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Company Culture

How Employers Can Combat Parental Burnout in the Workplace

While many employers and employees are familiar with job burnout, how many are working parents and are feeling the burnout in their professional and personal lives?

Parental burnout is the physical, mental, and emotional fatigue resulting from the chronic stress of parenting. Signs of parental burnout can include physical and emotional exhaustion, emotional distancing from child(ren), little to no parental efficacy, and lack of enjoyment in being a parent.

Join our webinar, “Parental Burnout: How Employers Can Combat It in the Workplace” on March 23, 2023 at 1 p.m. EST.

There are many factors that can increase susceptibility to parental burnout, such as parents of multiple children, children with special needs (i.e. disabled, mental health issues, behavioral issues), single parents, working parents, and lack of social support.

Parental burnout can have devastating and long-lasting effects on parents, children, and employers of parents. Some impacts of burnout include mental health issues (i.e. depression, suicidal thoughts, and ideations), strained parent-child relationship, marital conflict, addictive behavior (i.e. alcoholism), susceptibility to physical illness, sleep issues, and even child neglect and/or abuse. 

Childcare Support

Childcare offers working parents coverage to focus on their professional needs and ensures children are adequately cared for while at work. An American Psychological Association study found that 72% of working parents’ stress stemmed from school and childcare disruptions and uncertainty. Additionally, KinderCare research reported 39% of working parents struggle to find quality childcare and thus were unable to manage parenting responsibilities.

Finding quality childcare is only one prong of the childcare dilemma for working parents. A LendingTree report showed a 41% increase in childcare costs for center-based services. A majority of working parents (62%) stated they would be more likely to accept a job offer with a company that provides a monthly childcare stipend. This could help in the wake of the pandemic that saw an increase in working moms leaving the workforce due to childcare concerns.

Flexible Schedule

Research has shown that flexible schedules successfully support working parents with 69% expressing relief in being able to spend more time with their children. Just like a monthly childcare stipend, flexible work arrangements increase recruitment and retention rates among working parents.

Along with flexible scheduling, creating as much predictability as possible can also help parents prioritize their children’s schedules. For example, allowing working parents to choose when and where they work can benefit both employers and employees. This arrangement reduces employee stress regarding childcare needs, as well as sets the employee up for greater productivity and success. Moreover, studies have proven that people who feel control over their schedules, routines, and life choices experience a greater quality of life, less stress, and fulfillment as a parent.

Fostering Community

Experiencing burnout can leave parents feeling alienated and their feelings invalidated. Creating communities, such as employee resource groups or employee assistance programs, can foster connections for working parents and cultivate a sense of support and belonging. Mentorship programs can also benefit working parents by providing them tools and resources to navigate the hardships parenting often presents.

Learn More About Parental Burnout in Our Upcoming Webinar

Namely is hosting a panel of expert speakers on the subject of parental burnout, including Kristen Lampert, Kate Gawlik, Sarah Olin, and Fran Moore. Our panelists will open an honest dialogue around the struggles many working parents face and how employers can support them, as well as empower working parents to set boundaries and improve work-life balance. Join us on March 23, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

About Our Panelists

Kristen Lampert, MBA, PCC, CPCC, Founder of Parental Shift Coaching and a coach at TalentRise

Kristen Lampert is the Founder of Parental Shift Coaching, a mental fitness coaching program that inspires high-performing parents to be more present and positive at home. Kristen also serves as TalentRise’s principal leadership coach. She has actively coached and mentored CEOs and leadership teams over the last 18 years as the head of HR in the financial services, private equity, and legal services industries. She holds an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from DePaul University and a BA in International Relations, Speech, and Spanish from Bradley University. She has both CPCC and PCC coach certifications and served as the President of the International Coach Federation (ICF) Charlotte Area Chapter. Kristen lives in Charlotte, NC, and is a proud mama to an emotionally intelligent and eternally energetic seven-year-old boy.

Kate Gawlik, DNP, RN, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP at The Ohio State University

Kate is an Associate Clinical Professor, Project Manager for Million Hearts, Director of Undergraduate Health and Wellness Academic Programming, and Co-Director of Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness at The Ohio State University. Kate conducted extensive research on parental burnout through The Ohio State University Office of the Chief Wellness Officer and College of Nursing, which has provided invaluable insight into the hurdles many parents are facing and a call to action for employers to better support them. Check out Kate’s research here, which includes a Parental Burnout Checklist (see page 9).

Sarah Olin, PCC, Founder and CEO of LUMO

Sarah Olin, PCC, is the founder and CEO of LUMO, whose mission is to support expectant mothers through pregnancy, maternity leave, and their return to work. Professionally trained by world-renowned leaders like Dr. Brene Brown and Mark Hunter, MCC, Sarah has over 10,000 hours of coaching and facilitation experience, is credentialed by the ICF, and is certified by Accomplishment Coaching. Sarah’s professional competence and dedication to her craft has opened doors for her to coach women leaders at the United Nations, Verizon, the National Basketball Association (NBA), Google, Duke Energy, Calvin Klein, Bloomberg, and to participate as a key speaker at Amazon’s first ever International Working Moms Day. Regardless of the stage or space, Sarah pours love and humor into her work helping women be happy and fully expressed, as well as living their lives on purpose.

Fran Moore, Customer Success Lead at Namely

Fran Moore is a mom to a one-year-old toddler and decided to close her business and go back to the 9-5 life to focus on her family. She is the Customer Success Team Lead at Namely and works closely with our largest clients to help them build better workplaces. Fran has mastered being focused from 9-5 and fully present 5-9, and on the weekends with her little family of three.

Save your seat for our webinar on Parental Burnout: How Employers Can Combat It in the Workplace on March 23, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Sources: Parenting for the Brain, American Psychological Association, Forbes

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