Being a working parent can be especially challenging in the summer. But according to a recent CareerBuilder survey, the majority of working parents feel that it is possible to have it all. Of workers who have a child living at home, 78% say it's possible to be equally successful in your career and as a parent.
The national survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from April 4 to May 1, 2018, and included a sample of 1,012 full-time workers in the private sector across various industries and company sizes.
"Work-life balance is certainly a struggle for all professionals, but we see workers moving past the idea that they have to give something up and that the sacrifice of either a career or parenting must be made," said Jennifer Grasz, vice president of corporate communications for CareerBuilder. "Promoting a balance should be important to employers, too. When employees feel a greater sense of control and ownership over their own lives, they tend to have better relationships with coworkers, be more productive and are able to leave work issues at work and home issues at home."
Overall, 51% of workers with a child in the household say they feel equally successful in their role at work and as a parent. But when they looked at dads versus moms, more than half of working dads (56%) feel this way, compared to only 47% of working moms. Additionally, while 33% of working moms say they feel more successful as a parent, only 22% of working dads say the same.
More and more families have two working parents contributing financially. Less than a third (32%) of workers who are parents say they are the sole financial provider in their household. And when working parents are asked how likely they are to leave their job if their spouse or significant other made enough money for their family to live comfortably, only 25% say they are likely. This shows people are enjoying their work and not just working for a paycheck. But money still matters – 65% of employees with a child in the household said they are not willing to take a decrease in pay to spend more time with their kids.
The increasing flexibility of many workplaces is likely responsible for today’s working parents feeling more balanced. 54% of those polled have taken advantage of workplace flexibility. Of them, 37% say it has not affected their career progress and 12% said it has positively impacted it.
Workplace flexibility also has benefits to the employer:
- Increased employee morale and engagement
- Reduced absenteeism and tardiness
- Improved productivity – A flexible schedule allows people to work when they accomplish the most, feel freshest, and enjoy working. (e.g. morning person vs. night person)
Among married-couple families with children, 61.9% had both parents employed in 2017 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 95.7% of employed fathers worked full time, compared with 77.2% of employed mothers. With so many households having two working parents, workplace flexibility is key to employee satisfaction and offering work life balance. And it seems to be working.
Additional ASE Resources
NEW 2018 Workplace Flexibility Survey Coming Soon - This survey will be available for ASE member participation by mid-August and will measure which workplace flexibility options are offered to employees and how employers administer them. The results will be available for free to ASE members and for $525 to non-members in the early fall. For more information please contact the survey team at [email protected].
Sources: bls.gov, careerbuilder.com, thebalancecareers.com