2026 Workplace Warning:

A new report reveals employers to face a hidden retention and productivity crisis.

The latest Modern Families Index (MFI), published today, 15 January 2026, by Bright Horizons Work + Family Solutions finds working parents and carers are caught in a perfect storm of economic strain, rising care demands, as well as workplace cultures that struggle to keep up with the pace of family realities.

Drawing on insights from 3,000 working parents and carers across the UK, this year’s report reveals:

• 43 percent of sandwich carers are actively reconsidering their job due to care pressures
• One in five employees (21 percent) used sick leave last year to cover care emergencies
• Mothers are 50 percent more likely than men to say having children harmed their career
• Stress is rising, with 29 percent of working parents reporting very high stress, and 77 percent of those experiencing high stress saying it sometimes makes it hard to function
• Confidence in employers has stalled, with only 63 percent of employees feeling able to discuss family needs at work

These pressures coincide with an increasingly challenging economic backdrop, social expectations around parenting, and the growing care needs of ageing relatives.

Commentary from Bright Horizons

Chris Locke, Executive Director of Work + Family Solutions at Bright Horizons:

“What this year’s findings underline is that care pressure is no longer a personal issue playing out quietly in the background. 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.

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.

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. 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.”

Key Findings from the Modern Families Index 2026

Care pressures are reshaping the workforce

• 43 percent of sandwich carers are actively reconsidering their job.
• Working parents took an average of 4.2 days off to cover childcare, and carers took 4.1 days for eldercare.
• 21 percent used sick leave to manage short-notice care needs.

Women continue to bear the burden

• Mothers remain 50 percent more likely than men to say childcare harmed their career.
• Nearly half of mothers who also care for aging adults (48 percent) report negative career impact compared with 38 percent of fathers.
• Stress levels rise to 39 percent for mothers juggling childcare and eldercare.

Stress is now a productivity issue

• 29 percent of working parents report very high stress.
• 77 percent of highly stressed employees say stress sometimes makes it hard to function.

Hybrid working alone is not solving stress

• Even employees working onsite one day per week report stress levels at 41percent indicating that the pressure facing working families is being driven less by working pattern itself and more by unpredictable care breakdowns.
• 37 percent say their working arrangements make it harder to switch off.

Confidence in employers has stalled

• Only 63 percent feel comfortable discussing family responsibilities at work.
• For those expecting a child, confidence falls to 59 percent.