The Hidden Workforce Risk: When Children’s Mental Health Impacts Work

What happens in a child’s life does not stay at home. It follows parents into the workplace, affecting focus, energy, and ultimately, organisational performance.

Recent research from Deloitte, in collaboration with Place2Be and Mind, highlights a growing but often unseen challenge for employers. Children’s mental health concerns are now a significant driver of workforce disruption, with real consequences for attendance, retention, and wellbeing.

The findings are striking.

Around 1 in 100 parents have left the workforce entirely due to their child’s mental health challenges. Up to 70% of working parents report taking time off work for this reason, and a further proportion have stepped away from their roles altogether to provide ongoing care.

This is not just a personal issue, it is a workplace issue. Deloitte estimates that in the UK alone, this challenge may cost employers billions each year in lost productivity, absenteeism, and turnover.

Yet much of this remains hidden.

While the majority of working parents recognise the importance of discussing their child’s mental health with their employer, fewer than a quarter feel able to do so. This silence creates an invisible strain on both employees and organisations, where challenges go unsupported and risks go unmanaged.

For employers, this presents a clear opportunity.

Organisations that proactively support working parents through flexibility, practical resources, and family-focused wellbeing strategies are better positioned to retain talent, strengthen engagement, and create psychologically safe workplaces.

At Win Win Parenting, Parenting Expert Dr Rosina McAlpine has developed a 6-month Family Mental Wellbeing Program designed to help organisations respond to this growing need. The program equips working parents with practical tools to support their children’s wellbeing, while helping workplaces build stronger, more family-friendly cultures.

Because when working parents are supported, families are stronger, and workplaces perform better.

The question is, how well is your organisation supporting parents navigating these challenges right now? Take our Benchmark Assessment to see how your organisation is performing https://benchmark.winwinparenting.com/