Half of parents struggling for work life balance

A new poll from AA Driving School suggests that around half (51 percent) of British parents find their job prevents them from finding a healthy work life balance, due to childcare and cost of living pressures. Increases to the cost of childcare have driven UK parents to work either additional hours in their current job (18 percent) or even take another job (12 percent) to financially support their family.

The data suggests that one in five working mums feel parent guilt every day, the top cause being the need to work additional hours (55 percent) to support their family financially. More than half (52 percent) of parents agree that childcare costs influence their career decisions, with the age-old dilemma of ‘having it all’ truly impacting parents as nearly 3 in 5 (59 percent) feel guilty for working long hours instead of spending time with their children.

More than a quarter (29 percent) of parents admit they have missed their child’s sports day, parents evening (22 percent) and even their first steps (13 percent) due to work commitments. Against this backdrop, half of UK parents (49 percent) are ready to take the plunge and will look to explore a new career path this year to improve their work-life balance.

Among parents considering a change of employment, a third (34 percent) would prefer self-employment if they were to change careers – ahead of retail (14 percent), healthcare (13 percent), education (19 percent) or other office work such as HR, IT and customer services (16 percent). AA Driving School is encouraging Brits who are unhappy with their work-life balance to consider more flexible employment by becoming their own boss as an AA driving instructor.

“Inflexible 9-5 working models make it difficult for many parents to balance work and family life,” said Camilla Benitz, Managing Director at AA Driving School. “Our research shows there is a greater need for workplace flexibility to assist UK parents balance financial, career and parenting needs. Many AA Driving School instructors have chosen this career to allow them flexibility around their families as well as having a long-term, rewarding career.”