A third of workers have been asked to work less by their children, according to CareerBuilder.co.uk survey
LONDON, June 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from CareerBuilder.co.uk highlights the struggle facing full-time parents in today's economy, as 33 per cent of working parents state they have been asked to work less by at least one of their children. In addition, 42 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women feel their work has negatively affected their relationship with their children.
The national survey, which was conducted online on behalf of CareerBuilder UK, included 200 working mothers and 180 working fathers with children 18 years old and younger who are living at home with them.
Creating a Better Work/Life Balance
When asked how many hours they get to spend with their children, 38 per cent of respondents said it was less than two hours per day. And for some, a high salary doesn't compare to the price of quality time with family. Almost half of working mums (47 per cent) and 39 per cent of working dads said they would be willing to take a pay cut to spend more time with their children.
Leaving the Workforce
Men and women are equally as likely to take leave from the workforce should the right circumstances present themselves. Forty-seven percent of both mums and dads said they were likely to leave their job if their spouse or significant other made enough money for the family to live on comfortably.
Can Working Mums and Dads Have It All?
When it comes to "having it all" male workers tend to show more optimism than female workers. Sixty-five per cent of male workers believe they can achieve success in both their career and parenthood, compared with 58 per cent of female workers.
"Traditionally, men have been expected to be the breadwinners for their households, but the dynamic is shifting. While 52 per cent of working dads remain their family's sole financial provider, now 37 per cent of working mums provide the only salary for their household," said Scott Helmes, Managing Director at CareerBuilder UK. "While the vast majority believe it's possible to 'have it all' in terms of career and children, maintaining a healthy balance between the two can still be a struggle."
Helmes offers the following tips for working parents to create a better work/life balance:
- Don't be a slave to the traditional 9-to-5: Get more flexibility in your schedule with an alternative work arrangement. Ask your manager about options like flexible working or working from home
- Learn to say no: You can't be everything to everyone all the time. Know what your priorities are and don't be afraid to say no to things that will interfere with those priorities
- Make time for yourself: You're no good to anyone if you're not taking care of yourself. Schedule time each day dedicated to relaxing and recharging
Methodology
The survey was conducted among 380 adults with children. The interviews were conducted online by Redshift Research in March & April 2015 using an email invitation and an online survey.
Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 4.9 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample.
Sample was selected from the Crowdology & Crowdology partner panels. Crowdology™ is an online panel owned and operated by Redshift Research. The Crowdology™ panel is balanced across regional, age and gender demographic factors, and is nationally representative of the UK population. Each respondent completes 120 profiling questions before being accepted to join our panel. Panel Quality Management is carried out frequently to ensure reliable surveys.
Although Redshift specializes in providing services to Marketing Communications companies (the Crowdology polling panel, for example) it has a long pedigree of full service research project execution across industry sectors. Redshift Research is adept at executing focus groups, face-to-face interviews, telephone interviews, online research, desk research and statistical modelling, to mention just a few techniques.
About CareerBuilder®
CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors and 1 million jobs. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing everything from labor market intelligence to talent management software and other recruitment solutions. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.
Media Contact
Shannon McGuirk/Georgina Routen
Careerbuilder@bottlepr.co.uk
01865 770381
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