How employers can support parents and families
Employees who are parents account for 43% of the UK workforce, which is around 13 million people.
Ensuring parents receive the right support is crucial, not just for their own wellbeing but for their children too.
Whether it is financial stress, the pressure of balancing work and family life or concerns about their child’s mental health, these challenges can take a significant toll, and employers have a unique opportunity to play a key role in supporting parents, creating healthier workplaces and more resilient families.
Creating a workplace culture where mental health conversations are normalised and free from stigma ensures that employees feel supported and are likely to seek help when needed. It’s crucial to recognise that all parents, whether working full time, part time, on parental leave or not currently employed, deserve access to mental health support. Parents are the backbone of our communities, playing a vital role in shaping the next generation, and it is in everyone’s interest to ensure they receive the care and resources they need.
Practical solutions for employers
There are several ways to provide meaningful support. Flexible working policies, for example, allow parents to work from home or adjust their hours to better manage childcare responsibilities. This flexibility can be especially valuable for parents with young children who are not yet in school and would prefer to monitor themselves.
Employee Assistance Programmes
Another impactful solution is providing Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), which can offer access to professionals such as psychologist or therapists. These programmes can support parents in managing both their own mental health and that of their children. More specifically, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) offered in EAPs, uses effective strategies for helping children manage screen time through a structured approach. CBT techniques can help children develop healthier habits around digital device use by identifying triggers for excessive screen time and encouraging alternative behaviours. Parents can wok with children to establish boundaries while taking care of their emotional wellbeing and self-regulation.
Training line managers
Training managers to recognise the unique challenges faced by parents in the workplace and respond with empathy is key to creating a supportive workplace culture. Recognising the early signs of parental burnout can make a significant difference in supporting employees. Burnout often manifests as persistent exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, irritability, withdrawal from social interactions or a noticeable decline in performance. Parents experiencing other mental health issues may also voice concerns about feeling overwhelmed or display emotional distress related to balancing work and family responsibilities. Training to understand the impact of screen time is not only important for children but also for parents. With the increasing reliance on digital devices for work, it can be all too easy for employees to remain always on, checking emails or responding to notifications outside of working hours. Helping parents develop healthier screen habits, both for themselves and their children, can contribute to better mental wellbeing, improved focus and a clearer separation between work and personal life.
The return on investment
Supporting the mental health of parents is not just an ethical responsibility for employers – its also a strategic one. When parents struggle with their mental health, their engagement, productivity and overall contribution at work suffer. Stress and anxiety related to family or financial pressures can lead to presenteeism, where employees are physically present but unable to focus fully on their tasks. In other cases, parents may need to take time off to care for themselves and the family, leading to absenteeism and additional workload for colleagues. Over time, these issues can result in higher turnover rates as employees leave to seek more supportive working environments.
However, when employers actively build a culture that supports parental wellbeing, they create an environment where employees can thrive. A workplace that prioritises mental health allows parents to feel understood and supported, enabling them to better manage their responsibilities both at home and work. Ultimately, this translates into improved retention, reduced absenteeism and greater productivity.
