It follows a survey of 1,600 UK business leaders by the BCC, in partnership with Middlesex University, which revealed that one in nine has lost staff due to the high cost of childcare. A further 28 per cent of firms said they had seen a reduction of working hours and 12 per cent a drop in productivity.
Of those that took part in the survey, 33 per cent said they regarded the availability of childcare as a key issue in recruiting and retaining staff. As such, they viewed the introduction of the 30 hours of free childcare as very positive.
Adam Marshall, director general at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said, ‘Firms across the UK are losing talented staff, often because of the availability and high cost of childcare.
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