A number of questions were placed on British Market Research Bureau’s (BMRB’s) Omnibus Survey on who should be responsible for caring for older people when they need care and awareness, availability and take-up of flexible working. This summary outlines the responses to those questions. Read more: http://campaigns.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/summ2009-2010/summary_caring_and_flexible_working.pdf

Government plans to extend the right to flexible working to more parents next year have been dealt a blow after research found just 14pc of small firms allow workers to take up the perk. Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/jobs/8127105/Just-one-in-10-small-firms-allow-flexible-working.html

Lone parents could lose some of their state benefits when their baby reaches the age of one if they refuse to prepare to get a job. Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/single-parents-should-prepare-for-work-when-child-is-a-year-old-2131808.html

The axe will fall on public sector and part-time posts Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/07/public-sector-cuts-women

Being family friendly means more than just offering services to new parents. It means taking investment steps towards providing financial incentives for new parents to return to work – and stay there. Read more: http://www.theglasshammer.com/news/2010/07/13/incentivizing-the-return-to-the-office-after-childbirth/

Almost one-third of women are the main breadwinners in their household, according to a survey by Grazia magazine. Read more: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2010/07/20/56303/third-of-women-now-main-breadwinner-at-home.html

A huge nine out of 10 working women believe that female colleagues with children receive better treatment than them and resent the flexible hours and time off mothers have, indicating that HR professionals need to do more to level the playing field. Read more: http://www.hrzone.co.uk/topic/managing-people/working-mums-resented-workplace/104982

The Equality Act contains a number of provisions designed to address the stubborn gender pay gap – some 40 years after the Equal Pay Act was introduced. Daniel Thomas reports. Read more: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2010/07/07/56189/equality-act-closing-the-gender-pay-gap.html

What makes a firm’s gender diversity programming really work? According to Jacqueline Akerblom, National Managing Partner for Women’s Initiatives and Programs at Grant Thornton LLP, it comes down to culture change. For the Global 6 accounting firm’s workforce, she said, diversity initiatives are “fully ingrained into the culture of the firm.” Read more: http://www.theglasshammer.com/news/2010/08/05/five-innovative-ways-to-improve-gender-diversity-at-your-company/

The last three men nominated to the Supreme Court have all been married and, among them, have seven children. The last three women — Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Harriet Miers (who withdrew) — have all been single and without children. Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/04/business/economy/04leonhardt.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=homepage