Working parents across the UK are facing major challenges this summer as they juggle full-time jobs with childcare.
A new survey by Pregnant Then Screwed, involving 1,176 UK parents, reveals that 26% had to take unpaid leave during the school holidays to care for their children and 75% of those took more than five days off.
But unpaid leave is only part of the picture.
- 68% of parents relied on costly holiday clubs
- 50% spent over £300, and 33% spent over £500 during the break
- 40% said this additional cost made it difficult to afford essentials like food and utilities
This paints a stark picture of how summer childcare pressures can impact financial wellbeing, mental health, and job security particularly for families with limited support.
How Employers Can Support Working Parents
Rather than seeing summer disruption as inevitable, businesses have a clear opportunity to lead with empathy and flexibility.
🗣️ “Managers should ask parents directly: mothers and fathers, how they plan to manage over the holidays, and work with them to find a solution,” advises workplace inclusion expert Joeli Brearley.
📈 Doing so not only boosts employee wellbeing but also enhances engagement and productivity during a difficult period.
Employer Actions to Consider:
- Offer flexible hours or shift patterns
- Enable hybrid or remote working wherever possible
- Focus on outputs over hours, shift toward outcome-based performance metrics
- Encourage open, proactive conversations between managers and parents
- Avoid making assumptions about who needs flexibility: ask, don’t guess