Listen to Emma Walsh on Weekend Mornings with ABC
As parents and carers grapple with the demands of raising children and maintaining their careers, the landscape of work-life balance continues to evolve. Emma Walsh, CEO of Parents at Work and founder of Family Friendly Workplaces, recently shared insights from the 2024 National Working Families Survey with Weekend Mornings on ABC for Mothers Day and discussed the ongoing challenges faced by working parents.
Early Parenting Struggles and the Importance of Support
For parents with young children, especially those navigating early wake-ups and sleepless nights, the need for support and rest is paramount. The experience of managing such early parenting duties underscores the necessity for workplaces to offer more robust support systems.
Changing Workplace Dynamics
Over the years, there has been a noticeable shift in the approach to parental leave. Originally, workplaces primarily sought advice on supporting mothers returning from parental leave. However, the recognition that fathers also require support has grown, albeit slowly.
Despite these changes, workplace cultures often still reflect traditional gender roles, with men as primary earners and women as primary caregivers. This dynamic has significant implications for career progression and the stress levels of working parents.
The Impact of the Pandemic
The pandemic has had a profound impact on the visibility of work-life balance challenges. With the shift to remote work, colleagues gained insight into each other’s home lives, breaking down the once rigid barrier between personal and professional spheres. This visibility has made the struggles of juggling work and family more apparent and less ignorable.
Ongoing Challenges and Cultural Shifts
Despite these shifts, many parents still feel the pressure to prioritise work over family responsibilities publicly. Stories of women being advised to hide their caregiving duties to protect their career prospects are still common. This culture of silence and stigma around family responsibilities persists, contributing to the high stress levels reported by working parents.
Survey Insights
The 2024 National Working Families Survey, involving 6,000 families, highlighted persistent workplace inequalities. Both men and women express a need for better support in managing work and family responsibilities. However, current policies often fall short, still biased towards traditional gender roles.
The Role of Men in the Conversation
Engaging men in the dialogue about work-life balance is crucial for meaningful progress. Men’s involvement in caregiving from an early stage has been shown to have lasting positive effects on their engagement. This necessitates providing men with better access to paid parental leave and encouraging their active participation in family life.
Flexible Work Practices
One significant finding is the role of managers in fostering a supportive environment for flexible work practices. When managers model flexibility, employees, particularly men, feel more comfortable requesting similar accommodations. However, industries dominated by men often lag in implementing family-friendly policies compared to more gender-balanced sectors.
Moving Forward
Achieving a more equitable balance between work and family life requires continued effort from both employers and policymakers. Enhancing access to paid parental leave, normalising flexible work arrangements, and actively involving men in caregiving are critical steps.
It’s important to recognise the ongoing challenges faced by parents and the need for systemic changes to support them. By fostering a more inclusive and supportive work environment, we can better accommodate the diverse needs of all working parents.
