How Employers Can Champion Working Parents — and Unlock Retention and Performance

In early 2025, I conducted a survey with over 100 parents exploring how parenthood transforms identity, emotional well-being, and professional life. The results reveal profound shifts:

• 72% experienced identity changes, re-evaluating personal and professional roles.

• 64% said parenthood significantly affected their mental and emotional well-being.

• Only 38% felt adequately supported by their employers during the transition.

This is more than a family issue — it’s an organisational one.

Forward-thinking companies can transform these insights into opportunities for retention, engagement, and inclusion.

Key Findings and Gaps

1. Identity and Role Shifts: Parenthood reshapes how employees see themselves, influencing priorities, motivation, and self-confidence at work.

2. Lack of Emotional Support: Policies exist, but people crave empathy, flexibility, and safe spaces to process the change.

3. Return-to-Work Struggles: Many parents feel unprepared and isolated, often questioning their value and belonging.

What Parents Want From Employers

1. Practical strategies for balancing work and family.

2. Tools for managing stress and mental load.

3. Leadership that recognises the human behind the employee.

4. Safe, non-judgmental spaces for reflection.

5. Support that evolves across all stages of parenting.

Why It Matters for Businesses

• Retention: Parents who feel supported are far less likely to leave.

• Engagement: Reduced burnout and improved focus.

• Reputation: Parent-friendly workplaces attract top talent.

• Diversity & Inclusion: Supporting both mothers and fathers strengthens equity and belonging.

  
  

Practical Solutions for Companies

1. Create Phased, Flexible Transitions:

   Offer hybrid options, flexible hours, and part-time returns.

   
   

2. Invest in Transformational Coaching Support:

   Go beyond policies — provide real human guidance.

   
   

   Through Mafalda Novo – Positive Impact Coaching, I offer bespoke workshops and one-to-one coaching sessions for parents, managers, and leadership teams to build understanding, empathy, and resilience during parental transitions.

   
   

3. Build Peer Support Networks:

   Encourage parent circles and internal mentoring programmes.

   
   

4. Train Managers to Lead With Compassion:

   Equip leaders to recognise emotional changes and support returning parents.

   
   

5. Evolve Support Over Time:

   Offer tailored guidance at each stage — expecting, early parenting, and long-term work-life balance.

Parenthood at work is not a problem to manage — it’s an opportunity to nurture talent.

Discover how your organisation can become truly human-centred at mafaldanovo.com/corporateservices

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