Working parents and carers are increasingly using sick leave and annual leave to cover childcare and eldercare emergencies, as pressure from unpredictable care demands begins to affect stress levels, productivity and retention.
New figures suggest a growing number of employees are reconsidering their jobs because of the strain, with mothers still more likely than fathers to say childcare has harmed their career progression.
The findings come as employers face renewed questions about how well flexible working policies cope with real-life care breakdowns, particularly when staff are expected to remain productive while managing responsibilities that cannot be planned in advance.
Care pressures are pushing more staff to rethink their jobs
The data was published in the Modern Families Index 2026 by Bright Horizons Work + Family Solutions, a provider of employer-backed childcare and family support services. It found that 43% of “sandwich carers”, people caring for both children and older relatives, were actively reconsidering their job due to care pressures.
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The survey of 3,000 working parents and carers also found that 21% of employees had used sick leave in the last year to cover short-notice care needs, while working parents took an average of 4.2 days off to cover childcare and carers took 4.1 days off for eldercare.
For employers, the figures add to concerns about hidden absence and presenteeism, where employees remain logged on but struggle to work effectively due to stress, sleep disruption and constant interruptions from care responsibilities.
Stress and confidence at work ‘moving in wrong direction’
The research suggested that stress among working parents was rising, with 29% reporting very high levels. Among those who said they were highly stressed, 77% reported that stress sometimes made it hard to function.
It also found that 37% said their working arrangements made it more difficult to switch off, pointing to the strain that can emerge when home and work boundaries blur, particularly in households already managing unpredictable care needs.
Confidence in employer support appeared to have stalled, with 63% of employees saying they felt comfortable discussing family responsibilities at work. For those expecting a child, the figure fell to 59%, suggesting some staff remained reluctant to raise concerns at key life stages.
Chris Locke, executive director of Work + Family Solutions at Bright Horizons, said care pressures were increasingly becoming a structural issue for employers rather than a private challenge for individuals.
“What this year’s findings underline is that care pressure is no longer a personal issue playing out quietly in the background,” he said. “It is becoming a structural challenge for employers, with clear implications for productivity, retention and workforce stability.
“When people are repeatedly forced to cover care breakdowns through sick leave, annual leave or reduced hours, the cost to organisations quickly adds up.”
Mothers still report greater career penalty
The research found that mothers were 50% more likely than men to say having children had harmed their career, reinforcing the view that progress on workplace equality remains uneven even as more organisations adopt hybrid working.
Among parents who were also caring for ageing relatives, the report suggested the career impact could be sharper still. It found that 48% of mothers who also cared for older adults reported a negative impact on their career, compared with 38% of fathers.
The findings also pointed to higher stress levels among mothers juggling childcare and eldercare, with stress rising to 39% in this group.
While some organisations have expanded flexible working options, Locke said the results suggested flexibility alone was not enough if staff were still left without practical support when care arrangements collapsed at short notice.
“Many employers have made progress on flexibility, but this data shows that flexibility alone is not enough. Care does not fail on a schedule, and without agile practical support in place, stress, absence and disengagement may continue to rise even in hybrid workplaces.”
What employers can take from the findings
The data will add to debate about how employers should respond as more staff balance childcare with caring responsibilities for older relatives, particularly in a tighter labour market where replacing experienced employees can be costly.
The findings suggested that support which helped employees deal with care breakdowns in real time could have a direct impact on retention and performance. Locke argued that organisations that treated care support as part of workforce resilience would be better placed to manage the year ahead.
“Organisations that are better placed to navigate 2026 will be those that recognise care supports as a core part of workforce resilience and invest in support that works for their employees in real time,” he said. “Providing go-to solutions when care falls through helps employees stay focused and productive and gives businesses greater stability in an increasingly unpredictable labour market.”
The Modern Families Index, published annually since 2012 is based on a representative survey of 3,000 working parents and carers across the UK, covering different sectors, regions and working patterns.
