The KPMG Working Parents Survey

There is a clear and consistent demand for greater flexibility in the workplace.[1] Despite the myriad challenges working parents face, many strive for a situation that enables them to excel both professionally and personally.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of working parents report that becoming a parent has boosted their motivation at work, driving them to achieve greater success in their careers while also managing their family responsibilities.
Offering a more flexible work schedule was identified as the most valuable additional initiative employers can provide to working parents, with 50% of working parents interested in more flexible work schedules like a 4-day workweek.
Fully in-office working parents report being more content with their career progression opportunities (84%) compared to hybrid (77%) and fully remote (65%) working parents. Working fathers also report more satisfaction (81%) with their career progression opportunities when compared to working mothers (76%) – with Asian working mothers reporting the lowest satisfaction with their career progression opportunities (46%).
Although fully remote employees are less satisfied with their current benefits, employer support and career progression opportunities compared to their hybrid and fully in-office colleagues, they report greater satisfaction with the time they spend with their families and are less likely to feel stressed about juggling work and parenting responsibilities.

Enhanced paid parental, medical, or sick leave is the most critical resource employers can offer to support parents on their journey.

Improved paid leave options are the most valuable resource an employer can provide for working parents. This sentiment is particularly strong among women surveyed, who place a higher value on scheduling flexibility and paid time off, including caretaker and parental leave, when compared to men (60% vs. 53% and 58% vs. 54%, respectively).
During the first year of parenthood, when most parents take leave, 63% of women survey participants report feeling adequately supported compared to 72% of men. This disparity is especially pronounced among Asian women, with only 50% reporting that they feel effectively supported during this crucial period.

Working parents are seeking improved access to and funding for childcare, and nearly half do not have back-up childcare options.

Over half (53%) of parents surveyed struggle with ongoing childcare arrangements. Additionally, 49% report that their companies do not offer onsite or back-up childcare options, and 43% of parents are seeking better access to or financial support for childcare.
The data also reveals that men are 10 percentage points more likely to rely on their spouse, partner or significant other for childcare than women (32% vs. 22%). In contrast, Black parents are most likely to depend on school after-care programs, while Hispanic/Latinx parents most often turn to the child’s grandparents for assistance.
Women, especially those from Black, Asian and Hispanic/Latinx backgrounds, place a higher priority on flexible childcare hours (39% for women vs. 31% for men and 40%, 43%, and 43%, respectively, for the additional groups).

Working parents –often experience high levels of guilt, burnout and dissatisfaction with their personal well-being due to the pressure of juggling work and family lives, with conflicting work schedules exacerbating these challenges.

Over half (54%) of working parents report that their work schedules frequently clash with their parenting duties.
Guilt for not spending enough time with their children or at work is the second biggest challenge for working parents (43%), just behind time management issues (57%). Notably, women disproportionately report experiencing this guilt compared to men (50% vs. 38%). This sentiment is especially pronounced among Black, Asian and Hispanic/Latinx women, who report high levels of guilt (45%, 54% and 43%, respectively).
Forty-six percent (46%) of working parents are looking for employer-led programs to prevent burnout and improve well-being, which they see as the second most beneficial additional initiative after flexible schedules. Hybrid working parents and those with three or more children are most likely to seek this type of support.
Working mothers report feeling less satisfied with their personal well-being and time spent with family compared to working men (81% and 78% vs. 92% and 84%). Black, Asian and Hispanic/Latinx women are also less satisfied with their time spent with family (78%, 75% and 73%, respectively).

There are perceived gaps in career development and progression opportunities for working parents as well as perceived gaps in level of support from their employers.

There is a notable perception gap between executives and employees regarding support and career progression opportunities for working parents. While 88% of working parent C-suite executives feel their companies are supportive of parents advancing in their careers, this perception drops to 79% among working parent mid-level executives and even lower to 69% among junior-level employees. Additionally, 83% of C-suite executives say their company encourages open conversations about the challenges of juggling work and parenting, compared to 67% at mid-level and only 57% at junior levels.
Black parents are most likely to feel they can be open about childcare and parenting challenges at work (80%), followed by White (75%), Hispanic/Latinx (65%) and Asian (58%) parents. Furthermore, 79% of women are satisfied with the support from their employer as a working parent, compared to 83% of men. Only 72% of women feel their company fosters an inclusive environment for working parents and caretakers, compared to 79% of men.
Although integrating technology, particularly generative AI, is often thought of to boost productivity and reduce workload pressure for working parents, there is varied interest in leveraging it. Employees with 3+ children, C-suite executives and hybrid employees express the most, but still limited, interest (38%, 37% and 36%, respectively).

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Additional key findings include:

There is a clear and consistent demand for greater flexibility in the workplace.[1] Despite the myriad challenges working parents face, many strive for a situation that enables them to excel both professionally and personally.

Enhanced paid parental, medical, or sick leave is the most critical resource employers can offer to support parents on their journey.

Working parents are seeking improved access to and funding for childcare, and nearly half do not have back-up childcare options.

Working parents –often experience high levels of guilt, burnout and dissatisfaction with their personal well-being due to the pressure of juggling work and family lives, with conflicting work schedules exacerbating these challenges.

There are perceived gaps in career development and progression opportunities for working parents as well as perceived gaps in level of support from their employers.

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Opportunity to Attract and Retain Highly Motivated Working Parents via Enhanced Flexibility, Stronger Support Systems

Additional key findings include:

There is a clear and consistent demand for greater flexibility in the workplace.[1] Despite the myriad challenges working parents face, many strive for a situation that enables them to excel both professionally and personally.

Enhanced paid parental, medical, or sick leave is the most critical resource employers can offer to support parents on their journey.

Working parents are seeking improved access to and funding for childcare, and nearly half do not have back-up childcare options.

Working parents –often experience high levels of guilt, burnout and dissatisfaction with their personal well-being due to the pressure of juggling work and family lives, with conflicting work schedules exacerbating these challenges.

There are perceived gaps in career development and progression opportunities for working parents as well as perceived gaps in level of support from their employers.

Media Contacts

Explore more

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