Return to the office? 62% of working parents will quit

For working parents, the past few months have been hellish

BY Emily Douglas 05 May 2021

The past few months have been tough on all of us, but for working parents – it’s been a nightmare. A recent survey from FlexJobs found that 62% of parental employees would actually quit their jobs if they cannot continue remote work, with 37% calling for a fully hybrid model.

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The report, which surveyed over 1,100 parents in the workplace, shed some much-needed light on the difficulties they’ve faced over the past year. While 43% of parents said their childcare responsibilities have remained the same, the majority have been massively impacted by the pandemic.

The major changes cited in the report were;

21% reduced their hours
16% quit their job but plan to return to the workforce
Four percent had their partner reduce their hours
Two percent quit their job and do not plan on returning to the workforce
Two percent had a partner who quit their job

It’s no surprise then that parents are crying out for remote working arrangements to continue past the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, employees are so keen for more flexibility, that they’re more than willing to give up additional benefits in order to secure the remote model.

To keep their remote work arrangements, parents say they are willing to give up some benefits:

Some vacation time: 23%
Take a 10% pay cut: 19%
Work more hours: 17%
Health benefits: 16%
Employer-matching retirement contributions: 13%

“In order to help working parents not only stay in the workforce, but also be productive employees, employers should absolutely consider offering remote work and flexible schedules,” Carol Cochran, VP of people & culture at FlexJobs, told HRD. “When executed thoughtfully, giving employees more control over where and when they’re able to work can help create the critical space they need to meet their responsibilities as both workers and parents.