New study outlines challenges and solutions for working parents during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic stress have exacerbated many of the challenges working parents face.

Among surveyed employers, support for parents is the top priority, second only to mental health and well-being.

In what is billed as the largest-ever study of working parents, a new report from Great Place to Work and Mavin Clinic finds that the rocky pandemic economy has many parents are near a breaking point, but offers guidance on how employers can retain valuable workers.

The survey included responses from more than 440,000 working parents in 1,244 U.S. companies. It included responses from 226,000 mothers, 204,000 fathers, 154,000 parents of color, and 9,000 LGBTQIA.

Related: It’s time to step up our support for working parents

Working parents completed surveys of more than 60 questions; employers also gave information about their workplaces and programs. The study reported looking at a range of industries, including health care, hospitality, technology, and financial services.

Working parents and the challenge of the pandemic

The report focused on the benefits of family-friendly work cultures, but it also outlined the many challenges that have come to light with the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic stress. And the stress is showing, the report said.

“When working parents talked to us about the pandemic, the most common words they used included ‘burden,’ ‘demand,’ ‘struggle,’ and ‘exhausted,’” the report said. The researchers noted that the Maven platform that supports health care for working parents saw a 320% spike in mental health appointments in the months following the pandemic. The report added that the challenges are greater for working mothers. “As schools closed and distanced learning became the norm, childcare and its burdens disproportionately fell to women,” the study said.

Workplaces are trying to address this challenge, but solutions are not clear, the study added. For the 181 companies selected as Best Workplaces finalists, the survey found that support for parents is the top priority (96%), second only to mental health and well-being (97%). But only 39% said their current policies are effective in addressing these priorities.

The study said that racial differences also play a role in these challenges; Black mothers have the highest rate of burnout, 33% compared to 25% for white mothers. Asian mothers, Latinx mothers, and Black fathers also have higher burnout rates than White mothers; all categories have higher burnout rates than White fathers (21%).

Those statistics give a clue as to why employers struggle to find effective programs to help employees, the report said. “The variation in burnout shows one reason most approaches do not work,” the study said. “They are not adequately addressing the unique and different drivers of burnout for employees of different races, ethnicities and genders.”

What works: lessons from successful workplaces

The study outlines strategies that have been successful in “Best Workplace”—certified employers. These include:

The report also discusses strategies for supporting parents through benefits around maternity and paternity leave, providing fertility benefits, and expanding care options for working parents.

“Childcare has always been critical for working parents and it’s become even more important during the pandemic as parents have had to navigate changing daycare and school protocols,” the report said. “A recent study commissioned by Maven revealed that this is one key area where businesses can step up their support: nearly 60% of working parents surveyed reporting that they did not feel supported by their employer as they navigated pandemic-related childcare challenges.”

By addressing these employee needs, the report concludes, employers can ensure a happier and more productive workplace, and find more success in recruiting and retaining talent.

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