MORE stay-at-home mums would go back to work if the nine to five culture was ditched in favour of flexible working hours around childcare, a survey showed yesterday.

Two thirds of mothers would return to the workplace and over a third of those currently employed would work more hours if they had better childcare arrangements, a survey of 1,600 mothers carried out by social entreprise group Digital Mums and the Centre for Economics and Business Research revealed.

Digital Mums co-founder Kathryn Turner said: “While for some mums staying at home is a choice, our report shows that for a larger number their hands are tied because of a lack of flexible work options.

“In 2016, women shouldn’t have to choose between a rewarding career and motherhood. We need a societal shift to embrace flexible working as the ‘norm’ and not the exception.”

Although employers favour full-time contracts, several studies show that flexible working actually increases productivity and helps staff reduce stress and other mental health issues.