Modern Family Index 2021

Bright Horizons annual report reveals the pandemic’s effects on the needs and changing expectations of working parents

You may already be aware that Bright Horizons produces an annual survey of working families in the UK. Now, the 2021 Modern Families Index Spotlight has arrived.

We all know that last year saw the pandemic create an unprecedented global crisis and change which was challenging in the extreme for many families and, sadly, continues to be.

This year’s Index looked at how the pandemic’s impact affected working parents and provides valuable insights into how they tackled the changes, and what support they are now looking for from their employers as the crisis continues and beyond.

Key highlights from this year’s report of 1,000 working parents and carers include:

• 57% of respondents want hybrid working
• Only 7% consider flexible working to be a barrier to their career progression
• The sandwich generation is younger than you might think
• 55% of respondents agree ‘I feel more loyal to my employer /line manager because of their reaction to the Covid crisis’
• 40% agree ‘I am fearful of losing my job due to the effects of the Covid crisis’

Bright Horizons Director of Employer Partnerships explains: “In previous years, this survey has shown an increasing desire amongst both mothers and fathers for greater flexibility at work. But 2020 has been truly extraordinary, with staff doing triple time as employees, parents and in-home teachers.”

Our Partnership with your Employer

Here at Bright Horizons, we have been proud to support many employers of choice – including of course your own – with access to child and adult care, as well as nursery places and in-home care whenever restrictions have permitted. This is alongside other supportive materials including a Covid-specific webinar series, blogs, and resources packs with expert tips and advice.

We are honoured to have been able to support families through this unprecedented time and would like to take this opportunity to thank our own staff on the front line for their hard work and dedication in supporting families through this unique work+family challenge.

We witness time and again the value of a family-friendly workplace culture and measures such as flexible working, and access to dependant care services, in terms of improved employee wellbeing and careers thriving. We believe that research such as our Modern Families Index helps create the context in which we can all explore what works, what doesn’t and how we can improve.

You can access our full report and find further valuable insights in the MFI Spotlight. Read the full report to find out more