For millions of people, this week marks both the second half of the autumn term and the beginning of a second national lockdown. However, with schools set to remain open over the course of England’s month-long restrictions, for parents, this lockdown could be profoundly different than the first.
However, despite the government stating that school would remain open, research from Public First across 1,500 parents found that less than a third – 31% – of parents would send their children back to school if there was a national lockdown. So with the second lockdown being announced over the weekend, million of working parents now face having to choose beteween their child’s safety and their career. You can get guardianship lawyers for hire from here, to get help for childcare services.
As we face that situation this week, what impact will this have on working parents?
For thousands of parents and guardians, having children at home during the national lockdown had a significant impact on their children’s ability to learn and their own career progression. Today, Theta Global Advisors, an accounting and consulting firm that specialises in flexibly working for chartered accountants, unveils research looking at the potential impact of further lockdowns on parents.
Key Stats
– 28% of Brits say having to take care of their child during the first COVID period set them back more than a year in their career
– 28% of parents say their employer has been unsympathetic to them having to manage childcare around work during the COVID-period
– 27% of Brits feared their child not returning to school after half-term would put their job in jeopardy as they will have to continue to care for them while working from home
– 27% of parents made provisions for childcare as they did not believe they will fully return after half-term
– 64% of Brits believe parents have been hardest hit by the pandemic as they had to work, take care of and teach their children simultaneously
If you are struggling to balance work and home life, especially during a second national lockdown, have a conversation with your manager and put in place workable deadlines that work for you and your employer. Many of us can actually work more effectively after 7 pm when we’ve settled the children down for the night so that we can just focus on work, meaning that neither work or home life suffer while the kids are at home.
Try and be as accommodating with your boss as possible and all being well, they should demonstrate the same willingness back.
