Working Parents

There is no denying that Covid has impacted everyone in some shape or form, but the recent results from a survey conducted by Pregnant then Screwed revealed the significant impact this pandemic is having on working mums:

• 72% of mums say they have had to work fewer hours because of childcare issues
• 66% of mothers who have been furloughed say lack of childcare was the reason 
• 81% said they need childcare to be able to work, but 51% do not have the necessary childcare in place to enable them to do their job

These statistics are extremely concerning. It is inevitable that any parent will put their child first, and we have seen the struggles of people multitasking as they homeschool, work, run a home, and parent. 

I recognise this isn’t just affecting women, and there are a lot of variables. In some households, like mine, the father or coparent is also faced with reduced hours. Other households with single parents, multiple generations living together, or other caretaker responsibilities are also facing these challenges around healthcare, education and transportation.

With schools reopening in September, this situation is not going away. Many parents will be managing staggered start and finish times for their children of different ages and are faced with finding wrapround care, which has many challenges in this climate. Schools are unable to offer breakfast and after school clubs. Childminders are at full capacity. 

Ultimately the Government need to recognise that childcare provision is essential for economic recovery. Without this in place, many working parents are being faced or even forced to make decisions which could mean them leaving the workforce. However this is an opportunity for organisations to lead on this agenda, and support working parents to retain them in the workplace.

• Create Internal Networks: give employees a voice and an opportunity to belong to a supportive network. Provide a platform for working parents to share their own experiences. Create a Women’s Network to put gender on the agenda through sharing views and suggestions, whether that be through online forums or virtual networking events.  Listen to their challenges and concerns, and consider what actions could be taken to address these.
• Drive Employee Engagement: now is a great time to find out the views of employees through feedback, whether that is through informal discussions or through structured employee engagement surveys. Discover how the workforce is feeling and what their biggest challenges are that they are facing. Dedicate questions or a discussion for working parents to find out their views on what support they need from the management team and organisation. 
• Support Wellbeing- create a culture to show that you genuinely care in the wellbeing of your staff, demonstrated from the top-down. Whether that is through flexible hours or through offering wellbeing self-care sessions. Show your staff that wellbeing is a priority. 

We are all human and doing our best navigating our way through the new normal. As employers, as colleagues, as one working parent to another, let’s recognise the roles that working parents are managing on a daily basis and appreciate what great assets they are in the workplace. 

these views are my own and do not reflect any organisations with which I may be affiliated