74% of parents miss work to care for their kids — and it’s costing employers billions

Published Updated 4 Min Read

A young boy clings to his mother.
Tomsickova from AdobeStock

Working parents have to toe the line between family and career every day — but it’s becoming increasingly clear this balancing act isn’t sustainable.

RethinkFirst, a tools and training platform for employers, educators and behavioral health professionals, surveyed 2,000 working parents this summer on how much time they take off from work to care for their kids’ mental health and academic needs during the school year. Overall, 74% of parents took at least a few hours off of work, 60% took at least a day and 32% missed four days or more. 

Deanna Cuadra
Senior Reporter

Deanna Cuadra is a senior reporter at Employee Benefit News. Her work covers healthcare, U.S. policy and reform, challenges faced by women and parents in the workplace and innovation in work culture … Read full bio


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