What working parents need from employers, according to working parents

Ahead of Mother’s Day, we asked parents who work remotely and in the office how their organization can better support them. Here’s what they shared.

Few understand the demands of work/life balance quite like parents. Even as more employers tout flexibility—fewer in-office days, async collaboration—policies and culture haven’t fully caught up with the realities facing today’s working parents, and mothers in particular.

A study of parents with children under five in the labor force from The University of Kansas found that in the first half of 2025, nearly half a million women (455,000) left the workforce. Increased childcare costs and return-to-office initiatives have impacted employees across the board, with women aged 25-44 among the most affected, according to Fast Company.

Together, these two pressures—rising costs and shifting workplace policy—make an already difficult situation harder. Often, work and school schedules don’t align, requiring parents to rely on external childcare support, which is not always financially feasible. When faced with a change in workplace policy, whether it’s stricter schedules or a return-to-office mandate, our survey respondents said they relied on external support from families, secured more expensive childcare arrangements, reduced hours, or in some cases left their positions altogether.

“The workday often ends at 5, and school ends at 3-3:30, so this gap creates more stress for working parents to cover that gap,” said one parent. “Summer camp is insanely expensive—we need care throughout the entire summer and it’s anywhere from $350-600 a week. Financial constraints limit how much external help parents can afford.”

According to KPMG, daycare and preschool costs have outpaced overall inflation by nearly double over the past year and a half.

Not only are these shifts detrimental to parents, they can also have a significant impact on companies themselves, leading to increased turnover and higher rates of burnout. A study from Great Places to Work found that organizations who invest in working parents through more generous leave policies and efforts to reduce burnout see returns in innovation, retention, and productivity.

In an article for Fast Company, Serval COO Tatiana Birgisson makes the case for why parents are great employees. Birgisson believes parents to be inherently rigorous when it comes to prioritization, as they’re often required to balance many aspects of work and home life.

Our survey respondents shared this sentiment. When asked about misconceptions of working parents, one parent told us: “Working parents are not working less efficiently or delivering at a lower volume or speed. In my experience it’s quite the opposite, as we have learned to optimize every aspect of our lives, problem-solve at warp speed, and creatively maximize our resources.” As another put it: “The idea that flexibility equals lower performance isn’t accurate. If anything, it often supports better focus and output.”

Managing work and caregiving goes beyond logistics. The parents we spoke to shared how their obligations to each are ongoing, not something that can be easily compartmentalized throughout the day. 

“One of the biggest misconceptions about working and parenting is that it’s something that can be neatly balanced or separated—that you can fully ‘clock in’ to work and fully ‘clock out’ of caregiving. In reality, both roles overlap constantly. Even when you’re at work, you’re still a parent or caregiver mentally and emotionally, and those responsibilities don’t stop because you’re logged in.”

That mental load has practical consequences at work. As one parent described it: “[One misconception is that] work stays at work and home stays at home. They don’t. I work at home more to compensate for a perceived lack of productivity at work, because sometimes I have to take a call from a doctor’s office, school, or daycare during the workday.”

Unpredictability is especially acute for new mothers. As one shared: “While structure can help with consistency, caregiving doesn’t always follow a strict schedule. Babies get sick, appointments run long, sleep schedules shift, and responsibilities at home don’t always align neatly with fixed time blocks.”

On-site childcare is still uncommon for workplaces, though companies with over 1,000 employees are the most likely to offer this, according to Fortune. Out of the 15 parents who answered whether on-site caregiving services such as daycare or designated nursing/pumping rooms were offered at their workplace, more than half said no. One parent told us their employer allows them to use an empty space as a makeshift pumping room upon request; another, who works for a nonprofit, said nursing mothers are allotted time to pump once every four hours during a shift.

When asked how companies can be more supportive, answers ranged from extended maternity and paternity leave to wellness benefits, cleaning services, and more flexible hours.

For these parents, flexibility has less to do with putting in fewer working hours and more to do with having enough room to show up for both work and family.

“It’s about being able to balance both responsibilities without constantly feeling like one will suffer. It creates a healthier, more sustainable way to stay productive at work while also being present for family needs,” one parent shared.

This holds true for parents of older children as well. “Colleagues do not understand my desire to attend every single game, concert, performance, and often question if it really matters if I’m there or not. I hate having to justify why I choose to be an active parent when I’m also regularly working 45-50 hours a week.” One caregiver also highlighted the realities of caring for an elderly parent or relative, which can be as demanding as caring for a young child.

Even for parents whose companies offer flexibility, there is a fear that a change in workplace policies or a career change would upend their situation. As Birgisson writes, flexibility should be “defined and normalized,” with transparent communication around schedule accommodations and a focus on outcomes rather than hours.

Beyond policies and schedules, many of the parents we spoke to highlighted the need for a cultural shift. Consider the manager who showed up at the hospital for a meeting with his employee just hours after she delivered a child. Stories like that one signal to working parents that their employer sees output before personhood.

“There needs to be a cultural change—one that extends grace, understanding, and patience to colleagues who are responsible for the actual lives of people unable to care for themselves. I am frequently chastised or criticized for not remembering a conversation or meeting from years ago, by those who aren’t managing schedules, larger households, or the lives of others outside of work,” shared one parent.

Respondents also pointed to a perceived lack of trust, which compels them to work harder or outside of business hours to compensate. “Most people are not trying to take advantage of the system,” one respondent shared, “but there should be accountability to managers for work done while remote.”

The majority of parents we spoke to said they did feel supported by their colleagues, with seven respondents rating that support 4 out of 5, where 1 is minimal and 5 is profoundly helpful. Transparency, communication, and trust can make a measurable difference for working parents.

Here’s the full breakdown from our survey of how parents would like to receive support at work:

Increased flexibility and trust: The most frequent request is for greater flexibility and trust, particularly in scheduling, including flexible start/end times and the ability to shift breaks.

Enhanced parental and family leave: Multiple responses advocate for longer maternity and paternity leave, with suggestions ranging from more than three months of paid leave to simply having a longer duration available.

Cultural support and understanding: A critical need is a culture change that extends grace, understanding, and patience to colleagues with caregiving responsibilities.

Additional benefits and resources: Other desired modes of support include more paid time off (PTO), wellness benefits for services like cleaning, and dedicated pumping rooms.

Read more recommendations for leaders to promote better work-life balance.