Working Parent Burnout: Why Family-Friendly Leadership Matters
Working parents are expected to perform at work as if they don’t have a family, then parent as if they don’t have a job. It’s an impossible balancing act that can contribute to stress, burnout and employee turnover.
In this insightful episode of The Leader Within, Dr Rosina McAlpine family and wellbeing expert shares what leaders can do to create workplaces where parents and organisations can thrive.
Drawing on research and her own experience of returning to work after becoming a mother, Dr Rosina explores why family-friendly policies alone aren’t enough. Employees need to feel safe using them without worrying about how flexibility might affect their career progression or performance reviews.
She also explains why understanding your workforce is the essential first step. Who has caring responsibilities? What challenges are they facing? And what targeted support could genuinely make a difference?
The conversation explores parental leave, gradual returns to work, workplace culture, empathy, psychosocial risks and the business case for supporting working parents.
There’s also an important reminder for parents themselves: be gentler with yourself.
Parenting is something we learn through experience, mistakes and trying again.
Listen to the full interview to discover how leaders can help working parents win at work, at home and in life.
Comments