Work-life balance is a goal most people strive for, whether they’re new to the workforce or otherwise. Yet often, employees find that juggling work duties, social life, health and wellness, and other key aspects of human life can be tricky for them. But what of those employees who have children to look after? It is estimated that nearly 50% of all employees claim that work demands conflict with their personal obligations, while 43% claim that family obligations interfere with their ability to perform well at work. A recent study found that more than half of all working parents with children under 18 report having difficulty juggling their work obligations and taking care of their families, according to a 2015 Pew Research poll.

A Glance at Work-Life Balance

Suppose the average workday spans 8 hours, and we account for the recommended 8 hours of sleep. In that case, we’re left with 8 hours a day to juggle everything else in life, from chores, wellness, fitness, socializing, hobbies, and family responsibilities, among others. At a time when burnout is occurring at a higher rate across many industries, fitting a huge chunk of life into 8 hours can seem like a daunting task, yet finding the time to make sure adequate attention is paid to the various areas of importance in life is the key when it comes to achieving any measure of balance.

Millennials are set to comprise 75% of the workforce by 2025, according to a Harvard Business Review article by Hilary Rau and Joan C. Williams.

Many within this generation are thinking about growing their families or already having children in their care. This highlights why most millennials value flexibility and paid leave time when choosing where to work and whether to stay long-term.

Common Struggles Working Parents Face

While the needs of individual employees and their families may differ from one another, there are many struggles that these employees face when it comes to finding that sweet spot between work duties and family duties. Employers who make an effort to help ease these struggles usually have higher retention rates and better talent acquisition rates as well.

Here are a few of the most common work-life trouble parents face:

Reluctance to ask for support.

Even in today's society, raising a child requires a village. Being humble enough to ask for assistance is a virtue, yet doing so can be a game-changer. Single parents are most affected by this struggle. Although successful parents are frequently eager to exchange favors, they are not always easily dependent on others. For instance, they can offer to take up other busy families' weekend carpool responsibilities in exchange for assistance dropping the kids off at soccer practice. With greater support find that they’re more productive at work when they arrange for help that guarantees their children are being taken care of.

Feeling the need to divide their time equally.

Finding the right balance between a career and children doesn't always entail dividing the time equally. Effective parents are aware that their families will occasionally require more focus and that their careers occasionally require more effort. It’s usually not about sharing time equally but more about being flexible instead.

Guilt about working.

According to 2012 Pew Research Center research, 44% of mothers who work full-time said that working part-time would be their ideal position. Unfortunately, many families cannot afford for a parent to work part-time. Parents who successfully juggle work and family obligations don't waste time or effort feeling guilty about working. Instead, they either come up with a solution to the issue—like working flexible hours—or they concede that they will have to keep a full-time job while caring for their kids.

Ways to Support Employees Who Have Children

Finding ways to support working parents is a win-win for both employers and their employees, as it has been seen that job burnouts occur less often, productivity and performance increase and levels of stress and anxiety tend to go down as well.

Below you’ll find a quick list of ways employers can better support employees with children:

Allow for flexible work schedules (and PTO)
Nurture a culture of work-life balance
Provide Parent-Friendly Office spaces
Offer Paid Family Leave

ChenMed is a Parent-Friendly Employer

At ChenMed, we strive to improve the lives of our patients and our team members. As an employer whose mission is to transform healthcare, the importance of our team members' well-being is key to making a difference in our world. ChenMed is committed and vested in raising the bar and making work-life balance a possibility for working parents, including:

Our parental leave program provides four weeks of fully paid leave for new moms, dads, and adoptive parents.
Bright Horizons provides team members with reliable backup childcare when schools close, or a caregiver has an emergency.
Employee Assistance Program provides team members access to work/life resources and licensed clinicians. They can help cope with a wide variety of concerns, from family and financial issues to emotional health and stress. These services are also available to anyone in a team member’s household.

“As a soon-to-be mom, it’s important to me that ChenMed values work-life balance, especially for parents. I look forward to using my fully paid parental leave so I can spend quality time with my son during his first weeks of life,” shared Melissa Spain, Brand Love Manager. “I also know I’ll have resources available to me as a parent like the Employee Assistance Program and Bright Horizon childcare.”

Be part of something bigger. Learn more about ChenMed Careers and how you can become part of the family, too.

If you’re interested in exploring open positions at ChenMed, click below:

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