The study, which involved 3,000 employed parents of children up to the age of 11, highlights the challenges parents are facing, with 31 per cent seeking flexible working arrangements to manage their responsibilities.
Almost a quarter (24 per cent) rely on partners or other family members who have had to decrease their paid work or even quit their job. Moreover, 16 per cent say that difficulties in securing childcare have deterred them from applying for new positions.
Despite the support available, 46 per cent find it challenging to establish boundaries between their professional and personal lives.
Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, the charity that commissioned the study ahead of National Work Life Week (7th-11th October), said: “Accessing affordable and reliable childcare has become a significant challenge for many families.”
“A lot of parents are struggling to balance work and family life due to limited availability, rising costs, and long waiting lists. It’s not just an inconvenience – it’s a barrier that impacts career opportunities, financial stability, and overall well-being.”
The research found 75 per cent regularly work overtime, with 23 per cent claiming it’s the only way to manage their workload. Almost three in 10 (28 per cent) are adopting flexible hours, however, a fifth don’t have any flexible arrangements in place.
Despite 62 per cent stating their employer cares about their work-life balance, 51 per cent have previously refrained from applying for a job because it didn’t offer flexibility.
This is crucial as it allows them to manage childcare responsibilities (63 per cent), spend quality time with family (46 per cent), and helps to reduce the overall cost (45 per cent).
It also emerged parents believe flexible working has led to development of new skills (61 per cent), and an increased loyalty to their current employer (73 per cent).
Anna Whitehouse, a campaigner for flexible working and ambassador for Working Families, also known as Mother Pukka, stated: “This is the reality for so many parents we’re stuck in a cycle where childcare is either unaffordable or unavailable, forcing families to make impossible choices.”
“Parents are cutting back their hours or missing out on job opportunities just to get by day-to-day. The system, as it stands, doesn’t work.”
“If we truly want to support families, we need workplaces that make it possible for parents to manage the balancing act of work and childcare, without having to sacrifice their own wellbeing.”