The 80 for 90 Pioneers

JOIN THE PIONEERS

From January 1st 2026, we are bringing together a group of leading businesses committed to reshaping the future of work. Onboarding will take place throughout 2026.

  • By becoming one of the 80 for 90 Pioneers, your organisation will stand alongside other leading employers trialling this innovative policy. It gives working parents greater flexibility as they return from maternity or paternity leave.

  • Together, the Pioneers will generate powerful insights, helping shape national policy while showing what modern, family-friendly work can look like.

  • The 80 for 90 Pioneers initiative will run for two years, with public recognition and media coverage celebrating participating businesses as trailblazers in supporting talent, retention, and inclusion.

  • Be part of the 80 for 90 Pioneers and help shape the future of work. Register your interest today.

What is ‘80 for 90?’

When an employee returns from parental leave, this policy would let new parents work 80% of their hours for 90% of their pay until their child turns 2.

A phased return to work for new parents could improve retention, boosts morale, and helps parents stay productive while they have increased caregiving responsibilities.

WHAT IS INVOLVED?

1) An initiative backed by insight and support from the ReGenerate team including guidance (“A Business Toolkit”) and a policy template

2) An opportunity to network with other leading family-friendly employers during the trial

3) Media exposure through ReGenerate channels and national press

4) Access to research support, data-driven evaluation and benchmarking with other participants

5) A dedicated point of contact at ReGenerate available on demand throughout the duration of the trial

THE BENEFITS FOR BUSINESSES

1) Increased productivity: Shorter working weeks can lead to higher efficiency, lower absenteeism and minimal impact on output

2) Reduced costs: Payroll reduced for parents on the policy by 10%

3) Improved talent attraction: There are 440,000 parents in the UK who would return to work if offered flexibility

4) Improve talent retention: Only 44% of mothers returning from maternity leave remain full-time in the 3 years following birth. 80 for 90 will help employees remain full-time

5) An opportunity to be a leading family friendly employer: A unique opportunity to progress the agenda in this area

FIND OUT MORE

  • Book a free 30-minute conversation with our Early Childhood Development project team

BOOK A FREE 30 MINUTE DISCUSSION TO HEAR MORE

BECOME A PIONEER

Spaces are limited. REGISTER YOUR INTEREST.

Pricing - There is an optional donation to support the Early Childhood Development programme at ReGenerate.

If you have any questions on the ‘80 for 90’ trial please contact tim.pemberton@re-generate.org or ian.stephenson@re-generate.org

The deadline to sign up is Friday 31 October

Our Research on Early Childhood Development (ECD)

‘80 for 90’ is one of the ideas from our paper on how businesses can support their working parents.

The Policy Gap

When a parent returns to the workplace following parental leave, there is often a policy gap between their additional needs and the support businesses provide. Businesses that can effectively address this gap will soften the often difficult choice between full-time work or full-time parenting, offering a third option: keeping more parents, and especially women, in the workforce. ‘80 for 90’ is an innovative new solution designed to address this policy gap.

Why is supporting Early Childhood Development so critical?

  • The gender imbalance in part-time work amongst working parents

    There is a large discrepancy in the sexes with part time work. Among mothers in work, 43% work part-time, compared to just 6% of fathers.

  • There is a business impact from being ‘family-friendly’

    Businesses offering flexible work and family-friendly benefits reported higher / increased employee satisfaction (94%), productivity (65.2%) and employee engagement (71.9%).

  • Supporting the return to work

    There are 2.5 million working parents with children under the age of 5. But increased flexible working offerings from employees, could bring an additional 440,000 parents back into the workforce.

What are the benefits to your business, employees and UK society?

  • For Businesses

    Increased productivity and cost savings: Shorter working weeks can lead to higher efficiency, lower absenteeism and minimal impact on output, while reducing payroll for parents on the policy by 10%.

  • For Parents

    Primary caregiver(s) spent, at least, 20% more time with their child: The immediate benefit is parents have an additional day to spend with their child during the working week. This would double to 40% if both parents were able to benefit from an 80 to 90 employee policy and take their time on different days

  • For UK Society

    Critical for development of the next generation. There is an economic benefit of £45.5 billion per year for the UK economy from increased focus on Early Childhood Development (ECD).