Vodafone UK allows new parents to return to work for 80% of their hours, at 100% of their pay, benefits and holiday, for the first six months following family-related leave. We spoke to two current employees to hear how this policy has impacted their lives.
While the first few weeks of having a new child may be the most life changing, all parents know that things don’t slow down once family-related leave ends.
In fact, new research by Vodafone shows that three in four (77%) parents report feeling ‘burnt out’ following their return to work. As a result, almost all parents (98%) back flexible working due to its benefits around better work-life balance and mental wellbeing.
To provide support during what is evidently a challenging period, Vodafone offers new parents the opportunity to work 80% of their contractual hours, while retaining 100% of their pay, holiday and benefits, for the first six months after coming back to their job following family-related leave.
Together with online parenting community Peanut, Vodafone is now highlighting the importance of such policies, while urging other UK businesses to consider what more they can do to support employees through life’s big changes.
In light of this, and to explore some of these benefits in more detail, Vodafone UK News spoke to two current employees – both of whom have personal experience of the 80/20 policy.
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1. Tell us a bit about your parental leave journey.
Rhiannon Evans (Service Manager): I have two little boys and have been with Vodafone for both lots of maternity leave. I came back after nine months with my first and really struggled – I wasn’t prepared for how hard it was going to be.
I had a lot of support but, when I had my second, I made sure I used annual leave as well as the full year of maternity and actually didn’t come back until about a month after his first birthday, which was much better.
Derek Chapman (Talent Acquisition Manager): With my first daughter I wasn’t at Vodafone, so just had the statutory two weeks. For a week and a half of that, my daughter was in hospital with my wife as there were a few complications. As a dad, it was really difficult to be able to provide the level of support I’d want.
When we had our second daughter [while at Vodafone], I was able to provide a lot more support. And I think it’s really evident in the relationship that I’ve been able to build with her from such an early age.
2. What are some of the toughest aspects of balancing work and parenthood?
Rhiannon: Even though it’s 2025, and most people would say they’re progressive, there still seem to be strong societal expectations of what you should be doing as a mum; you should be at home baking bread, curating Tuff Trays and using minimal screen time, while also pushing forward in your career.
But it’s difficult to do all of that and still give your children what’s left of your energy at the end of the day. There’s so much home admin on top of everything you do at work, so there is very little downtime.
Derek: Prior to being a parent, I guess I didn’t have the full appreciation of just how much it takes to juggle having a family and trying to progress in your job. That’s apparent for both my wife and I, so it’s nice that we can prioritise our careers in equal measure thanks to the support I get from Vodafone.
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3. Were you aware of the 80/20 policy before you joined Vodafone?
Rhiannon: I knew they had a good maternity policy, but I didn’t know about the 80/20 part specifically.
Derek: Yes, it was one of the reasons I looked to join Vodafone. We weren’t 100% on whether we were going to have a second child or not, but it definitely supported the decision.
4. What have you learned from your time on family-related leave, and how have those learnings fed into your job?
Rhiannon: I learned a lot from my first lot of maternity, so it was definitely a lot better coming back this time. I was more prepared and more aware of my mental health. Now, whenever I meet anyone who’s about to go on maternity leave, I say ‘don’t rush back’.
Derek: I’ve learned a lot. I went to all the baby classes and took my daughter, who’s four, to all of her classes as well – and I was literally the only guy there.
It highlighted to me that men don’t always have the opportunity to spend time with their children in the early months. It was good to have that appreciation within the context of my role as a people manager.
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5. What impact has the 80/20 policy had on you and your family?
Rhiannon: The nature of my wife’s work means she can’t have as much flexibility, so I end up taking leave when one of them is ill. One month, I think I worked less than half of the working days. But, because I still had the 80/20 at this point, that helped massively. It’s obviously a huge financial help too.
Derek When you’re trying to build a career and a family, having an offering like this is second to none. It did probably persuade us, or help us reach a decision where we wanted to have a second child.
6. Any other thoughts?
Rhiannon: A huge thing for me was seeing one of our leadership team blocking out time for school pick-ups and drop-offs in her diary. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to her about it, but just seeing her signal ‘I’m a human and I have children and a life outside work’ was so important. When you have senior people who are open about working flexibly, it makes a huge difference.
Derek: I think a lot of men want to do more when it comes to parenting. But, if the institutional policies around that don’t allow them to do it, then they’re never going to be able to fulfil that role within a parenting relationship. A policy like this demonstrates in such a tangible way how much Vodafone supports its employees.
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