As a child, the long summer break from school can be a delight. For a start, there’s the promise of six weeks without having to wear a uniform or spend time on homework. However, many parents dread the long holiday. The fact is that trying to juggle childcare and work can be stressful and expensive. In this article, I’ve included some feedback from working parents and include points on how employers can help employees cope.

The Cost of Holiday Childcare

The cost of holiday childcare has increased by 6% since last summer. Data collated by Coram Children’s Charity* suggest the average charge is £175 per child, per week. And, with many families having two or more children, it soon mounts up. If you can’t take time off work over the six weeks, the bill could be £2098, which is more than many earn.

Even when parents can take time off, there is pressure to do fun things. If the weather is good, a day at the park with a picnic is great, but many other forms of entertainment cost money. What’s more, the holidays are when uniforms and shoes for the following school year are typically purchased.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Cash for Kids** found that three-quarters of the families they work with expect to get in debt in August to cover holiday expenses.

Availability of Summer Holiday Schemes

While some families on benefits can access Holiday Activity & Food (HAF) clubs, places on these and other schemes are limited. As a result, you have to be great a planning ahead to get your child signed up. Equally, childminders and playscheme often start or finish at times that don’t match working parents’ needs. Or, you need to book the same day each week, which isn’t ideal for those working shifts.

“Childcare is not always flexible, so you need the workplace to be. I just want my employer to tell us our shifts before the holidays so I can plan. I’ve asked, but it is still unpredictable, so it’s a struggle.”

If your child is older than 12 years or has a disability, the options are especially limited. In many areas, no provision is available, yet these children can’t be left alone all day. So, what are the options?

Alternative Options for Holiday Childcare

In research conducted by PGL Adventure Holidays***, 43% of parents stated that they had to rely on family to help them manage through the summer holidays. A further 10% shared childcare with friends. This can be a workable solution, yet, not everyone has someone that they trust nearby. Equally, not everyone feels comfortable burdening family and friends with childcare responsibilities.

“My kids are older now, but I used to dread the summer holidays. I only worked part-time, but no two people could be off at the same time and the holiday slots got booked up by the managers. I wouldn’t have coped without my mum stepping in and helping out. She took the kids on a holiday each year because I couldn’t afford that or the childcare costs.”

Other parents can work from home for part or all of the week. However, 34% admitted that it reduced their ability to do their job well.

What is the Impact on Mental Health of Managing Holiday Childcare?

Juggling work and childcare has resulted in 45% of parents experiencing burnout and 41% high levels of stress according to the PGL research. Kom Kids research revealed that 57% of working parents find juggling the summer holidays stressful and believe it negatively impacts their career prospects.

“It’s helpful to have the choice to work from home, but I just feel guilty all the time. You can’t give your full attention to your work or your children. There is so much pressure and absolutely no time for yourself to think. I end up drained, behind on my work and I’m sure my colleagues judge me for that.”

Meanwhile, Cash for Kids states that being stuck at home for extended periods is stressful to their parents and impacts family relationships and mental well-being.

How Can Employers Help Working Parents Manage the School Holidays?

Employers can’t give everyone time off through August and many employees can’t afford to have time off. However, there are ways in which they can help employees to cope.

Here are 10 suggestions which could ease the pressure on staff while maintaining productivity

1. Offer alternative work patterns such as later start and finish times or condensed hours in a shorter working week. Such flexibility can help accommodate childcare logistics
2. Wherever possible, prepare schedules for shift workers early to enable them to book childcare or arrange shift swaps
3. Consider offering employees the option of pre-tax childcare vouchers that reduce the cost of clubs
4. Understand that plans can change last minute and allow parents the option to make up hours at another time if childcare falls through
5. Decide whether you can offer employees the option of unpaid leave days
6. Allow parents who work from home to complete hours in the evening or weekends
7. Explore the option of using freelancers or temps during August so that multiple employees can take the same days/weeks off
8. Include ‘term-time only’ contracts when recruiting
9. Allocate a meeting room as a space that older children can use if they need to come to work with their parent.
10. Direct working parents to the Turn2Us Guide on Help with School Holiday Costs

“I am lucky to have some flexibility with my working hours, a great childminder and family that help out on occasional days. I try to include some activity days that my daughter will enjoy and book off one day a week to do something together. It takes quite a bit of planning to arrange 6 weeks and I only have one child. I don’t know how bigger families do it! It is fine when everything goes to plan, but the stress quickly mounts when something is cancelled at the last minute. I think you have to accept that everything you earn over the holiday is spent covering costs.”

The Benefit of Flexible Working Options

At the very least, I think it is important to recognise the pressures that many employees are under during the school holidays. Simply checking in on parents can help them feel acknowledged. Their priority will always be their children, yet if you can offer some flexibility, it helps reduce the impact on finances and mental health. This is an important factor in attracting and retaining talent, reducing absenteeism and keeping the business on track.

* https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2v0zewz736o

** https://hellorayo.co.uk/hits-radio/charity/news/the-true-cost-of-summer-holidays/

*** https://hrnews.co.uk/working-parents-struggle-as-summer-holidays-loom/