Why single parents are being left behind at work — and how to support them
You've just had the dreaded call from school. Your child has a temperature and needs to be picked up. You can easily work from home, but your boss isn't happy about it. But, what else can you do? As a single parent, the buck stops with you.
A quarter of families in the UK are headed up by a single parent, with 90% of those being single mothers. Yet more often than not, their needs are overlooked by employers.
According to a survey by Single Parent Rights, 81% of single parents want their employers to better understand the challenges they face and 87% need more flexibility. Alarmingly, 35% of full-time employed single parents were working below their skill level due to a lack of flexible work and lack of affordable childcare.
'Most employers still have a traditional two-person household in mind when they think about the working parents in their workforce, which can lead to policies where the challenges of single parents are overlooked,' says Katie Guild, co-founder of Nugget Savings, a platform that campaigns for parental leave transparency and helps people financially plan for parenthood.
Although flexible working became the norm during the Covid-19 lockdowns, many employers are gradually back-peddling on flexible policies. In 2023, jobs advertised with flexible working terms drop to 5.4%, the lowest they've been since 2020.
Read more: The problem with forcing employees to list workplace achievements
Some of the biggest companies in the world — Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Disney (DIS), Google (GOOG), Zoom (ZM), and Meta (META), to name but a few — have mandated that employees return to the office. Reasons include "boosting productivity" and "increasing collaboration", but the corporate crackdown is pushing single parents out of work or into lower-paying, less fulfilling roles.
'Often, there is an assumption that there is 'someone else' to manage the childcare,' says Guild. 'For single parents, when their wage drops to statutory maternity pay or the unpaid portion of maternity leave, there is no-one to pick up that financial slack.
'They have to take on roles because of their flexibility, not because they align with their career goals or indeed skills, which can hinder career progression, productivity and wage potential,' she adds. 'The cost of childcare is also exorbitant for single parents, and the government childcare schemes punish high earning single parents more than two parent households.'
Single parents also face stigma, which can lead to them being unfairly branded as unreliable or less committed than working parents who are in couples.
Louise Webster, founder of Beyond the School Run, a platform connecting mothers with their skills and talents, adds that empathy is also essential. It's a fact of life that kids pick up a plethora of viruses at childcare, so employers need to be understanding if a parent has to pick them up — or becomes unwell more frequently themselves. 'Creating a workplace culture that acknowledges these realities fosters loyalty and productivity,' says Webster.
Firstly, it's essential to acknowledge and understand the systemic issues they face, says Emily Trant, chief impact officer at Wagestream, a financial wellbeing app.
'There is a persistent, outdated view that childcare and family responsibilities are women's responsibilities, and therefore not a business concern,' she says. 'There's also a lack of understanding of the sheer complexity of managing work and solo parenting.'
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to support, employers need to offer truly flexible options that go beyond working from home.
Workplace structures have historically been designed around full-time working hours, but part-time roles, job shares and compressed hours can pay off for everyone. Workers access flexibility and opportunities for career progression and higher-paid work, while employers benefit from a more diverse workforce, better retention of talented staff and ultimately, a stronger bottom line.
Read more: Does AI mean less pay for workers?
'Employers could also give workers more autonomy over scheduling and allow employees to manage their own shifts and work around their family needs,' says Trant.
'They need to avoid demanding instant availability and consider the real-life constraints of single parents. Additionally, cross-training employees can provide opportunities for skill development to enable flexible roles.'
Single parents have less financial and practical flexibility than couple parents, so offering paid leave for child illnesses and emergencies can be a huge help.
'Support networks also play a vital role,' says Webster. 'The saying 'it takes a village to raise a child' is even more relevant for single parents. Employers can help by providing access to childcare options, internal support networks, and peer communities where parents can share insights and advice.'
And as children grow and parents gain more free time, employers who support parent-friendly policies stand to benefit.
'Employers that prioritise these initiatives will not only retain valuable talent but also tap into the potential of a highly motivated and productive workforce,' says Trant. 'This isn't merely about social responsibility — it's a smart business strategy.'
Read more:
Is it ever worth revenge quitting your job?
What is career catfishing and why is it on the rise?
Why some leaders infantilise their workers
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