FlexJobs Survey Shows Need for Flexibility, Support for Working Parents

ByRachel Pelta

There’s no denying the outsized impact COVID-19 has had (and is continuing to have) on the world. From companiesextending or permanently shifting to remote workto how we shop and interact with each other, we’re facing a lot of uncertainty.

And of course, the pandemic has had a massive impact on education. From preschool to graduate school, how and where we learn has changed, at least for now. With remote learning becoming standard for some,parents are taking a more hands-on approach to their children’s education.

Since the spring, when schools across the country shut down and shifted to remote learning, families have had to figure out how to navigate e-learning on the fly. Working parents have also had to balance online learning with suddenly transitioning toremote work.

To betterunderstand the impact of COVID-19 on working parents, FlexJobs surveyed more than 2,500 working parents with children under 18 living at home. The survey was conducted between August and September 2020. We asked about the career choices they’ve had to make, how remote learning is impacting their choices, and what kind of support they would like from their employers.

Career Choices

Our survey found that 40% of working parents had to make changes to their jobs. Unfortunately, for 25%, that meant voluntarily reducing their hours, and for 15%, this meant quitting their jobs. An additional 5% said their partner reduced their hours or quit their job.Of those who quit their jobs, 38% said they do not plan to rejoin the workforce.

Gender Differences

流感大流行的影响在工作的母亲更小us working fathers has been uneven. When schools shut down,63% of working mothers report they primarily handled childcare duties, while 42% of working fathers reported the same. Additionally, 80% of working mothers said they took the lead on remote learning versus 31% of working fathers.

Though 43% of working mothers said their employment status had remained the same during the pandemic, 17% quit their jobs. However, 51% of working fathers said their employment was the same, and only 10% had quit their jobs.

The Ongoing Impact of COVID-19

With no firm end date in sight, the pandemic continues to have an outsized impact on future plans. When asked what working parents plan to do if remote learning continues for the entire school year, 50% said that they would keep working while taking care of the kids.

然而,管理工作和照顾孩子,22% of respondents said they would have to request full-time work-from-home status, while 7% said they or their partner would have to quit their jobs. Another 21% said they would have to pay for additional childcare.

Balance Helps

Finding a way to balance a career and kids has always been a challenge—even more so during the pandemic. When asked what would help parents balance work with childcare responsibilities,nearly two thirds (58%) said that a flexible schedule would have the most positive impact.

When asked what types of flexibility they would most benefit from, parents mentioned the following:

Working from home full-time (48%)
Working from home part-time (30%)
Freelancing (24%)
Alternative schedules (20%)

Furthermore, the most important factors working parents consider when evaluating a job prospect are:

Work-life balance (79%)
Salary (77%)
Flexible work options (73%)

Tips for Making the Most of the Situation

Regardless of the challenges the pandemic has created for working parents, 49% of working mothers and 50% of working fathers say that they’ve beenmore productive working at home during the pandemic than when they worked in the office.

To help yoube more productivewhen working at home with kids (or roommates, or pets!), here are some tips:

Create a routinethat you can stick to (and include breaks!)
Establish and maintain boundaries
Work in shifts(one person works in the morning while the other cares for the kids, then flip in the afternoon)
优先考虑你的时间表and plan for interruptions
Ditch the guiltwhen working from home with young kids
Be prepared tobalance distance learning with work(Webinar Recording)

A crucial yet often overlooked component of successfully working from home is communication. It’s easy to forget about coworkers and bosses when you work virtually. After all, out of sight can lead to out of mind. But it’smore important than ever to keep your boss and coworkers updatedon your work, your schedule, and how you’re balancing everything now that school’s back in session. Keep everyonein the loop with frequent email updatesand makeall of your communicationsclear, concise, and intentional.

Flexibility Can Encourage Balance

When companies and schools across the country moved online in the spring, many assumed it would last for a few weeks, then everything would be “business as usual.” Coronavirus had other plans, but thelast six months have shown us all how flexible and adaptable we can be, and will be, for as long as it takes.

以及是否you're a working parent or not, FlexJobs can help you find the flexibility you need in your career. Take the tour to learn more about the benefits we provide to our members!

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