Managing your work and your children can be especially challenging in the summer, but according to the majority of workers with children at home in a recent CareerBuilder survey, it is possible to have it all. Of workers who have a child living at home, 78 percent say it’s possible to be successful in your career and as a parent.
The national survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from April 4 to May 1, 2018, and included a representative sample of 1,012 full-time workers in the private sector across industries and company sizes.
“Work-life balance is certainly a struggle for all professionals, but we see workers moving past the idea that they have to give something up and that the sacrifice of either a career or parenting must be made,” said Jennifer Grasz, vice president of corporate communications for CareerBuilder. “Promoting a balance should be important to employers, too. When employees feel a greater sense of control and ownership over their own lives, they tend to have better relationships with coworkers, be more productive and are able to leave work issues at work and home issues at home.”
While more than half of workers with a child in the household (51 percent) say they feel equally successful in their role at work and as a parent, more than half of working dads (56 percent) feel this way, compared to only 47 percent of working moms. Further, while 33 percent of working moms say they feel more successful as a parent, only 22 percent of working dads say the same.
It’s Not All About the Money
When it comes to bringing home the bacon, both parents are responsible — less than a third (32 percent) of workers who are parents say they are the sole financial provider in their household. But when working parents are asked how likely they are to leave their job if their spouse or significant other made enough money for their family to live comfortably, only a quarter (25 percent) say they are likely. Similarly, 65 percent of employees with a child in the household said they are not willing to take a decrease in pay to spend more time with their kids – a similar feeling in working dads (65 percent) and moms (66 percent).
Juggling Time at Work and at Home
Time at the office is taking a toll on some families. While the majority of working parents (66 percent) spend at least three hours a day with their kids each day, more than a third (38 percent) have missed a significant event in their child’s life due to work in the last year — more than 1 in 5 (21 percent) have missed three or more events.
Parents’ absence is noted by their kids. Nearly a quarter of working parents (24 percent) say their children have asked them to work less, and a similar proportion (23 percent) say work is negatively impacting their relationship with their children.
Eighteen percent of working parents say work is negatively impacting their relationship with their spouse or significant other, most common for workers in health care (24 percent).
How Does Parenting Impact Your Career?
Having a child changes your family life, but how does it change your work life? Half of workers who are parents (46 percent) have not taken advantage of flexible work arrangements, but of those who have (54 percent), 37 percent say it has not affected their career progress and 12 percent said it has positively impacted it.
Nearly 1 in 10 workers who have kids (7 percent) have included their parent skills/experience on their resume or cover letter.
Research Method
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by The Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 1,012 employees ages 18 and over (employed full- time, not self-employed, non-government), between April 4 and May 1, 2018. Data for employees were weighted where necessary by gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, income, education, and industry to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.
About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is a global, end-to-end human capital solutions company focused on helping employers find, hire and manage great talent. Combining advertising, software and services, CareerBuilder leads the industry in recruiting solutions, employment screening and human capital management. CareerBuilder is majority-owned by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, LLC and operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
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