The COVID-19 Double Shift: How Do Working Parents Survive ......that I have to choose whether I'm...

The COVID-19 Double Shift: How Do Working Parents Survive As Workers & Parents Simultaneously?

Plenty of research exists around the fact that juggling work and parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult for many, and impossible for others. But little research has been done around how to help. This project sought to change that by pinpointing specific challenges in order to find viable solutions.

The Riveter partnered with VICE Media Group to conduct research that better understands the viewpoints of a wide variety of working parents. All in service of answering the big question: how can working parents survive the pandemic as both workers and parents?

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In a mission to find attainable solutions to help working parents through the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigated the realities of life today for this group. We focused primarily on parents working from home during this time, highlighting the unique set of challenges faced by this subset of working parents.

We conducted a robust online survey in the US of 1,128 working parents with children under 18 within The Riveter and VICE Media Group network. Respondents represented a broad range of industries and job levels. This enabled us to dig deep into their specific pain points and better understand the solutions they need.

60% 40%

Gen Y (25-39) Gen X (40-54)

56% 44%

Age

Gender

Ethnicity

Location

Urban

Suburban

Rural

46%

Work Position Industry

Owner/C-level executive

Senior level

Mid-level

Intermediate/entry level

Advertising/Marketing/Media

Auto/Construction/Manufacturing

Banking/Finance

Computer/Tech/Electronics

Creative/Entertainment

Education

Food/Beverage/Hospitality

Government/Politics

Healthcare

Legal Services

Real Estate

Retail

Science/Engineering

Other 11%4%5%

2%9%

7%7%

4%7%

6%18%

6%6%

9%

7% Asian

7% Black/African

8% LatinX/Hispanic/Latino(a)

3% Native American

1% Pacific Islander

77% White/Caucasian

48%

6%

15%

27%

43%

15%

Female Male

The Pandemic Turned The Lives of Working Parents Upside Down

Childcare School

Working parents without any childcare more than doubled during COVID-19. As daycares closed and other types of childcare were no longer options, stay-at-home parent roles grew substantially.

Many parents with school-age children saw their daily lives change considerably when back-to-school in the fall meant back-to-staying-at-home, as remote and distance learning was frequently established in place of in-person classes.

Pre-Pandemic Working Environment

Pandemic Working Environment

OUTSIDE THE HOME AT HOME

81%

81%15%

18%

33%

8%13%

29%

17%21%

14%12%

15%15%19%

45%

Pre-Pandemic During Pandemic

DAYCARENANNY/

BABYSITTER/AU PAIR

STAY AT HOME PARENT

RELATIVE CARE

OTHER NO CHILDCARE

5%12%

81%

21%

2%3%1%

97% Pre-Pandemic During Pandemic

IN-PERSON SCHOOL

REMOTE/DISTANCE LEARNING

HOMESCHOOL OTHER

COVID-19 has had an immeasurable impact on the world’s population, especially in the way people work. Large amounts of workers were left jobless as entire industries were affected, and ways of working shifted dramatically for those still employed. Many office workers have been working from home for months and those with jobs outside of an office setting must contend with the stresses of new health risks and safety protocols.

Working parents make up a significant part of the US workforce. Of the country’s 33.4 million families with children under 18, 91% have at least one parent

employed.1 The demanding work environment created by the pandemic is compounded for this large group of employees.

Many childcare centers and schools closed their doors at the same time offices implemented remote work. As a result, the home has been transformed into the epicenter for work, school and childcare, all of which happen at the same time. With little or no additional support available, working parents are forced to juggle two or three full-time jobs at once, acting as workers, parents and educators.

1 Employment Characteristics of Families, US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, April 2020

2%1%2%5%

10%

21%24%

36%

2%

6%3%

5%8%

14%

24%

38%Pre-PandemicDuring Pandemic

CHORES/ERRANDS COMMUTEFAMILYWORK

PERSONAL TIME

SOCIAL LIFESLEEP OTHER

+8 Working Moms

+5 Working Dads

Even though their lives look very different today, working parents are still giving employers their all and working as much as ever before. The daily time spent working remains consistent with pre-pandemic times. The most significant time shift has been in the time spent taking care of their family each day. This is made possible by a decrease in once routine activities such as commuting.

Both working moms and working dads perceive this additional time with family as a perk, naming it the number one benefit to come out of their pandemic experience. This top benefit is closely followed by less time commuting, further indicating that working parents are enjoying the additional time spent at home with their families.

Average Time Spent (Percent Of Day)

Take turns tackling various household and parent duties with their partner

Working parents with partners are trying their best to take on these additional responsibilities at home as a team. Working parent couples are uniting to support each other using whatever approach best fits with their family dynamic. Some couples take turns tackling whatever is needed and others have more defined roles and responsibilities.

70 %Have distinct roles for who takes on certain household and parent responsibilities

64 %

Despite working dads spending more time caring for children than before, working moms are still responsible for the bulk of the increase in family responsibilities.

Notates significance at 95% confidence ^

63 %^

23 %I always take on more household and parent responsibilities than my partner

Working Moms

Working Dads

Balancing work and parenting in the COVID-19 world is one of the hardest things many parents have ever done. The external stressors of the global pandemic combined with the personal stressors of balancing work and parent duties negatively impacts their self-confidence and resiliency.

These grueling circumstances are taking a toll on how they perceive themselves as both parents and workers. Despite spending the same time working and more time parenting, working parents feel they are performing worse at both.

Working Parents Are Doing More, But Feeling Less Impactful

“

“

The whole messy situation we're in has me so deeply tapped emotionally that I have to choose whether I'm going to "show up" to work or "show up" at home. Ultimately, I'm splitting the difference, and it's not good for either role I have as an employee or as a parent. This sucks. — WORKING DAD, 30-34

Perceived parental shortcomings are largely driven by working moms, with working dads most likely to report no changes in their quality of parenting since COVID. While working moms are much more likely than dads to feel like worse parents today, an almost equal amount feel like better parents, again highlighting the beneficial aspect of more time at home.

Worse

Same

Better 37%

32%

31%

Rating As Parents Since The Pandemic

Working parents feel less effective as employees, but this is also largely driven by working moms. Nearly half rate themselves as worse employees now, significantly higher than working dads. Overall, there has been little room for growth at work, with only one in five parents saying their performance improved since the pandemic.

Worse

Same

Better 23%

37%

40%

Rating As Employees Since The Pandemic

98 %Experience struggles as a working parent in the pandemic

37%^ Working Moms 22% Working Dads

27% Working Moms 40%^ Working Dads

36% Working Moms 38% Working Dads


34% Working Moms

43%^ Working Dads

21% Working Moms 26% Working Dads


47%

50%

54%

54%

64%Less/no “me” time

Parental guilt

Managing remote schooling

Less/no childcare

Less/no work life balance




Top Pain Points For Working Parents

Living out all or most of their lives at home makes it difficult for working parents to step outside the never-ending cycle of work and family responsibilities. This results in the inability to carve out time for things like self-care and increases feelings of parental guilt.

As prevalent as these issues are, some groups of working parents experience them to a greater extent than others. The stand out pain point for single working parents is managing remote school for their

kids (64%). With no additional support to help balance school with their work, this issue is more acute than anything else on their list.

Working moms also drive many of the attitudes around the challenges of working parents now, a result of taking on the majority of parenting and household tasks.

Chart only shows responses of 30% and above


“

“

“

“

We're doing our best not to let the kids fall behind in school and also not bored screaming in the house while we're trying to work. It means being the teacher/maid/chef/babysitter and breadwinner all in one and it's f*ing hard.

—WORKING MOM, 35-39

I have a special needs child and I am under a lot of personal stress. I want to do my job and take care of my son, but I am only one person and I don't have any help.


Employers Can HelpThis moment in time brings the treatment of parents in the workplace to a critical crossroads. COVID-19 put a spotlight on the struggles that working parents have long dealt with and amplified them. They are reaching a breaking point, with no relief in sight. These difficult and overwhelming circumstances have made working parents less driven, inspired, and creative in their work.

Job Sentiment During Pandemic

6% 12%Say benefits to help working parents during the pandemic has improved

Say companies are doing a good job supporting their employees who are parents during COVID-19

ONLY ONLY

Understanding the changes in lifestyle are one thing, but the structures around expectations in the workplace have not changed since the pandemic began. —WORKING DAD, 35-39

“

“

Working parents desperately need someone to step in and help. It is clear that they can’t do it all on their own, but they haven’t received the support they need from their employers. To help them better deal with the struggles brought on by COVID-19, working parents need to see more concrete action from the workplace.

Less

More

Motivated

53%

15%

Organized

44%

17%

Creative

43%

18%

Productive

43%

21%

Collaborative

36%

19%

Inspired

11%

57% 49%^ Working Moms 36% Working Dads





Employee Benefits Currently Offered

5%7%7%

17%19%

31%34%

51%

60%

Remote work

Flexible work hours

Virtual mental health

services

Extra family leave

Childcare subsidies/discounts

Reduced work

hours

Private childcare

Online camps/

classes for kids

Private teachers/

tutors

Many of the needs of working parents are consistent across position, from the C-suite to entry level, and industry. Regardless of where they work or the salary they earn, they need the same assistance from their places of work to remain effective, engaged, and happy.

The support working parents require most is a culture that allows for the time and space to deal with the current state

of the world. They also expect companies to lead the charge in larger societal change by normalizing empathy for working parents.

Fostering an environment that acknowledges the additional responsibilities, interests, and worries they have outside of work will go a long way in instilling the confidence and ability needed to navigate the COVID-19

world as both parents and workers in a healthy way.

Notably, financial assistance was not at the top of the list despite the uncertain economy and job market. This further emphasizes how immense the need is for employers to show working parents compassion and an understanding of how much they’re handling in a world that looks very different compared to anything in recent history.

Employee Benefits Wishlist

The level of stress is exponential, and needs to be accounted

for in some way. Compensate with more time off, or short

Fridays, or SOMETHING that acknowledges we are in a

different world, and it takes so much more to accomplish a

regular work day.


36%Reduced work

hours

66%Wellness

days

58%Normalize

empathy for working parents

49%Extra family

leave 48%

Flexible work hours

39%Remote work

policy

36%Raise in

pay37%

Phone/internet stipend

35%Childcare subsidies/discounts

26%Virtual mental

health services

25%Private

childcare

22%Private

teachers/tutors

Chart only shows responses of 20% and above

Even though working parents need more help than ever, there have not been many new benefits introduced to acknowledge this. Many parents feel that work continued as usual without regard to the drastic changes they’ve experienced in their lives from the pandemic. A majority of companies are offering remote work and flexible hours, but not much else. While helpful, these offerings do not specifically address the needs of working parents.

“

“

51%60%

It is evident that the needs of working parents aren’t being addressed in current workplace culture. Working parents generally don’t feel seen or understood by colleagues who don’t have children themselves.

Working moms are especially more likely to experience challenges in their relationships with colleagues. Compared to working dads, moms are

much more apt to feel guilty for taking care of their children during work hours (42% vs. 21%) and feel the need to hide their personal lives from their coworkers (20% vs. 10%). Working moms are also twice as likely (18% vs. 9%) to take on more responsibility at the office in order to prove they are valuable employees to their team, compared to their working dad counterparts.

SAY MY COLLEAGUES ARE FLEXIBLE AND ADAPT TO MY SCHEDULE

4 in 10ONLY “Their actions are fine and they are

doing the best they can, but they just don't get it. [My colleagues without kids] really don't understand that I have hard limits on my availability and hours. I don't get punished for it luckily, but it's work to constantly have to set and reinforce those boundaries.” —WORKING MOM, 35-39

A workplace culture that understands what working parents are going through is imperative to employee success and happiness. This is made clear in key characteristics that stand out in the group of working parents that rated themselves as better employees now compared to before the pandemic. This group is more likely to work in a culture where working parents are understood and mental health support is offered, helping to both normalize their experiences and ease some of their burdens.

56% 26%Most Bosses Are Parents

Most Colleagues Are Parents

40%Employers Offer Virtual Mental Health Services

Working parents who rated themselves as better employees now

+6 vs. average +6 vs. average +6 vs. average

I would like to maintain the level of support I'm currently receiving. Since the start of the pandemic, I've been really happy with the support and flexibility I've received. I feel that I've been able to hit my goals and be successful at work and take care of my family at the same time.“

“

— WORKING MOM, 40-44

It is necessary to foster a culture of care, support and respect in order for working parents to succeed. This compassion will have a halo effect across all employees, putting everyone in a better place, now and after the pandemic.

Flexibility: Continue offering flexibility in schedules and work locations to adapt to the varying needs of working parents.

Empathy: Acknowledge the unique challenges of working parents, especially working moms. Create a workplace environment that understands and normalizes the multi-faceted roles of working parents.

Prioritization: Prioritize the mental health of working parents by offering things like wellness days and extra leave time to allow space for processing and managing personal matters.

TO CREATE A SUPPORTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR WORKING PARENTS, EMPLOYERS SHOULD OFFER:

Employers have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of all employees through actions that support working parents

The COVID-19 Double Shift: How Do Working Parents Survive ......that I have to choose whether I'm...

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