Supporting Working Parents Requires More Than Generic Wellbeing Programs

Many workplace wellbeing programs focus on individual resilience. Gym memberships, meditation apps, and general stress management sessions are common inclusions.

For working parents, these supports are often not enough.

In this conversation, we explore why working parents are experiencing the highest burnout rates in the workforce, and what organisations can do differently to provide meaningful, preventative support.

Working parents are managing complex pressures that extend well beyond the workplace. Child mental health, emotional regulation challenges, school demands, and family logistics all contribute to ongoing stress. Deloitte research has confirmed that child mental health is now one of the biggest stressors for working parents, yet it remains largely unaddressed in most workplace wellbeing strategies.

A central theme of this discussion is the importance of equity. Supporting working parents does not mean lowering standards or offering special treatment. It means acknowledging that different employees face different psychosocial risks, and designing wellbeing initiatives that reflect those realities.

We also explore practical examples of what effective workplace support looks like, how organisations can measure impact, and how to build a family friendly culture that benefits both employees and the organisation.

The conversation is refreshingly real. Recorded while the host’s child was home due to a teacher strike, it highlights the everyday interruptions and pressures working parents navigate, and why policies that ignore this reality often fail.

If you are in HR, wellbeing, WHS, or people leadership, and are looking for evidence based ways to support working parents, reduce burnout, and strengthen psychosocial safety, this discussion will help you rethink how parental wellbeing is approached in your organisation.