With school summer holidays in full swing, new research finds a shocking one in five (18%) working mums are clocking up an additional eight hours ‘on shift’ at home each day, on top of their ‘regular jobs’, with the average number of unseen hours for mothers being 4.7.
The research, carried out by Maltesers as part of its ‘MotherLovers’ campaign, also found that a staggering 80% of working mums wish their colleagues were more aware of the added time they spend on childcare outside of work.
A further third (30%) of working mums wish their colleagues were more aware of what being a working parent actually entails, saying this would make them feel more understood (50%) and have a positive impact on their mental health (26%).
As well as their main shift in the workplace, the load is increased for working mums who spend their ‘free’ time preparing meals (88%), keeping track of household needs (76%), managing meltdowns (56%), driving to and from kids’ clubs (48%), keeping them entertained during school holidays (65%), finding new school uniforms (57%) – all while giving kisses and cuddles in between (75%).
And it’s not just the practical side that impacts mothers, the emotional and mental load adds up too. Staying on top of kids’ ever changing class timetables (40%) when they’re back to school and taking their children to routine appointments such as dentist or doctors check ups (72%) all keep a working mum’s brain busy. On top of this, 41% of mothers reported that counselling their kids through a breakup or helping them navigate a friendly fall out and even staying on top of school and parent WhatsApp groups (43%) adds to their daily load too.
Despite the impact, one in five (18%) working mums are not open about their other main job, parenting, in the workplace because it is not ‘the done thing’ (11%). Almost three in five working mothers (59%) have used up holiday days to be there for their sick children, and over a third (34%) say they have hidden the fact they had little or no sleep due to attending to their children the night before.
Almost half (47%) of working mums say their colleagues simply being more aware of these additional parental responsibilities would make them feel much happier and less overwhelmed (44%). A further 19% say their colleagues are actually a vital part of their support network.
A third (33%) say a simple tea break and an ear to talk to go a long way to relieve mental pressures, especially during the school holidays as almost two thirds (63%) of working mums say this time brings more challenges with balancing work and looking after their children.
To help more colleagues understand the challenges working mums face and step up to help lighten the load, Maltesers has teamed up with working mum, Natalie Cassidy, to launch the real OOO (Out Of Office) movement.
Including anything from voicemails or text messages, to automatic email responses, the movement encourages working mums to share the realities of life outside of the workplace in the hope of sparking more open dialogue amongst colleagues.
Natalie Cassidy, alongside working mums Bibiana Yetty, Connie Simmonds and Louise Lambert, kicked off the movement and shared their ‘Real OOO’ messages in a new film released by Maltesers today.
Natalie Cassidy, working mum, commented: “I’m so proud to call myself a working mum. Mothers are strong and resilient – we balance a lot every day. I often feel the squeeze trying to juggle the joys of parenting with work – both the long summer holidays and return to school have their unique challenges but the support of my colleagues makes a huge difference.
“I’m super excited to be part of the Maltesers MotherLovers campaign, I’m saying to all the colleagues out there – Let’s Lighten the Load! By empowering working mums across the nation to share their unseen to-do lists in their real Out of Offices, we hope to encourage more colleagues to step up and be there.”
Clare Moulder, Senior Brand Manager at Maltesers says: “Working mums bring crucial skills to the workplace, yet many colleagues may not realise how important they are to a working mum’s day to day life. They are part of their village, meaning small acts of support go a long way.”
The Out of Office is a widely known phrase for time outside of work, so whether you’re clocking off your shift at the salon, shop floor, classroom or office, our ‘Real OOO’ movement hopes to give working mums a platform to be open about the ups and downs, challenges and cheers about life outside of the workplace. The movement is part of the Maltesers MotherLovers campaign, which calls on colleagues and those around working mums to say “Let’s Lighten the Load “.
To find out more about Maltesers MotherLovers campaign, access tips on how to be a MotherLover and the Real OOO movement, head to https://www.maltesers.co.uk/lighten-the-load
