In a new survey of 2,000 Americans who have taken parental leave before, parents were asked which of the country’s 15 biggest industries would best accommodate their family life if they were to change careers. According to them, technology is considered the most supportive (15%).
Similarly, tech ranked top among industries for supporting flexible work schedules (17%) — a must-have for most parents today.
commissioned by Tripleten The survey, conducted by Talker Research, revealed that balancing work and children is challenging – with 43% feeling they often have to prioritise their work over their children.
In fact, 55% had considered leaving their jobs for a long period of time to raise children, which was more than the typical maternity or paternity leave, and 59% of them would give up their careers to focus on raising their children.
Furthermore, 74% of people would change their career path if the employer was more accommodating of their family life.
Parents reported that their current jobs lack modern benefits, such as a four-day work week (44%), unlimited PTO (30%), working exclusively or primarily from your home (30%), very good health insurance options (26%) and on-site childcare options (25%).
69 percent would consider changing their career industry if they received “at least half” of the benefits needed to support their family.
Many parents see careers in the tech industry as the answer. Twelve percent of respondents said they currently work in tech. And of those, 61% believe the industry has given them the opportunity to spend more time with their families than their previous jobs.
Similarly, 81% of them would encourage other parents to pursue a career in technology for its family-focused benefits.
“It's dangerously easy for parents to prioritize work, even when it's taking up the most time in their day,” said Maggie Altenuch, vice president of communications and brand at TripleTen. “But the end result of this prioritization is missing out on important moments that no parent ever wants to miss. Parents have a right to spend as much time as possible with their kids, and their careers should support that focus.”
The survey results also revealed that 42% of parents believe they do not spend enough time with their children during a typical work day, and 58% of parents' children demand more time with them.
More than half (56%) of children had to miss programmes they attended because of work obligations.
Nearly all parents (96%) said they feel guilty about prioritizing work over their kids, and also reported missing out on activities like field trips (46%), sporting events (45%), parent-teacher nights (38%) and meals (38%).
Four in five (82%) admitted they had taken time off work or left early to ensure they didn’t miss events with their children.
A third have even lied to their boss to get time off work – with 64% saying they do this “without any guilt”.
“There is a lot of potential for family support in modern working industries, such as the tech sector,” Maggie added. “The tech industry is a prime example of what a good work/life balance can bring – an efficient level of productivity throughout the workday, while also ensuring parents have the resources and infrastructure in their workplace so they don’t miss a moment of their child’s life.”
What are parents missing out on because of work?
Attending field trips – 46%
Sporting events – 45%
School conferences/parent-teacher nights – 38%
Food – 38%
Sports practice – 37%
Family outing (one day trip) – 32%
Celebrations – 31%
Music recital/stage performance – 28%
Their birthday party – 17%
Family leave – 15%
SSurvey Methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 U.S. parents who have taken time off from work to raise children; the survey was conducted by TripleTen and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 9 and July 19, 2024.
