According to the 2020 Modern Family Index, which is published annually by charity Working Families and childcare provider Bright Horizons, while over half of parents are working flexibly, ‘badly designed’ jobs have left many struggling to cope with the competing demands of home and the workplace.
Based on a survey of more than 3,000 parents, this year's research has been released to coincide with the Government’s plans to legislate to improve support for working families, following its commitments in December’s Queen’s Speech.
The 2020 Index shows that a substantial percentage of the working population aren’t benefitting from work-life balance improvements as they struggle to reconcile the pressure to ‘go the extra mile’ and with the ‘always on culture’.
Of those that were surveyed, more than half (55 per cent) said they are able to work flexible hours or from home. The majority of those are Millennial parents (aged 35 or under). Reasons for working flexibly and/or from home included childcare responsibilities, helping to manage their well-being and to pursue outside interests.
Better paid, white collar workers were more likely to report that they are working flexibly.
Key findings from the Index, based on the survey of working parents, include:
- Close to half (48 per cent) of all parents able to work remotely reported that doing so had probably increased the hours they work.
- 60 per cent of parents working extra hours said that doing so was the only way to deal with their workload. More than half said working extra hours is part of their company’s culture.
- 44 per cent feel compelled to dip into work in the evenings, such as checking e-mails
- 47 per cent believe that technology has ‘blurred the boundaries’ between work and home.
- Parents in ‘work mode’ at home complain of negative impacts on children and relationships.
- More than a third have faked illness to meet family obligations.
The index shows that the percentage of working parents who believe their employer cares about their work-life balance has increased since 2015. However, Working Families and Bright Horizons says there is evidence that many employers are still ignoring their employees need for fulfilled family lives.
It also indicates ‘significant long-term changes’ in parents sharing childcare equally since the 1970s, although mothers are still more likely to work part-time. Short paternity leave and long maternity leave and the fact more mothers than fathers reduce their hours when they return to work after having a baby, also perpetuates the idea of mothers as carers and fathers as workers, finds the index.
Comments
Jane van Zyl, chief executive of Working Families, said, ‘The research makes clear that jobs need to be “human-sized”. Employers who design roles that can be done in their contracted hours and encourage “switching off” will feel the benefit of happier, healthier workers. Requiring employers to be proactive about offering flexible and part-time roles could be a catalyst for better job design. This is what we believe will ultimately deliver a better work-life balance for parents and carers.’
Denise Priest, director of employer partnerships at Bright Horizons, added, ‘The tide is slowly turning in favour of family-friendly workplaces. But many employers could do more to ensure they are retaining talent and minimising attrition. Stress and burnout are frequent dangers, especially as technology blurs the boundaries between home and work. Technology can be a wonderful enabler, but when it means employees don’t feel they can switch off in the evenings and weekends, inevitably family life suffers.’
- The 2020 Modern Families Index is available here
