Working families and caregivers facing ‘perfect storm’ of pressures

It describes the findings of its report as a “wake up call for employers”. The report reveals stress levels are rising, and hybrid working alone is no longer enough to relieve the pressure. It says that for women and the “sandwich generation”, statutory leave can be financially out of reach, and flexible working often carries a hidden career cost.

For many years Bright Horizons has been supporting the evolving needs of working families and their employers. The new Modern Families Index says: “The real work for employers lies in closing the gap between policy and practice: transforming legal entitlements into accessible, practical support; delivering flexible work that genuinely meets the real-life needs of employees; and building workplace cultures where caring responsibilities do not come with a career penalty”.

Women being held back

One of the report’s key findings is that caring responsibilities are holding women back. Nearly half (48 per cent) of working mothers who are also carers say these responsibilities have negatively impacted their professional life (versus 38 per cent for working fathers).

When childcare falls through at short notice, one in four women take unpaid time off, compared to about one in five men.

From pandemic to pressure

Less than two-thirds (63 per cent) feel confident talking with their employer about family, says the survey. And in terms of mental strain, 37 per cent say their working arrangements make it harder to switch off.

According to Bright Horizons Work+Family ignoring the care burden doesn’t just hurt employees, it directly impacts employer costs, productivity, and talent pipelines. Of the £51 billion lost annually, nearly half (£24 bn) comes from presenteeism: people working while overwhelmed. Another £7bn stems from sickness absence, often masking childcare or eldercare crises.

What comes next?

The Modern Families Index describes the business case as “unambiguous”. It explains that for every £1 spent on supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, employers get (on average) about £4.70 back in increased productivity.

It’s calling for organisations to: break the silence around caregiving; treat flexibility as a starting point then build the missing infrastructure around it; strengthen the support ecosystem for every stage of care and make support obvious, accessible, and measurable.

Chris Locke, executive director of work and family solutions at Bright Horizons, said: “What this year’s findings underline is that care pressure is no longer a personal issue playing out quietly in the background. It is becoming a structural challenge for employers, with clear implications for productivity, retention and workforce stability. When people are repeatedly forced to cover care breakdowns through sick leave, annual leave or reduced hours, the cost to organisations quickly adds up.

He explains that many employers have made progress on flexibility, but this data shows that flexibility alone is not enough. Care does not fail on a schedule, and without agile practical support in place, stress, absence and disengagement continue to rise even in hybrid workplaces, according to Locke.

He adds: “Organisations that are better placed to navigate 2026 will be those that recognise care support as a core part of workforce resilience and invest in support that works in real time. Providing go-to solutions when care falls through helps employees stay focused and productive and gives businesses greater stability in an increasingly unpredictable labour market.”