Supporting working parents drives loyalty and retention

Why supporting working parents matters

The 2025 Working Families Index shares insights from over 3,000 diverse working parents to inform workplace policy improvements.

• Almost 8 in 10 new mothers didn’t take the time off needed due to financial concerns – and 7 in 10 fathers took less than two weeks leave due to money worries

• A third of parents reduced their hours to manage childcare – and 9 out of 10 of these were women

• 73% not currently working flexibly would like to – of which over half were unaware they can request flexible working

• Over half had not applied for a job they’d seen advertised as it didn’t offer flexibility in the advert

• 46% found it hard to maintain boundaries between work and home life

• 73% said working flexibly has increased their loyalty to their current employer

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Key takeaways for employers

Egremont-based engineering recruiters NRL champion inclusive hiring in sectors like nuclear, recognising working parents’ need for flexibility, as Director Rebecca Graves explains.

“It’s not just about flexibility – it’s about trust, empathy and creating a workplace where people can deliver their work in a way that works best for them. The focus for employers should be on having the measures in place to ensure work effectiveness can be monitored, paired with the policies and working practices to make working parents’ lives easier.”

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These working practices could include:

• Staggered start and end times, to accommodate school pick-ups and home demands

• Flexibility on the location and hours the work is delivered

• Enhanced parental leave policies and absence procedures

• Employee listening groups to understand what working parents need

• Childcare support including subsidised rates or on-premises care facilities

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To discuss how NRL can support your business, contact Rebecca Graves at rgraves@nrl.co.uk.

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