Survey highlights flexibility penalty for mums
Despite the post-Covid move to more flexible working, many mums are struggling to get the...read more
A Cityparents survey shows that, despite greater flexibility in the wake of the pandemic, many parents are finding the lines between work and home blurred and are worried about the career impact of remote working.
Over a third of parents working in the City rarely find time to relax, despite technology helping to allow flexibility, according to a new survey, but a majority think remote working will have long-term career consequences.
Cityparents’ Annual Member Survey of 550 parents, the vast majority women, finds parents are struggling with setting and respecting boundaries, with 72% saying they are not able to regularly and effectively maintain boundaries between work and home life.
36% say they rarely find time to decompress; only 15% say this is something they can regularly do while 73% put work commitments ahead of family / home commitments either always, frequently or occasionally.
46% say they respond to work communications outside of work hours at least several times a day with 28% taking work calls during the school run. 73% respond to work communications whilst managing family commitments and 68% check work messages while on annual leave.
Meanwhile, 28% say their career prospects are worse than before the onset of the pandemic and 70% believe that those working solely from home will not have the same opportunities as those based in the office.
Louisa Symington-Mills, Founder and CEO of Cityparents, says: “The results show evidence of real progress for working parents with the majority of respondents feeling more in control of their work pattern now compared with pre-pandemic. However, the dominance of remote work and the growth of pervasive technologies mean people are finding it harder than ever to set and maintain boundaries, with clear repercussions for mental wellbeing.”