WOMEN risk being pushed out of the workforce en masse, the Trade Union Congress warned today after polling revealed that two in five working mums are facing a childcare crisis.

According to a survey by ICIM for the union organisation, 41 per cent of working mums with children under 10 cannot get or are unsure whether they will get enough childcare to cover the hours they need for work this month.

As children around England begin to return to school, many parents are missing out on their usual forms of childcare. 

Among mums who are unable to get enough childcare, 45 per cent said they do not have their usual help from friends and family, while more than a third cannot get places at after-school clubs and 28 per cent have lost childcare from school breakfast clubs.

The polling also shines a light on the huge pressures felt by working mums during the coronavirus outbreak, with the vast majority reporting that they have taken on more childcare responsibilities since the pandemic began.

More than 40 per cent said they have had to combine working at home and childcare — compared to just 29 per cent of their partners.

Mums also reported they regularly worked early in the morning or late at night, before 8am or after 8pm, to balance work and childcare.

Those in low-paid jobs also said that they have had no choice but to reduce their working hours. 

Others have felt the stress of trying to “do it all” and now worry how they will be viewed by their managers. 

Nearly one in five said that they were worried that balancing work and childcare has affected how they will be assessed by their manager, while one in six said they were worried that it has affected their chances of promotion in the future.  

Mother of two Anya, whose name has been changed for anonymity, told the study of her experiences as a front-line NHS worker who has been going to work throughout the pandemic. 

Anya’s husband is also a key worker and works long hours driving, while her parents had to shield so she lost the informal childcare support she relied on. 

She said: “Childcare has been very stressful for me throughout the pandemic. 

“My husband has no flexibility in his job so I’ve frequently had to change my shift patterns, working longer hours when I can so I can take time back for childcare. My only other option would have been to take unpaid leave. 

“The school holiday playscheme was also cancelled at short notice so I had no childcare for the summer holidays and my family couldn’t help. My husband and I had to take all our annual leave separately to cover it.” 

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “Women workers have borne the brunt of this crisis — both on the front line and at home. 

“Mums have picked up the majority of childcare while nurseries and schools have been closed. 

“And many have sacrificed hours and pay to do so — especially those in low-paid jobs who can least afford the financial hit. But this can’t go on. 

“If we don’t take this childcare crisis seriously women will be pushed out of the workforce, turning the clock back on decades of labour market progress.”

Childcare providers desperately need new government cash to stay open, Ms O’Grady warned. 

She also called for an extension to the job retention scheme for mums and dads who cannot return to work because of childcare responsibilities.