Podcasts from Women & Money presented by Sarah Pennells (1) related to Work

Caring for a family member can be a high toll on your life, both emotionally and financially and research recently conducted by the Carer's Trust show that over half of carers in the UK were missing out on the financial support they should be entitled to, negatively effecting their lives and the lives of those who they care for. To talk to Sarah about what you can do if your looking after someone, she is joined by Sarah Mitchell from the London-based Carers Network, Caroline Shola Arewa, a wellness coach and Steve Webb, from Royal London.

Sarah investigates why the financial sector has few women in top positions and looks into the companies that have signed up for the women in Financial Services Charter. To go through this issue, Sarah is joined by Jane Platt from NS&I, Melanie Seymour from Women in Banking and Finance and employment lawyer, Gillian Howard.

We all know that there aren't enough women taking up careers in science and technology, often referred to as STEM. But what's being done to improve this and what kind of jobs are available, if it's an area you're interested in? Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Benita Mehra, President of Women in Engineering Society, who explains why so few women go into engineering. Anne-Marie Imafidon, Co-founder of Stemette, and Stella Tournier, WISE member STEM Role Model, discuss whether girls are not encouraged enough to take engineering or science subjects at school (or are they not interested?). Meanwhile Sophie Graham, National Careers Service Adviser, looks at the academic route into engineering or science if you decide you want to come to it later in life.

Gender pay gap is still alive and kicking, with women earning 12% less than men. So how do you go about getting a pay rise or a promotion? Sarah Pennells is joined by Fiona Davis, Director for Women in Retail; Penny Parker, from Laurence Simons; and Vanessa Vallely, founder of WeAreTheCity and WeAreTheCity. Together, the guests discuss why women are less likely to ask for a pay rise, and why they are reluctant to come forward.

Sarah Pennells looks at what's changed for women in the last 90 years. She's joined by Jane Moore, from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales; Fiona Tait, from Royal London, and employment lawyer at Slater and Gordon Jasmine van Loggerenberg. From maternity pay in the 1970s to today's debate on equal gender pay, Sarah and her guests analyse the changes that have occurred throughout history to improve women's working rights.

Many of us probably like to think we have a novel in us, but for most, it remains just a dream. But how easy is it to get your novel - or a work of non-fiction - published and can you make money from it? Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Nick Barreto, co-founder of digital publisher Canelo, author Dawn Reeves, and Mindy Gibbins-Klein, founder of The Book Midwife and Panoma Press Publishing, about how to make money from a novel or non-fiction book.

Sarah Pennells looks at how to create the perfect work/life balance with guests Neil Shah, Chief De-Stressing Officer at the Stress Management Society, and life coach Karen Perkins, who discuss other factors that can increase stress, and Sarah Evans, an Employment Lawyer with Slater and Gordon, who looks at whether people should have the right to work flexibility and what employers should take into account.

If you're close to retirement, or thinking of setting up a pension pot, where do you start when it comes to choosing a private pension? Lorna Blythe, from Royal London, explains to Sarah Pennells what pensions are and how they work; Danisha Chada, a chartered and certified financial planner with Smith and Williamson, looks at how much help could a pension company give to its individual customers, Alan Chan, from IFS Wealth and Pensions, explains what the first steps are when taking out a pension for the first time.

An increasing number of people are choosing to live together, rather than get married or form a civil partnership. But, while it’s becoming more commonplace, the legal status of cohabiting couples remains something of a mystery to most of us. Sarah Pennells is joined in the studio by Mary Marvel of Advicenow and Law for Life, Paula Myers, a lawyer with Irwin Mitchell, and over the phone by Christine Webber, a writer, broadcaster and psychotherapist, to discuss the various different issues moving in with a partner can have, and how best to deal with them.

With the state pension age changing, it can be tricky to find out how much you can get. Is it giving women a better deal? Malcolm McLean, a consultant with the actuary firm Barnett Waddingham, Harry Rose, the editor of WhichMoney, and John Shearer, from The Pensions Advisory Service, discuss whether the new state pension will affect carers. Sarah will also look at what are the changes for women who take time out of the workplace to bring up their children. She also speaks Lin Phillips from WASPI who are campaigning for the government to offer concessions to women caught out by these rises who didn't get enough notice.