Many working parents believe they’re getting less support from their bosses at a time that their stress levels are growing.
According to research by Bright Horizons, nearly one in three working parents say they’re going through severe levels of stress.
And of this number, 80% are finding it hard to concentrate on their work.
There’s many reasons why parents are stressed and preoccupied right now.
For example, more than half said they’re worried about their children’s mental health.
And nearly two-thirds said their work had been affected by a breakdown in childcare.
Parents don’t feel as supported
Bright Horizons noted that in the post-pandemic period, many employees stepped up their focus on employee wellbeing.
But this has since fallen away and employees have noticed.
Just 68% of working parents say they feel supported by their employer today - that’s down from 77% in 2023.
Meanwhile, the number of people who say their employer is highly supportive of family life has fallen by almost a third.
Flexible working appears to be a particularly thorny issue right now among mums and dads in work.
The number of working parents able to work flexibly has fallen by more than a fifth, and seven in ten say they’re worried about the impact of being made to return to the office.
These perceptions and concerns are, in turn, affecting their career choices.
In fact, almost three-quarters of working parents said they’d consider an employer’s support for family life before accepting or applying for a promotion or a new job.
Investing in support for employees ‘makes business sense’
“Heading into 2025, a worrying number of working parents are sailing close to burnout,” said Jennifer Liston-Smith, head of thought leadership at Bright Horizons.
“As well as the obvious concerns for their health and wellbeing, this is a big threat to UK plc.”
As a result, she believes that understanding the pressures on working parents and investing in support “makes business sense”.
Ms Liston-Smith noted that as businesses face “sustained financial and global challenges”, many have shifted their focus away from employee wellbeing back to operational productivity and cost control.
However, she said employees have felt this shift.
“Ironically, the impact is likely to be seen in lost productivity, as well as in attrition, all of which increase costs for employers,” she commented.
“It’s time for businesses to revisit their employee value proposition and the drivers of productivity if they wish to retain their talent and create an environment for sustained performance.”
Written by James Glynn
Senior Financial Content Writer
