Empowering working parents is the key to thriving businesses and happier families

Hybrid working arrangements are helping to break down the gendered division of family work and bringing wider economic benefits in the process. 

For many working parents, the struggle to balance career ambitions with family responsibilities remains a daily challenge.

International Workplace Group’s (IWG) report, released earlier this year, evidenced how hybrid working can fast-track equality at work for women and accelerate progress towards parity.

The hybrid model has transformed millions of lives worldwide, enabling people to divide their time between local workspaces, home, and central offices.

By removing the daily commute, hybrid working improves work-life balance, well-being, and productivity, while also offering environmental benefits.

Women, in particular, often carry a heavier burden in family and household commitments, bearing a disproportionate share of caregiving and domestic responsibilities.

This gendered division of unpaid work creates a double burden for women, who are also trying to prioritise and advance their professional careers.

With many female workers struggling to fit these responsibilities into a traditional day, numerous studies show how this has led to a high number of women dropping out of the workforce, as well as greater incidences of burnout.

Recent research from the charity Working Families also exposed a gap between what working fathers want and what workplaces deliver.

Three-quarters (74%) of dads want to share parenting equally, yet many still fear the professional consequences.

Additionally, six in 10 fathers feel consistently judged for prioritising family life, and 50 per cent feel anxious about asking for flexibility.

Three-quarters (78%) of fathers report that their situation has caused strain on their own health, their partner’s or their child’s. A quarter say they’ve missed out on key moments like school plays or bedtime stories.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to demonstrating the importance of workplace flexibility, and it is equally relevant for all parents and carers, not just fathers.

When employees say goodbye to long daily commutes, and flexibility becomes the norm for all, everyone benefits.

The flexibility to work from home or local workspaces has been instrumental in helping parents balance careers and childcare – no matter whether you’re a mum, dad or carer.

According to IWG's study, the majority of working parents (83%) say hybrid working has made them better parents, while 86% report an improved quality of family life.

International Workplace Group(IWG) CEO and Founder, Mark Dixono.

BUSINESS REPORT