Women and work: What employers stand to gain from supporting the needs of parents

If you have parents of kids and teenagers in your workforce, there’s a good chance that every met deadline and deliverable has come with a side of mental stress from balancing pressing and competing caregiving and career needs.

Research shows that nearly half of parents¹ report feeling almost constantly overwhelmed. Approximately two-thirds² harbour constant concerns about money, as child-related costs clash with career insecurity. (And while financial strain affects all parents, research shows it can be disproportionately burdensome for working mothers, who often earn less money³ and get fewer promotions⁴ after parenthood.) Moms and dads now worry about their kids so much that in 2024 the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory⁵ positioning parental stress as an urgent public health issue; and a whopping 92 per cent⁶ of working parents say the strain of managing both professional and family needs is burning them out.

That final startling statistic – which comes from Maven Clinic, a digital platform that provides virtual health support for women and families across four major life stages, including parenting – should be a wakeup call for employers in Canada, according to Dr. Emilie-Marie Sagripanti, a Maven family physician.

“Every parent’s journey is different,” says Dr. Sagripanti. “But it’s clear that employers need to remove stigmas and ensure parents aren’t penalized for taking care of their children. It’s a shift our system urgently needs.”

Few workplaces are currently set up to accommodate this reality. For instance, 70 per cent of employed Canadian mothers⁷ report lacking adequate support from their employers. But with more than three-quarters⁸ of Canadian employers struggling to find skilled talent, and with highly educated⁹ Gen Z and millennials making up more and more of the workforce, experts say organizations that recognize the opportunity of stepping up with supports that make life easier – and healthier – for working moms and dads will see that investment pay off.

“Having a transparent plan in place that supports working parents is really an opportunity for organizations to differentiate themselves,” says Jennifer Foubert, assistant vice-president and head of product and growth for Group Benefits at Manulife Canada. “When companies develop meaningful plans that address the comprehensive needs of all employees, including parents, they will see that positively play out.”

Ignoring the realities working parents face does not make them go away. Moreover, experts say doing so can lead to lower productivity¹⁰, higher turnover, less diverse teams¹¹, and increased rates of absenteeism.

Parents can also feel isolated if they don’t feel they can share the challenges they’re facing, whether that’s worrying about developmental milestones, juggling the never-ending stream of activities and appointments or supporting their teen’s mental health. That isolation can erode their own mental and physical health¹² and impact performance, according to Dr. Niki Panich, a primary care physician with Cleveland Clinic Canada.

Businesses that fail to support parents during this stage risk losing mid-career employees with valuable institutional knowledge, she says. “You don’t want to give the impression that taking time off for your kids takes you off the leadership path. That makes it more difficult to recruit and retain talent.”

Ms. Foubert agrees. “It becomes a talent issue,” she says. “Healthy, supported organizations provide that competitive edge.”

Employers that view parental accommodations as worthy of support – instead of as inconveniences – often experience positive long-term benefits on metrics like productivity and attendance, according to Ms. Foubert. In fact, a Maven survey¹³ of nearly half a million working parents found companies that fully support employees during this stage of life experience an 86 per cent reduction in turnover among that cohort. 

With relatively simple adjustments, employers can create a positive environment for working parents, that allows them to focus on their work, health and the health of their families. Experts recommend focusing on three key areas:

1. Offer flexible work options

Many realities of raising children clash with rigid nine-to-five workdays. Scheduling conflicts (such as inflexible daycare drop-off or pick-up windows), unexpected absences (like when a stomach bug goes through a classroom), and interrupted sleep can all cause issues at work. “Sleep deprivation plays a significant role,” says Dr. Panich. “A parent may have been up all night with their child and still go into work the next day. It’s like operating under the influence of drugs – their productivity declines.”

Even as kids age, they have unique needs and schedules that aren’t always easy to juggle. Flexible arrangements can benefit both employees and the organization. “It allows employees to work during their most productive hours, leading to increased efficiency,” says Ms. Foubert. “And helping employees manage unexpected events often results in fewer missed workdays.”

Flexibility doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul of schedules. It can be as simple as letting parents start earlier or later, offering “wellness days” or work-from-home days when a child is sick, or encouraging a meeting schedule that starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m., to take the pressure off school-run times.

2. Provide access to virtual experts

Since most working parents are time-crunched¹⁴, trips to doctors for their own health are often a low priority. Left unmanaged, health concerns can snowball. "Chronic stress and sleep deprivation can have both short- and long-term consequences, including neurocognitive diseases, diabetes, and heart disease," says Dr. Sagripanti. In turn, unaddressed stress, a risk factor for chronic conditions, can lead to worn-down parents reducing hours or leaving the workforce, she says.

Employers can help make it easier for parents to get the expert help they need. For example, Manulife’s partnership with Maven Clinic gives eligible group plan members virtual access to a network of health experts to help parents manage stress, mental-health concerns, nutrition and more. About 68 per cent of Maven’s appointments take place outside of standard office hours, illustrative of the time pressure parents face.

Maven also offers parental coaching and pediatric support, allowing time-strapped parents to discuss matters that are not urgent, but deserving of attention – like a kid’s weird rash – on a quick call, instead of leaving work early to travel to a clinic. In Dr. Sagripanti’s experience, virtual care helps prevent small health issues from becoming crises that require short-term or extended leave.

3. Ensure mental health supports are easy to access

It’s not always easy for busy parents to make the time for mental health support, but the need is there: According to Maven data, 60 per cent of parents say their level of stress affects their ability to focus. And statistics¹⁵ from the Mental Health Commission of Canada estimates that mental illness costs the Canadian economy more than $51 billion annually, including approximately $6.3 billion from lost productivity.

Enhanced Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) and virtual mental health services can give parents accessible, confidential support from home, which can help balance caregiving and work demands, Dr. Panich says. Encouraging parent-focused employee resource groups can also help build community within the workplace and foster peer-to-peer support, she says.

Facilitating manager training to make employees feel safe sharing challenges without fear of penalization is equally important. Dr. Panich points to a Deloitte Canada study¹⁶ that showed organizations that prioritize psychological safety experience a 27-per-cent reduction in turnover risk, alongside an increase in performance. “When managers foster psychological safety, and parents have easy access to virtual mental health services, the result is a healthier, more resilient workforce,” says Dr. Panich. “These supports not only reduce stigma and stress – they unlock focus, creativity, and long-term performance.”

Ms. Foubert recommends employers communicate early and often about what resources and benefits are available, and how to engage them – not just during onboarding. "Annual refreshers can help demystify and empower parents to seek support," she says.

This story was originally published in The Globe and Mail on October 14, 2025.

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or treat a condition. If you have questions or concerns about your specific situation or are seeking medical advice, contact your medical doctor or your health-care provider.

A note about gender:
While we use the term “women,” “female,” and “men” and “male” in this article, we recognize that these terms are not inclusive of all gender identities and that the health issues addressed here may be relevant to individuals across the gender spectrum

Cleveland Clinic Canada:
Manulife is proud to have Cleveland Clinic Canada on board as Medical Director for our Group Benefits operations. Cleveland Clinic Canada has a wealth of global healthcare expertise and shares our goal to help Canadians live longer, healthier, and better lives. Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit organization that has been at the forefront of modern medicine since 1921. In recent years, Cleveland Clinic has worked with progressive companies in Canada and around the world to prioritize the health and well-being of their employees, customers, and communities.

Maven Clinic:
Maven is the world’s largest virtual clinic for women and families on a mission to make healthcare work for all of us. Maven’s award-winning digital programs provide clinical, emotional, and financial support all in one platform, spanning fertility & family building, maternity & newborn care, parenting & pediatrics, and menopause & midlife. More than 2,000 employers and health plans trust Maven's end-to-end platform to improve clinical outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and provide equity in benefits programs.