Working parents suffer professionally due to childcare issues during pandemic, poll finds
Video report by ITV News Correspondent Damon Green
An exclusive survey for ITV News has added to concerns that working parents are suffering professionally due to issues with childcare amid coronavirus restrictions.
Data provided by charity ParentKind suggests the majority of parents have had to change their work patterns as a result of a lack, or shortage, of holiday childcare provision over the summer months.
The majority of respondents to the survey also said they had been forced to use their annual leave for the same reasons.
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Bethan Jones told ITV News the career she has built over the past 10 years is "in jeopardy" because she is a new mother.
She said she and other women in her situation, are having to choose their child over their career.
"It has caused quite a lot of worries and stress, with zero sleep," she said.
As a single mother to a nine-month-old baby, Ms Jones hopes to return to work in mid-October depending on the latest social distancing guidelines around childcare - set to be issued in September.
Her employer did not allow her to work from home with a newborn baby needing looking after too, something she said would prove hard.
"It's tremendously hard at the best of times, but with a baby that needs 24/7 care, unfortunately it's not easy," she told ITV News.
"Working doing my job, full time from home would just be impossible - that's just not an option for me. It just wouldn't be possible".
Ms Jones said the time she should be spent enjoying with her newborn is now dominated by worries about her job and money.
John Jolly, Chief Executive at Parentkind, said "it has to be acknowledged that this is a very stressful way of working" adding that parents face "uncertainty" as coronavirus restrictions continue to be adjusted.
HR specialist Amanda Lennon gives her advice to staff and employers:
Employment lawyer and Human Resources specialist Amanda Lennon said it's important to look at the "pragmatic approach" in negotiations between employers and staff.
Ms Lennon said workers should "start off" with a conversation with their managers and look to reach an agreement through that.
She added: "Employers will need to change their plans, just in the same way employees do.
"I would prefer a more flexible approach.
"Even the most traditional employers will now have to totally reassess their way of working."
Survey results suggest 53.11% of parents have had to change their work pattern because of a lack or shortage of holiday childcare provision this summer.
45.36% of respondents said they had used annual leave in order to make up for the same issues.