Parents Are Not Alright – and Haven’t Been for Awhile
Surgeon General’s Advisory and Modern Family Index Data Shows Why Companies Must Help Ease Childcare Burden
The 10th annual edition of the Modern Family Index, an independent study commissioned by Bright Horizons (NYSE: BFAM) and conducted by The Harris Poll, surveyed 2,000 working parents on their current state of mind and found:
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34% feel they’re working too many hours -
63% worry they’re unable to give their all to their families -
58% report they’re not giving100% of themselves at work -
43% feel stressed because they are not being paid well enough for the work they’re doing
While nearly half of the MFI survey respondents (
The Surgeon General’s latest advisory details a variety of factors contributing to the state of mind and stress levels of parents today, including worrying about care for their younger children while they are at work. The Modern Family Index found that working parents are prioritizing their families, and
“Parental stress is nothing new – however, the obstacles facing today’s parents are growing, particularly when it comes to childcare,” said Stephen Kramer, CEO of Bright Horizons. “The fact is that most Americans work in an environment where they don’t receive family supports. The Modern Family Index findings, coupled with the Surgeon General’s advisory, should be a stark wake-up call to all employers that they need to move quickly and substantively to offer these benefits as part of their talent retention and acquisition strategies.”
Forward-thinking companies like Bank of America, Toyota, Walmart, Goldman Sachs, Hormel, and JP Morgan Chase – to name a few – recognize the value in providing family-friendly benefits for their employees. These benefits – which can span childcare, eldercare and even pet care – help their employees reduce stress so that they can be more productive both at work and at home. These organizations are listening to their workforces and tailoring their benefits accordingly to build caring cultures where people will want to stay long term.
About the Bright Horizons Modern Family Index
The Modern Family Index is an independent study commissioned by Bright Horizons and is not affiliated with the Surgeon General’s Office.
The MFI research was conducted online in the
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 3.1 percentage points using a
About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.
Bright Horizons® is a leading global provider of high-quality early education and child care, back-up care, and workforce education services. For more than 35 years, we have partnered with employers to support workforces by providing services that help working families and employees thrive personally and professionally. Bright Horizons operates more than 1,000 early education and child care centers in
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Laura McDowell
Laura.McDowell@brighthorizons.com
Source: Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.