Working parents amid COVID-19: Moms are more likely than dads to burnout juggling work and family

Sep 23, 2021, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Adecco Vietnam's latest FutuHRe Intelligence survey presents a close-up view of the working parents’ work-life balance amid COVID-19 restrictions and how they perceive the return to work. Survey results are advised by industry experts to provide practical solutions for businesses.

About the survey
Adecco Vietnam conducted a countrywide survey in August 2021 with 390 respondents on the topic "COVID-19: What do working parents say?".

51% are working dads, and 38% working moms. Most of them have the role of Manager or Head of Department (41%), Experienced or Senior (22%), and Leader or Supervisor (16%).

The survey highlights that working parents are burning out to juggle work and family amid the complicated situation of the COVID-19. More than ever, empathy and support from the businesses is essential for parent employee to stay engaged, productive and thrive in the long term. With years of experience in the recruitment industry, Mr. Chuong Nguyen, Associate Director, Recruitment Business, HCMC Office, Adecco Vietnam, suggests how a parent-friendly workplace starts from the hiring phase. "The hiring process shouldn't discriminate by age or family status, which means bullet points like 'preferably ages 25-35 or single' should be removed. This will create a diverse workplace with both single and married employees.” He further suggested moves to endorse a family-friendly environment, “In addition to certain benefits such as flexible work applied to all employees, employers can consider further parent-oriented components, i.e. childcare benefit/allowance, gifts for Children’s day, or parental leaves. As well, the HR team can promote family-related topics during company-wide events as good practices for well-being for working parents. When the normalcy return, think about “family day” or office visit for the kids at times.”

Key findings:

• 40% of respondents have “more workload than before”, 48% have to change their work routine, and 41% need to work outside of core hours to balance both work and family
• More than a quarter of working parents suffer from burnout, more common with moms than dads (28% and 22%, respectively).
• Up to 25% of working dads had their pay cut, much higher than 12% of working mom 29% of dads even revise their career goals.
• Working moms are more stressed about the safety and health of the family, the lack of childcare support, and grocery shopping. On the other hand, dads are more worried about financial status, security and job prospects, and relationship with their partners.
• Dads are more comfortable than moms discussing the challenges of working parents at work.
• Working parents now spend 23.2 hours per week on housework and childcare, an increase of 6.3 hours compared to before the epidemic. Working moms spend an extra 7.3 hours per week on their family duties, from 19.5 hours to 28 hours. And working fathers increased by 5.3 hours, from 15.2 to 20.5 hours per week.
• About 38% of working moms find a balance in household tasks, while 50% of working dads have this impression. 39% of working moms say they are primarily responsible for housework, while only 11% of working fathers share the same belief.
• Over one-third of businesses did not offer any support for working parents. The flexible working arrangement is the most popular (54%). A small percentage of businesses have clear communication of expectations (13%), mental health and wellness programs (12%), and regular check-ins (8%).
• Working parents expect flexible working the most (48%). It is followed by childcare allowance (35%), mental health and wellness programs (30%), additional paid leaves (26%), and transparent communication on work expectations (25%).
• 26% of working moms and 23% of working dads share that returning to on-site work would be a "moderately difficult" or "very difficult" experience.
• Working parents have certain worries when returning to work. The risk of being infected with COVID-19 is their top concern (56%). Others are changes in daily routine (36%), loss of flexibility (27%), changes in their kid(s) routine (27%), childcare re-arrangement (24%), and missing their kid(s) (20%).
• 71% of working parents expect hybrid work when returning to the office.

Special thanks to our trusted partners who contributed to the analysis of the survey results:

• Eric Asato, Career Consultant/Acting Manager, Career Consulting & Development, RMIT University Vietnam.
• My Holland, Executive Coach, Trainer, and CEO EQuest Asia Ltd.
• Van Ho, Country Head, Sandoz Vietnam.

About Adecco Vietnam

Established in Vietnam in 2011, Adecco Vietnam – a member of The Adecco Group - is the leading Payroll, Recruitment & Outsourcing Agency in Vietnam. We provide one-stop solutions for all Human Resources needs. Operating for more than 60 years, The Adecco Group has 30,000+ passionate employees in 5,000+ branches across 60 countries and territories worldwide.

Website: adecco.com.vn

For further information please contact:

• Ms. Tran Nguyen – Digital Marketing Executive
• Email: tran.nguyen@adecco.com