Short Fridays, work-from-home, and no night shifts — this 50s company gave working moms a dream life

Every working professional you meet would mention work-life balance, which, sadly, is a distant dream for many. Unrealistic expectations, particularly for working mothers, sabotage their personal lives, affecting them mentally. However, Laura Ashley, a clothing brand founded in 1953, had some unbelievable rules favoring women, and it's something people can only dream of today. As part of the "Welsh Greats" series, the BBC highlighted the company's approach, setting it against the backdrop of modern-day reality. The video was shared in June 2025. 

The fashion brand, owned by Laura Ashley and her husband Bernard Ashley, had a factory in Carno, Wales, and it had everything a working mom needed to balance her personal and professional commitments. The employer ensured that the pregnant women take as much time as they need off work or even work remotely if they desire. The company had no night shifts, and in fact, they followed a four-and-a-half-day working week, clocking off at lunchtime every Friday. "When I had a child, they brought the sewing machine for me to work at home so I could do it when I got time," an ex-worker shared. Mothers, including the co-founder, Laura, who had school-going kids, weren't allowed to work beyond 3.30 PM. "I would collect them from school and go home with them and have tea with them, and so I was working only when they were elsewhere," Laura shared. 

If only companies were more empathetic towards their workers and understood their personal struggles, establishing work-life balance wouldn't have been a far-fetched vision. What Laura Ashley achieved in the 50s is something many companies don't understand, even in the so-called 'modern society.' In fact, according to a 2020 survey by Pew Research Center, more than half (54%) of working moms confessed they felt like they could not give 100% at work because of dual responsibilities — childcare duties and professional commitments. Unlike men who are forgiven their share of domestic responsibilities, women were never accorded that margin of error.

Supporting the company's ethical stand, @mimi commented, "This sort of company was way ahead of its time! [With] people-first approaches, I bet they were so much happier! People deserve flexibility." Similarly, @chrisloze.art shared, "I worked for Laura Ashley as a sales assistant in 1984, and it was my first full-time job in their home furnishing store. It was an amazing company, and I was trained for over 4 years to become a manager. I still look back with fondness at those days. Best company I ever worked for in my 30-year retail career. They were primarily female-oriented, which gave women more options for job satisfaction. I still have my handwritten training book from all those years ago and wear L.A. dresses to this day."

@michelle commented, "I would like to bet that many of the Laura Ashley staff who worked for them while it was still owned by the family would go back at the drop of a hat. Their loyalty to that company was second to none. It was an absolute joy to work for them. It changed my life for the better." Echoing the sentiments, @lizcdowse wrote, "I joined the Laura Ashley grad scheme in the 80s and loved visiting Carno. The UK’s only vertically integrated retail company, manufacturing to retail, able to fine-tune making to meet demand in 'real time,' and with an almost entirely female management team and workforce. Eye-watering profit margins. A very happy couple of years."

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