us. Itโs time for loud, furious action. Watch this space ๐
#flexappeal]()
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2025-08-27 23:34:30
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![Well, thank you ๐ฅฒ. I canโt quite believe the novel has been out a week.
Thank you to everyone who has read it, to the โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ press reviews from thetimes heatworld redmagazine thesun and Amazon reviews from you โฅ๏ธ. Itโs anxiety-inducing putting your words into the world and to know you are loving it means so very much. More than anything to be able to write a character that faces discrimination at work, is written off and written out and to make her, well, FULLY visible.
And thank you to my family who have done everything to support me and this novel. I had no idea how far it would go but the last week has meant the world.
**The novel is available to order in my bio. And for the next 24 hours, I will also send anyone who orders the novel today a personalised video message for a friend or family member going through anything from maternity leave, maternity discrimination, return-to-work and flexible working request rejections to birthdays or bar exams. Anything, really. Just DM me a screen grab of your purchase receipt and the message you want and Iโll send it straight back. This support means the ๐ to authors so if Iโve ever helped you here with Flex Appeal, it would mean the world if you ordered the book today. Even a like and comment below is payment enough. Thank you for supporting of my career, too โฅ๏ธ**
๐ท charlottegrayphoto]()
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2025-08-25 01:22:28
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![Which one? 1, 2 or 3?
Breastfeeding-friendly โ๏ธ
Wipe-clean โ๏ธ
Female-led brands โ๏ธ
percy.langley โฅ๏ธ
#motherpukkastyles]()
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2025-08-22 17:28:46
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![[T/W: miscarriage]
I donโt want anyone to go through what I did. Finding out I had lost a baby at 13 weeks, that there was no heartbeat. And then having to walk out onto a busy maternity ward with newborns and mothers with 9โmonth bumps. Traumatic doesnโt cover it and please know if you have gone through this or have experienced it, it is not ok. It is trauma through and through and you have in no uncertain terms been let down. To counter this, my friend Anastasia, who launched careaapp and I will be lobbying ukgovofficial in October for change around this. Itโs not much in the context of such traumatic loss (and no it doesnโt help hearing โitโs commonโ as if that somehow negates the grief) but itโs our way of processing what happened. In the meantime please know that careaapp is there to support you whatever juncture you are at. It recognises that not every pregnancy has a happy ending ๐ฅฒโฅ๏ธ and wonโt keep triggering you with updates of your baby when you have suffered loss. I will never forget the other apps telling me my baby was the size of a pear when I had just miscarried. We deserve more.
#nationalrainbowbabyweek
**please follow careaapp if you are looking for support through IVF, miscarriage, postpartum and any other iteration of motherhood ๐. This is technically an #ad because I am working with Anastasia for 6 months to drive awareness of an app I wish had been around when I had my first ๐ถ๐ผ**]()
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2025-08-22 01:16:19
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![Please tell me Iโm not alone ๐๐ป
I just canโt hear this anymore: โBut it was your choice to have a childโ.
Itโs simple, donโt comment on my page with this ๐๐ป when parents are asking for basic support like flexible working and properly-funded childcare. Having a baby isnโt a โhobbyโ and enabling parents to work and contribute to the economy isnโt a nice-to-have. My Flexonomics report with wearemcalpine found there would be a ยฃ55billion boost to the UK economy if parents could work more flexibly.
More than anything those saying โit was your choice to have a kidโ have, perhaps, forgotten where they came from ๐ถ๐ผ ๐
#flexappeal]()
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2025-08-20 17:34:04
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![AD | As a freelancer there are some brands that drop-off the minute you get pregnant. Then there are brands that lean-in. symproveyourlife has worked with me through it all. And yes, my daily shot works; I notice the minute I stop taking Symprove. Gut health is a top priority right now. Along with getting the kids uniforms sorted and everything else under the sun that needs to be done before September 1. As the kids head back to school now is the time to go all-in on supporting your immune system, and as Symprove is now stocked in Holland & Barrett, you can so easily pick some up whilst youโre getting the back to school list sorted too. Gotta try the new pineapple flavour btw. Itโs a firm favourite ๐. This is a brand that does what it says on the tin (and doesnโt ditch women on maternity leave โฅ๏ธ).]()
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2025-08-19 12:19:49
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AD | As a fr..
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On average, ๐๐ป๐ป๐ฎ ๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ต๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ gets 3.5K likes and 120 comments per post. (Historical)
