Companies recalling staff this month have been accused of not offering flexitime and failing to protect employeesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBefore the pandemic, every morning and night was a cycle of stress and rushing …
A little bird told me: how a magpie taught me I could be a father
Charlie Gilmour never wanted to have children – his father had abandoned him at six months and he feared he’d do the same. But then a magpie came into his life and changed everythingIt wasn’t long after our wedding – on our New Forest honeymoon, in fac…
Meera Syal: ‘I was a Midlands wench outside the house and a good Indian girl at home’
The comedian, 60, talks about growing up wild in the Black Country, marrying her on-screen grandson and finally being able to be a grumpy old womanMy childhood was unusual, an Indian family plonked in the middle of the Black Country. I was a Midlands w…
This is what I tell friends who are torn about having children | Hadley Freeman
That your life becomes entirely about your kids once you have them is not proof that’s how life should beI am of an age when most of my social group is in their late 30s and early 40s, and, as has always been the case, the majority of my friends are wo…
Fit in my 40s: phew, a group bike ride that lets me catch up | Zoe Williams
With my brother-in-law’s group, nobody seemed to care how little I’d helped on the headwindI’ve done enough group cycling in my life to say this with authority: it’s impossible for someone at my level, which is to say competent but not a grafter. Cycli…
Blind date: ‘We disagreed about whether aliens existed’
Cam, 26, consultant, meets Ash, 29, police analystWhat were you hoping for?Romance, of course! But at the least, someone who shared my passion for music and fitness. Continue reading…
Move of the week: how to support your lower back
This exercise will benefit desk-bound lower backs and hips – it’s low-impact, but you’ll feel the burn if you do it properlyA great glute-strengthening exercise that particularly benefits desk-bound lower backs; it will also improve hip mobility, which…
When our intentions really go to the dogs | Letters
Clare Munks and Sharman Finlay say their beloved pets always know what their owners are getting up toYour article (Paws for thought: dogs may be able to figure out human intentions, 1 September) was interesting, although like most dog owners, I smile a…
It’s not just Texas – anti-abortion activists are targeting women’s rights in Europe | Mara Clarke
Draconian laws in European countries and the effects of Brexit and Covid-19 are making safe terminations harder to accessMara Clarke is the founder of Abortion Support NetworkThe state of Texas now has the most restrictive abortion law to be passed in …
My dad scorns my career goals. How do I keep us from falling out? | Annalisa Barbieri
You need to talk to him, but set the scene so that your father is more receptive to your point of view, says Annalisa BarbieriI have just turned 17 and will soon go to college. I have always done well at school; I don’t drink, use drugs or even have a …