Almost twice as many working mothers as fathers have considered leaving their jobs because of the burden of childcare, research reveals.
A survey of 3,000 parents with children under four, commissioned by women’s rights group the Fawcett Society and Totaljobs, shows that new mothers disproportionately feel the strain of juggling childcare and work, and that it affects their finances, work-life balance, careers and aspirations.
One in five (19%) mothers of young children have considered leaving the workforce temporarily or permanently due to the challenges of balancing childcare and their career, the research by Opinium found. For fathers, this figure was one in 10.
Amid soaring childcare bills as firms demand workers return to the office, 30% of mothers and 17% of fathers reporting challenges in finding flexible work hours, while 34% of mothers and 22% of fathers felt their career progression had been hindered by childcare responsibilities.
Robyn Lund, 37, a part-time peripatetic music teacher in Birmingham, works about 10 hours a week but is being held back from doing more by the cost of nursery fees for her eight-month-old daughter and three-year-old son.
Before her children were born, Lund used to perform and teach music full-time, but this is now financially out of reach. “There have been several positions recently that I haven’t applied for because the salary has been lower than the childcare cost. The numbers don’t add up,” she told the Observer.
Like 40% of mothers polled, Lund would be keen to work more if childcare was significantly cheaper. “I’d like to feel like my education and experience counted for anything. My ability to earn was significantly better 15 better years ago. I feel completely written off by society.”
Jemima Olchawski, the chief executive of the Fawcett Society, called on employers to “end the motherhood penalty” and support flexible working and better parental support, stressing the need for affordable childcare.
“Government efforts to reduce the cost and increase the accessibility of childcare can’t come soon enough. The UK has some of the highest childcare costs in the world, so it comes as no surprise that this has so much impact on mothers’ participation in the workforce. The UK simply can’t afford to continue to cut corners on what is essential economic infrastructure.”
Against a backdrop of stark labour shortages, Totaljobs chief executive Jane Lorigan said: “There are more mothers in the workplace than ever before, and businesses need to create an environment where they can flourish. With critical labour shortages, the pressures of childcare could ultimately have a longer-term impact on our ever-shrinking workforce. Not only do working parents need more support but we need to ensure this support extends to the people who need it the most.”
A government spokesperson said: “We are delivering the single biggest investment in childcare in England’s history, providing 30 hours a week for working parents from nine months old up to when they start school, all backed by £8 billion a year once fully rolled out.”
The spokesperson added that the government’s flexible working bill, which is due to come into force next year, “requires employers to consider any requests and provide a reason before rejection”.
• This article was amended on 6 November 2023 to add a comment from the government.
