skip to Main Content
MSJ NEWS see latest news

Employees Contemplate Quitting to Take On Child Care; How Employers Can Provide More Options

  • In a recent survey, about one in five parents said they are considering whether to reduce their hours this fall due to child care concerns, while approximately one in 10 are thinking about quitting for this reason
  • Even when schools have reopened, unexpected closures due to COVID-19 outbreaks can force parents to balance work and child care
  • Employers have options such as providing leave or offering flexible schedules to retain talented employees

While the reopening of schools across the nation has taken some pressure off working parents, this arrangement can often be tenuous. Many schools have closed shortly after restarting in-person learning, either for a few days or indefinitely, in response to COVID-19 outbreaks. The situation is again putting pressure on employees who have to balance their career with the needs of their children.

A recent survey found that 22 percent of parents were thinking about reducing their work hours if a child was learning remotely at least part of the time, with 9 percent contemplating whether to quit their job to provide child care. One in five unemployed adults in the United States gave up work to provide child care, and women are three times more likely than men to stop working in order to support their family. Increases in daycare costs may also cause parents of young children to consider whether it makes more sense to give up one income in order to have a parent provide care full-time.

Employers who wish to retain employees during uncertain circumstances this fall should be aware of the options available to them. These include job sharing arrangements, flexible schedules, or increasing benefits to help cover tutoring or other services. Employees may also be eligible to take leave to provide child care under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Spread the Word

More To Explore

Expert Summaries

Know Your Competitors

By Denis Jakuc 

There are tons of benefits to knowing who your competitors are—what they’re offering, their strengths and weaknesses. That knowledge can help you make your products and services stand out,

Latest News

Join with Free InnovatorsLINK Account

Start accessing all the free member benefits and valuable content on the InnovatorsLINK platform. Create a BizLINK listing to boost brand exposure, receive the weekly Main Street Journal newsletter, engage in forums, get full access to free content, and more.