A new survey reveals that a significant number of working parents are finding it so difficult to juggle home and work responsibilities that they have considered leaving their job.
The OnePoll survey of 2,000 working parents with children aged 18 or under commissioned by REC Parenting, an online platform offering support to parents and carers, revealed that many working parents are at breaking point.
Almost half of working mothers who responded to the survey have considered leaving their job. This should be a major concern to employers at a time when it is so difficult to find and retain talent.
Just as concerning is that many working fathers are feeling the strain too. Almost a third (32%) said they had considered quitting as juggling work and parenting responsibilities feels too much to cope with. This demonstrates how much the role of fathers has changed over the course of this decade with so many more now actively sharing caring responsibilities with their partners.
It is vital that employers take note of this and consider how they can enhance the support they offer to their employees who are parents, no matter their gender. It is important they realise working fathers are under pressure too and make sure they feel able to talk about their concerns if they are struggling.
Interestingly, part-time employees feel even less able to cope than their full-time counterparts. There could be several reasons for this: mothers are more likely to be in part-time positions, they may have less access to employee benefits and poorer pay and conditions. Many working parents, particularly mothers also feel guilt, torn between the need to earn a living and the desire to be the one to raise their children. This shows that just offering reduced hours alone to parents is not enough to take the pressure off. Employers need to think more holistically about how they support those with caring responsibilities outside of work.
Over a third of working parents who responded to the survey said they often feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities. This shows that for many there is a constant pressure to juggle work and home life, which is likely to impact their performance, increase their stress levels and negatively impact family life and their children’s development. Employers need to consider how best they can reduce this by creating an effective wellbeing strategy that offers a range of support that can be accessed easily when employees need it.
Dr Ana Aznar, Founder & CEO of REC Parenting, said
Our survey clearly shows that employers need to do more to support the parents in their workforce. Around 40% of all employees have dependent children, so failing to get this right could have serious consequences in the current war for talent. We also know that parents’ experience at works impacts their children, and when the parents fare better, the kids fare better. By supporting working parents, we are helping to raise well-balanced, kind, and resilient children who will be the future of our society.
Dr Ana Aznar, Founder & CEO of REC Parenting
The empowering parents and caregivers at work report can be downloaded here.
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.
