Almost four in 10 working parents plan to look for a new job in the next 12 months, according to research.
The 2022 Modern families index spotlight report found that 38% of workers with children under the age of 18 have jobhunting on the agenda this year.
Back-up care and nursery provider Bright Horizons’ annual survey was completed by more than 1,000 working parents from across the UK.
Almost nine in 10 (89%) of those who feel ‘completely stressed’ said they would be looking for a new role this year. But so did 62% of those who believe they have a good work-life balance.
Three in four (74%) staff caring for elderly relatives are actively seeking a new job, as are two-thirds (66%) of those who said their employer is unsympathetic to childcare needs.
Even about half (49%) of working parents who described themselves highly satisfied with life at the time of the survey in December admitted they would be jobseeking in 2022.
Three-quarters of respondents said they carefully consider their childcare and eldercare responsibilities before accepting a new job or promotion.
An overwhelming majority (91%) of those with eldercare responsibilities consider support with care an important factor in any new employer, as do 76% of parents with children aged 0-10 years.
Two-fifths (40%) of working parents feel their employer is sympathetic to childcare responsibilities and allows them to work flexibly or offers support to help them manage childcare.
But one in four (25%) say their boss is only understanding up to a point and does not offer any practical help with childcare while more than a third (35%) describe their boss as not at all sympathetic.
Denise Priest, director of employer partnerships at Bright Horizons, explained that supporting staff will help with recruitment and retention.
“There is an opportunity here for employers to help reduce some of the emotional load for their working parents,” she said.
“Forward-thinking employers are providing access to tutoring programmes to support their employees’ children, or flexible childcare solutions whether at work or near home, or help in sourcing eldercare.”