The £8 billion mental health crisis: How working parents juggle career and caring duties

Work-life balance has long been a challenge for most, but for the parents of the 2.5 million children struggling with mental health issues, the balancing act is becoming even more precarious.

Deloitte’s latest report, in collaboration with Place2Be and Mind, sheds light on a startling reality that 46% of working parents are concerned about their child’s mental health. Almost all of these parents find their child’s health has impacted their work.

This decline in productivity is also felt through the economy, with a staggering £8 billion lost when carers take leave and resign from their roles to care for their children. One-third of parents who were concerned for their child’s mental health have sought to reduce their work hours to accommodate their child’s mental health struggles. A small proportion (19%) of these working parents have also looked to employee assistance programmes, childcare or alternate working arrangements. Unfortunately, a majority (63%) felt unable to turn to their employer for support and looked to external resources.

Supporting working parents of mentally ill children requires a combination of workplace policies, community resources, healthcare support, and social networks.

How can parents with mentally ill children be supported?

Flexible work: Offering more flexible work options would take a massive weight off their shoulders. Try remote work and flexible days and hours to help them with appointments.

Paid family leave: If your business can, providing paid time off for parents to manage their child’s mental health needs without financial strain could be a workplace perk worth considering.

Carer’s leave: In the UK, employees are entitled to up to a week of unpaid leave to undertake carer duties for an eligible family member, with children at the top of the list.

Employee assistance programmes (EAPs): These services often include counselling services that may extend to family members.

Create a culture of support: Managers and supervisors should all receive empathy training and build a supportive workplace.

Health insurance: Include health insurance in an employee’s remuneration package or offer it as a salary sacrifice option that extends to their immediate family. This will provide peace of mind for team members and potentially keep them and their children off lengthy NHS waiting lists for treatment.

Making it through hard times together

The challenges faced by working parents with mentally ill children are heavy but not insurmountable. If workplaces can adopt flexible work and leave policies and provide resources such as healthcare and counselling services, it will go a long way in helping employees and their families through difficult times.