Supporting Parents’ Mental Health in the Workplace

What are the challenges that working parents face?

Working parents face a number of challenges, including:

• Working parents often have to juggle work, childcare and household responsibilities.

• Finding affordable childcare.

• Dealing with stress and anxiety.

• Some may have a lack of support from their partners, family, or friends which can make it difficult to cope with stress.

• Feeling guilty or depressed about not being able to spend enough time with their children leads to a poor work-life balance.

What is the importance of mental health for working parents?

Mental health is important for everyone, but it is especially important for working parents. The challenges of being a working parent can take a toll on mental health, and having access to mental health support can help parents to cope with stress and anxiety.

From a business perspective, supporting parents' mental health in the workplace can attract and retain top talent. Working parents are often highly motivated and dedicated and bring experience and skills to the table. It can also help with: 

• Reduced absenteeism.

• Reduced presenteeism.

• Staff taking less sick days.

• Increased staff productivity.

• Reduced business costs.

Supporting parents also can help improve workplace culture, thus creating a productive and more positive environment for everyone involved. By doing so, people may feel more comfortable in speaking up and sharing any mental health challenges and are therefore more likely to get the support they need.

What resources can workplaces provide to support the mental health of their employees?

Workplaces can help to address the challenges that working parents face by:

• Offering flexible work arrangements.

• Providing paid parental leave.

• Offering on-site childcare.

• Providing mental health support.

• Creating a culture that is supportive of working parents.