Read the key findings from the annual snapshot into the lives of working families across the UK 

Recently, Working Families launched the 2017 Modern Families Index in partnership with Bright Horizons.  Providing a snapshot into the lives of working families from across the UK, it shows that:

  • One in five parents working full time is putting in five extra weeks a year – the equivalent of their annual holiday allowance – in unpaid work, just to keep up with the demands of the job
  • Almost half (48%) said working hours regularly got in the way of spending time with their children and a third said that work had a negative effect on their relationship with their partner and a quarter said it led to rows with their children
  • Twice the number of fathers compared to mothers believe flexible workers are viewed as less committed and over double the number of fathers believe working flexibly will have a negative impact on their career
  • 47% of fathers agree they would like to downshift into a less stressful job, reflecting the difficulty they face in reconciling work and home.
  • 38% of fathers say they would be willing to take a pay cut to achieve a better work-life balance
  • Eight out of ten mothers and seven out of ten fathers agree they would assess their childcare needs before taking a new job or promotion, indicating that both genders now feel they might have to downgrade their careers in order to care for their families.
  • Only one in five families says they have got the right balance between time (to spend with family) and money (earning or having enough income) to see their family thrive, with over a third saying they haven’t got enough time or money