Despite an uncertain economic outlook, the number of job vacancies[1] in the UK remains just under a million. Recruitment and retention are a huge priority for organisations, who are struggling to find the employees they need and keep the ones they have. In this environment, it makes smart business sense to make your organisation as attractive to as wide a range of employees as possible.
One of the largest groups within each workplace are working parents with dependent children. There are around 13 million in the UK[2], out of a total workforce of roughly 32 million. This means that most businesses have at least one parent in their workforce.
The pandemic starkly highlighted just how challenging being a working parent can be. With schools shut, suddenly the difficulty of juggling home and work was played out on video calls across the country. It became clear just how many people had a daily battle to keep up with all their responsibilities.
Post-pandemic the world of work has changed for the better for some. Remote and hybrid working has eased the pressure on parents who are lucky enough to have access to it, helping them achieve a better blend of work and home life. However, flexible working in all its forms is still not available to all, especially those who are not office-based. If you add to this the eye watering cost of childcare, having a job and being a parent often seem completely incompatible.
This means, in an already tricky labour market, more people are considering opting out, feeling that the benefits of work are not worth the pain. There are already around 400,000 people in the UK who want to work but can’t because of their caring responsibilities[3]. Employers need to recognise what a huge loss of skills and talent this represents and take proactive steps to make their organisation truly parent friendly.
So, how large is this potential issue? We recently conducted a survey with 2,000 working parents with children aged 18 and under. A startling 40% said they had considered giving up their job as they couldn’t manage it alongside their parenting responsibilities. Breaking this down by gender, almost half of mothers (46%) said they had felt like this and almost a third of fathers (32%). This illustrates that while women feel this pressure more, fathers are not immune and increasingly want to play an active role in bringing up their children.
Building a parent friendly workplace
Many of the things that parents want – greater flexibility, autonomy and understanding that everyone has a life outside of work – is something that all employees can relate to. So, providing these things is a great place to start. Advances in technology offer huge opportunities to do things differently. Employers should consider reevaluating their practices in light of the current environment, rather than sticking to outdated methods simply out of habit.
Flexible working doesn’t just mean remote or hybrid. Working different, reduced or compressed hours, creating job shares or redefining roles give employees options to find a better blend between home and work. Employers need to be open to exploring all avenues and talk to their employees about what could work best. This needs to be an ongoing dialogue as needs will change over time. If one option doesn’t work, don’t give up, try something else. Be creative.
Our survey highlighted that much more could be done around employee benefits. Only 14% of respondents said their benefits package supported their needs very well as a working parent. To rectify this, employers need to ask employees what support they would like and explore how they can make their offers more relevant and personalised.
While benefits form an important part of the solution, the behaviours and actions of senior leaders and managers are just as crucial. The more they are seen to be supporting working parents and being open about their own work/life blend, the more employees will feel comfortable to take time off to be there for their children when they need to. 73% of respondents in our survey said that line managers should receive specific training on how to support parents more effectively.
As the balance of power continues to shift between employers and employees, the workplaces that will thrive are the ones people want to be a part of. Adopting approaches that recognise that everyone has a life outside of work to manage, will not only attract working parents but make them accessible to the widest possible talent pool.
[1] Vacancies and jobs in the UK – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)
[2] BH_MFI_Report_2019_Full-Report_Final.pdf (workingfamilies.org.uk)
[3] Unemployment: Who are the millions of Britons not working? – BBC News
