The research carried out by IWG found that the stress of the summer holidays is particularly felt by those with younger children. Three-quarters (76%) with children under the age of seven said they are worrying about balancing childcare and work during the upcoming summer break.

The research also found that hybrid working policies can help alleviate some of this stress, with parents saying more flexibility over their working patterns would help reduce their stress levels (41%).

Having access to a local workspace – enabling parents to reduce the time and money spent commuting – was an especially appealing option for parents. The availability of a local workspace was particularly popular among those with younger families; nine in 10 (90%) with children under the age of three said they would use a local workspace if they were able to do so.

Reduced flexibility adds to stress

Parents who have faced a reduction in flexible working policies at their workplace this year are having to take extra measures to help juggle childcare and their workload this summer. A third of those impacted by reduced flexibility (33%) said they will have to take additional annual leave and 29% said it is causing an imbalance of childcare responsibilities in their households.

There are also significant cost implications as those impacted by stricter policy changes are preparing to spend an additional £675 this summer on childcare.

Overall, the stress of the summer months is disproportionately being felt by mothers, who were nearly twice as likely to say they find the holidays ‘very stressful’ (24%), in comparison to their male counterparts (14%).

Parents use annual leave to manage childcare

In order to cover for rising childcare costs, over half of all working parents (54%) said they were resorting to using their annual leave to look after their children; one in 10 (10%) said they were planning to use all of their annual leave, while 6% are set to take unpaid leave for parts of the summer.

Many parents are also set to adjust their working patterns to manage childcare, with a third (36%) of parents saying they need to reduce their working hours, whilst one fifth (21%) log on early in the mornings or late at night to make up for time spent on childcare during the day.

Companies adopting hybrid and flexible working boost productivity 

The ability to work flexibly enables employees to work productively in a way that accommodates balancing personal and work responsibilities, with companies reaping the productivity benefits. The “IWG Hybrid Working Productivity Report”, published in collaboration with Arup, found businesses empowering employees to use local workspaces and offices as part of their hybrid working approach could boost productivity by 12% over the next five years.

The report also found that flexible arrangements can reduce voluntary turnover rates by up to 20% in the US, which could translate to annual savings of £2.7 billion by 2030 and £4.7 billion by 2045.

The productivity benefits of hybrid working are especially felt by female employees; research by IWG earlier this year found eight in 10 (81%) women say they are more productive and efficient when able to work from a location of their choosing. Furthermore, six in ten (60%) of female employees said they would leave their job if required to undertake long commutes daily into work, impacting companies' retention.

Mark Dixon, CEO of International Workplace Group, said: “The findings from this study shed light on the significant challenges school holidays can pose for working parents, who are balancing careers and childcare. Our research shows that parents are saying that workplace flexibility can alleviate much of this pressure and we're seeing a strong demand for local workspaces that can provide parents with the flexibility and convenience they need during the longer summer break.”

Fatima Konig, Chief Commercial Officer: “Workplace flexibility not only supports the wellbeing of families but also contributes to the overall mental health and job satisfaction of employees. By accommodating the needs of working parents through better access to a range of places to work, particularly local workspaces during these peak times, employers can foster a more supportive and productive work environment and in turn drive productivity and talent retention.”

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