The 3 major challenges facing working parents today (and how leaders can help) 

Working parents and carers have always faced unique and difficult challenges in balancing their careers with the joys and pressures of looking after someone else. In the past, businesses have often overlooked this group of workers, or – in the worst cases – acted punitively towards them by not addressing their needs.

We can broadly state that things have improved in recent decades, but there is still quite a bit of work to be done. A 2021 UK survey by YouGov found that roughly one in five working parents reported that their employer offered no support at all in helping them manage childcare.

And while some in the Western world are using the past tense to describe the Covid pandemic, its effects remain the source of tremendous anxiety for huge swathes of the workforce – working parents and carers especially.

Meanwhile, it is quite often the case that this worker demographic holds some of the most talented and experienced individuals in the workplace. So, creating an environment where working parents and carers can thrive is of benefit both to a company’s bottom line and its overall ethos. To retain these valuable workers, companies and team leaders need to be alert to the challenges faced and develop adequate means of support and understanding.

Let’s take a look at three of the biggest challenges:

1. The challenge of childcare

Without question, the No. 1 baseline concern for working parents is the issue of childcare, specifically: who’s going to do it and how much is it going to cost?

The UK government provides a number of options to help working parents suffer the cost of professional childcare, like the Tax-Free Childcare programme. However, some parents may find they are ineligible; even those who are eligible are left to pay the majority of costs; and the labyrinthine application processes can be prohibitively confusing.

HR teams can help with the latter issue by providing guidance in terms of what’s available and how to apply. But perhaps one of the best ways to support working parents’ childcare needs is to provide flexible working options.

In the previously mentioned YouGov survey, a stunning 84% of respondents stated that they wanted their employers to offer flexible working. Related to that, some 69% of those surveyed said that positions advertised as flexible would be more attractive.

2. The challenge of finding balance

Another issue that many parents have with professional childcare is that they would prefer to be more directly engaged with their child’s upbringing. Flexible working options can help a parent better adjust to their child’s schedule in terms of school and extracurricular activities.

Beyond that, it helps improve many parents’ overall attitude toward their relationship with their children. For many parents, the Covid pandemic prompted their first experience with flexible working conditions, and 61% of those surveyed said it resulted in them spending more quality time with their children.

More broadly, flexible working has a positive effect on people’s work-life balance. Not only are parents spending more quality time with their children, they’re experiencing more quality of life overall.

As the pandemic has eased, those same parents have expressed fears and anxieties about the possibility of returning to the old ways of doing things. Fifty percent of working parents said that a full return to previous working patterns would negatively affect their family life.

3. The challenge of dealing with stress

Fortunately, many businesses have recognised the value of flexibility and are continuing to allow home working, hybrid working, flexible schedules and other innovative ways of doing business. However, for working parents this is not a cure-all. Many unique pressures remain.

In some cases, the severity of those pressures may have increased somewhat in recent years, with parents unable to allow themselves to ever fully disconnect from work. And the sometimes blurred lines between work and home life may lead some parents to feel they are not good enough at either.

According to a recent BBC Family Tree article, many parents – women in particular – still experience feelings of shame or inadequacy when they aren’t able to “effectively and happily manage a thriving work, home and family life simultaneously.”

The article points out that such old attitudes set “impossibly high” standards but, unfortunately, some parents still hold those expectations for themselves. It’s possible that the mingling of work and home life that comes with flexible working could exacerbate these feelings, making a parent feel that they should be answering emails at midnight, for example.

Businesses and team leaders can help by encouraging their workers to establish boundaries in terms of workload and expectations.

The benefit of coaching

Most businesses understand the benefits of supporting working parents but aren’t entirely sure how to go about it. For example, a working parent is not just a parent. Providing an environment where they can be there for their kids is only part of the equation. Those workers will still be eager to develop and progress in their careers. Smart leaders will be keen to support them in this, as well.

Professional coaching from Talking Talent can help you offer that much-needed support to your working parents and carers. Our coaching shows them how to identify and establish new skills, behaviors and mindsets that lead to increased productivity and happiness on all sides. These skills can help to instill a culture of resilience and wellbeing that ensures teams are better able to deal with the stresses of life and business.

Working parents face a tremendous number of challenges, but businesses that offer support will find themselves rewarded by higher retention rates, a better working atmosphere and increased engagement.

Ready to better support your working parents and carers? Get in touch.