Latest news with #summerchallenges
Forbes
3 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Summer Is Coming: What To Do If The Slowdown Isn't Showing Up At Work
For many professionals, this summer already feels different. Historically, the anticipation of summer offered an opportunity to recover after sprinting for six months. However, with economic uncertainty rising, particularly in industries facing trade tensions and regulatory shifts, summer may no longer feel like a reset. Organizations are managing leaner teams, higher expectations and heavier workloads. But even as work intensifies, the pressure doesn't stop there. For busy professionals, women especially, demands at home often rise in parallel. Coordinating childcare and eldercare, managing summer schedules or simply keeping up with shifting routines can feel like a second job layered on top of the first. The accumulation of these demands takes a toll, and year over year the impact is visible. According to Gallup's 2025 State of the Workplace report, global workforce engagement decreased, with only 21% of employees feeling engaged at work and just 33% describing themselves as thriving. Well-being has declined most sharply among women in management, who reported a seven-percentage-point drop over the past year. While this data does not isolate summer specifically, it reflects a broader strain that only intensifies during busier times. From shifting work dynamics to rising caregiving demands, this season brings new challenges. Navigating them well starts with knowing what's really at play and what to do about it. Summer break doesn't mean less work - it means a different kind of work. For working parents, the end of the school year marks the beginning of a caregiving sprint. Camps, childcare, family travel and daily logistics require time, attention and emotional labor that rarely shows up on a calendar. And unlike school, summer doesn't come with built-in structure or stability. According to Bright Horizons' 2025 Modern Family Index, 87% of working parents report challenges when their children are home during summer including interrupted workdays and the stress of managing unpredictable schedules. 68% say summer feels like a break for everyone but them. It's the kind of strain that may be invisible in daily schedules but compounds quietly - raising the risk of burnout while making recovery feel inaccessible And while the parental pressure is clear, women often carry the larger share. A 2023 Pew Research report found that in dual-income households, women continue to shoulder the majority of caregiving and household responsibilities even while working full time. That imbalance doesn't pause for summer. It intensifies. Even for professionals without direct caregiving responsibilities, summer doesn't always bring relief. When colleagues are out, the burden shits to those still online - and this certainly compounds on leaner teams. PTO becomes a puzzle of coordinating coverage, navigating deadlines and managing expectations from clients or leadership. For some, taking time off doesn't mean less work; it just means temporarily shifting the work somewhere else. And even when time off is granted, it doesn't always translate into recovery. Another Pew Research study highlighted that 46% of U.S. workers say they don't use all their paid time off. Many cite fear of falling behind at work (49%) or feeling badly about co-workers taking on additional work (43%) as reasons for not taking more time off. Particularly now, industries like retail, manufacturing, tech and even legal are managing more pressure due to evolving regulations and litigation. These sectors are navigating complex compliance landscapes, which increases workloads and make stepping away more challenging. The result is a subtle kind of burnout - the kind that comes not from intensity but from continuity. Time off is either unavailable or incomplete. Even when the calendar says, 'out of office,' the mental tabs stay open. The inbox piles up. Pings still come through. And the stress of anticipating what's waiting can turn so-called rest into another source of pressure. The season may promise flexibility, but that flexibility is often filled with invisible work. The question then becomes: how can recovery still happen, even when the ideal version isn't possible? If the slowdown hasn't come yet, it might not. Recovery can still be designed. For professionals navigating a demanding summer, small shifts in planning and mindset can offer a sense of agency - even if rest looks different this season. Here are a few strategies to make sure that by the time Labor Day hits, the question, 'How was your summer?' doesn't make you laugh - or cry. Structure can soften stress. Choose one activity each week that restores your energy - something low-effort, but high impact. A walk with a friend. A 30 minute walk. A crossword puzzle on Sunday. Schedule it like a meeting. It may not fix the week, but the ritual can help reclaim a sense of control and support well-being. Start with what's left. How many PTO days are unused? Then make a plan you can actually stick to. That might mean blocking one Friday a month now through August, or building a long weekend around a holiday. There are even sites that help you hack your vacation days. You don't need a five-day trip to make it count. Micro-vacations can be more accessible. A night at a hotel in your own city. A 90-minute train to a beach town. You don't need months of planning or thousands of dollars to feel away. Harness the quick trips that you can plan the week of and only need one bag. If you can't pause the season, at least protect one piece of it. Maybe hat means setting a 'no meetings before 10:00a.m.' rule once a week. Maybe it's pausing notifications after 7:00 p.m. Boundaries aren't selfish - they are strategic. And when you do disconnect, have a plan for it. Unplugging entirely isn't always realistic. For some people, it adds for stress. Instead of aiming for perfect silence, set parameters that actually support recovery. Maybe that means scanning your inbox once a day without replying. You know yourself best. The goal is to identify the cadence that supports your mental well-being and commit to it with intention. Summer may not slow down - but that doesn't mean it has to run you over. For professionals navigating this stretch without a built-in break, the goal isn't balance - it's capacity. Protect the moments that replenish your energy by choosing strategies that make burnout less inevitable and thriving more within reach. It's not about making the season perfect. It's about making it livable.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Why summers are not built for working parents
While most children can't wait for the school year to end, the summer months can be a logistical and financial challenge for working parents. 'It's really tough for your typical working parent to take two months off in the summer,' Vancouver-based financial planner Kelly Ho told 'I'm also in the thick of it myself.' asked readers to share their stories about the challenges working parents face in the summer. They told us about spending thousands of dollars on camps, scrambling to register for affordable options, camp hours that are shorter than their work days, and needing to use vacation days to fill in gaps in their kids' summer schedules. 'Summer is such a stressful time for working parents,' Oshawa, Ont. mom Abbi Longo told 'We have four kids, three in school, and between co-ordinating camps, paying for them, and balancing work – it sometimes seems impossible.' With the summer holiday only a month away, available options right now could be limited. That's why Ho says it's important to talk to friends, family, neighbours and people in your community for help. 'I'm sure that everyone has the same issues and concerns,' Ho said. 'Don't tackle this alone and actually just let people know, here's what I'm struggling with, and you'd be surprised with the amount of suggestions and help that may arise by just vocalizing one's problems and one's issues with respect to the summer.' Campers Campers hang out before closing campfire, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMCA Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) 'Camps just don't align with the realities of working schedules' To many, it seems summers are simply not built for working parents. 'As a single mom living and working full time in a rural area, planning summer coverage for my two elementary-aged kids is incredibly difficult,' Christine Auchinleck told from Ontario's Oxford County. Auchinleck has her kids in camps for part of the summer and plans to use vacation days to look after them at other times. 'Large portions of the summer remain uncovered, and even on days with care, I don't actually have coverage for my actual work hours,' she said. 'This situation affects my job performance, my mental health and my kids' wellbeing.' Emily O'Riordan in Hamilton, Ont. says one of her biggest challenges is that many camps in her area end at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. and that extended hour options are limited. 'Camps just don't align with the realities of working schedules,' she told 'We're lucky to be able to afford weekly camps for our older child—and soon for our younger one too—but it's a major financial strain.' Daria Kathnelson of Ottawa, Ont. says all of her vacation days and a large portion of her annual bonus go towards looking after her two kids and enrolling them in camps, which are costing her family more than $5,000 this summer. 'These funds would normally be saved for a family trip, which we can no longer afford to take,' Kathnelson told 'Affording summer camp each year for two children is extremely stressful. I have no idea how single parents do it. I am able to barely manage, but what about the rest?' Campers Campers swim in the pool, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMC Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) (Joshua A. Bickel/AP) Like many other parents, Alessandra McIntosh from Caledon, Ont. got up early one February morning to get her two kids into a more affordable municipal camp as soon as registration opened at 7 a.m. At about $300 per child per week, McIntosh said it's still a 'huge expense.' 'If you don't sign up within the first few minutes, the spots are gone and you have no option but to pay for more expensive camps,' McIntosh told 'With the cost of living going up, people are really going to struggle putting their kids in camp.' Perhaps their kids would cringe, but McIntosh and several other parents expressed a desire for schools to operate year-round with a shorter summer holiday. Others suggested that camps and childcare should be exempt from taxes to ease parents' financial burden. 'Personally I feel that primary school summer vacation is purely an outdated traditional practice to allow school-age children to help with seeding/harvest when we were a more agricultural based society,' Saskatoon dad Mark Petrisor told 'Obviously the times have changed so I think it's well overdue to re-evaluate this practice.' 'It's all about being very organized' The financial challenges summer brings to working parents regularly comes up in Ho's conversations with her clients. She said she begins planning summer activities for her 10- and eight-year-old at least one season in advance. 'That's how I've functioned and that's how I've been able to stay sane,' Ho said. 'A lot of parents think I'm crazy, but you need to know exactly when every registration date is for whatever camps you want to go to so that you don't miss the deadlines. So it's all about being very organized, setting calendar reminders, and browsing before so you actually know what's available.' In Canada, prices can range from about $200 per week for day camps run by municipalities or community centres to $1,000 or more per week for specialty and overnight camps. In many places, the more affordable options tend to fill up very quickly once registration opens. Some camps also offer scholarships and subsidies. campers Counselor Kendra Ashong, center, sings a song with other campers, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMCA Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) (Joshua A. Bickel/AP) Although day camps typically operate from about 9 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m., many offer before and after care for an added fee. Ho says it's also a good idea to talk to other parents about registering your kids for the same camp or activity. 'That way if there are scheduling challenges, then you have the option of approaching them to help with pick-up and drop-off,' Ho said. 'And also the benefit for your kid is that they have a friend going into the program.' Parents who are still in a bind should talk to their employers about tweaking their work schedules. 'Even with my staff… if they need some flexibility for a particular period of time, I have no problem with that as long as the work is done,' Ho said. 'I think there's no issue in asking when the intentions are good.' Ho says the summer months are also a time to lean on grandparents, family members, neighbours, friends, student babysitters and the community for help. 'What do we do if people don't have those types of supports? That's when we have to turn to our social networks,' she said. 'It's really about getting creative if camps present a financial burden.' For example, Ho said you could also try to find other parents who are in a similar situation and take turns being off work to look after each other's kids. Ho also cautioned against scheduling too many activities for your kids during the summer months and advised giving them some downtime too. 'They like the ability to have some free unallocated time,' she said. 'If we think back to our own childhood, I remember lots of lazy summer days sitting at home, hanging out with my grandparents, and I thought it was the best thing in the world.'
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
From camps to costs, why summers are so stressful for working parents
While most children can't wait for the school year to end, the summer months can be a logistical and financial challenge for working parents. 'It's really tough for your typical working parent to take two months off in the summer,' Vancouver-based financial planner Kelly Ho told 'I'm also in the thick of it myself.' asked readers to share their stories about the challenges working parents face in the summer. They told us about spending thousands of dollars on camps, scrambling to register for affordable options, camp hours that are shorter than their work days, and needing to use vacation days to fill in gaps in their kids' summer schedules. 'Summer is such a stressful time for working parents,' Oshawa, Ont. mom Abbi Longo told 'We have four kids, three in school, and between co-ordinating camps, paying for them, and balancing work – it sometimes seems impossible.' With the summer holiday only a month away, available options right now could be limited. That's why Ho says it's important to talk to friends, family, neighbours and people in your community for help. 'I'm sure that everyone has the same issues and concerns,' Ho said. 'Don't tackle this alone and actually just let people know, here's what I'm struggling with, and you'd be surprised with the amount of suggestions and help that may arise by just vocalizing one's problems and one's issues with respect to the summer.' Campers Campers hang out before closing campfire, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMCA Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) 'Camps just don't align with the realities of working schedules' To many, it seems summers are simply not built for working parents. 'As a single mom living and working full time in a rural area, planning summer coverage for my two elementary-aged kids is incredibly difficult,' Christine Auchinleck told from Ontario's Oxford County. Auchinleck has her kids in camps for part of the summer and plans to use vacation days to look after them at other times. 'Large portions of the summer remain uncovered, and even on days with care, I don't actually have coverage for my actual work hours,' she said. 'This situation affects my job performance, my mental health and my kids' wellbeing.' Emily O'Riordan in Hamilton, Ont. says one of her biggest challenges is that many camps in her area end at 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. and that extended hour options are limited. 'Camps just don't align with the realities of working schedules,' she told 'We're lucky to be able to afford weekly camps for our older child—and soon for our younger one too—but it's a major financial strain.' Daria Kathnelson of Ottawa, Ont. says all of her vacation days and a large portion of her annual bonus go towards looking after her two kids and enrolling them in camps, which are costing her family more than $5,000 this summer. 'These funds would normally be saved for a family trip, which we can no longer afford to take,' Kathnelson told 'Affording summer camp each year for two children is extremely stressful. I have no idea how single parents do it. I am able to barely manage, but what about the rest?' Campers Campers swim in the pool, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMC Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) (Joshua A. Bickel/AP) Like many other parents, Alessandra McIntosh from Caledon, Ont. got up early one February morning to get her two kids into a more affordable municipal camp as soon as registration opened at 7 a.m. At about $300 per child per week, McIntosh said it's still a 'huge expense.' 'If you don't sign up within the first few minutes, the spots are gone and you have no option but to pay for more expensive camps,' McIntosh told 'With the cost of living going up, people are really going to struggle putting their kids in camp.' Perhaps their kids would cringe, but McIntosh and several other parents expressed a desire for schools to operate year-round with a shorter summer holiday. Others suggested that camps and childcare should be exempt from taxes to ease parents' financial burden. 'Personally I feel that primary school summer vacation is purely an outdated traditional practice to allow school-age children to help with seeding/harvest when we were a more agricultural based society,' Saskatoon dad Mark Petrisor told 'Obviously the times have changed so I think it's well overdue to re-evaluate this practice.' 'It's all about being very organized' The financial challenges summer brings to working parents regularly comes up in Ho's conversations with her clients. She said she begins planning summer activities for her 10- and eight-year-old at least one season in advance. 'That's how I've functioned and that's how I've been able to stay sane,' Ho said. 'A lot of parents think I'm crazy, but you need to know exactly when every registration date is for whatever camps you want to go to so that you don't miss the deadlines. So it's all about being very organized, setting calendar reminders, and browsing before so you actually know what's available.' In Canada, prices can range from about $200 per week for day camps run by municipalities or community centres to $1,000 or more per week for specialty and overnight camps. In many places, the more affordable options tend to fill up very quickly once registration opens. Some camps also offer scholarships and subsidies. campers Counselor Kendra Ashong, center, sings a song with other campers, Thursday, June 20, 2024, at YMCA Camp Kern in Oregonia, Ohio. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) (Joshua A. Bickel/AP) Although day camps typically operate from about 9 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m., many offer before and after care for an added fee. Ho says it's also a good idea to talk to other parents about registering your kids for the same camp or activity. 'That way if there are scheduling challenges, then you have the option of approaching them to help with pick-up and drop-off,' Ho said. 'And also the benefit for your kid is that they have a friend going into the program.' Parents who are still in a bind should talk to their employers about tweaking their work schedules. 'Even with my staff… if they need some flexibility for a particular period of time, I have no problem with that as long as the work is done,' Ho said. 'I think there's no issue in asking when the intentions are good.' Ho says the summer months are also a time to lean on grandparents, family members, neighbours, friends, student babysitters and the community for help. 'What do we do if people don't have those types of supports? That's when we have to turn to our social networks,' she said. 'It's really about getting creative if camps present a financial burden.' For example, Ho said you could also try to find other parents who are in a similar situation and take turns being off work to look after each other's kids. Ho also cautioned against scheduling too many activities for your kids during the summer months and advised giving them some downtime too. 'They like the ability to have some free unallocated time,' she said. 'If we think back to our own childhood, I remember lots of lazy summer days sitting at home, hanging out with my grandparents, and I thought it was the best thing in the world.'
