For many employers, the solutions for retention, wellbeing and productivity still centre on creating a culture of flexibility. While this remains important, new evidence suggests that it is no longer sufficient on its own. One of the most significant and least-resolved barriers to people staying in and thriving at work is having trusted care solutions.
Working families have been raising this issue consistently, but the pressure is now becoming visible in workforce data. School holidays, unexpected illness, gaps in childcare or rising eldercare responsibilities are no longer the exception. They are frequent points of disruption that create stress, absence and lost focus, even among highly-engaged employees.
The Modern Families Index continues to chart this shift. The 2026 findings, based on insights from 3,000 working parents and carers across the UK, show how deeply care pressures are reshaping the workforce, for instance:
- Two fifths (43 per cent) of “sandwich” carers are actively reconsidering their job due to the strain of care
- Almost one in three working parents (29 per cent) rate their stress as very high
- Over three quarters (77 per cent) say that stress sometimes makes it hard to function at work
This is no longer just a wellbeing concern. It is increasingly a productivity and retention risk.
When care breaks down, work becomes the pressure valve
One of the most telling findings from this year’s research is how often employees are forced to absorb care disruption through work.
- One in five (21 per cent) of employees used sick leave last year to manage short notice care needs
- Working parents took more than four days off to cover childcare gaps, with carers taking a similar amount of time off for eldercare
- Over a fifth (21 per cent) of parents take short-notice annual leave, which is not healthy or sustainable for individuals or organisations
- These are not lifestyle choices. They are last-resort decisions made in moments of pressure.
For employers, the implications are clear. Unplanned absences are increasing and, even if employees do show up, they’re struggling to focus. In 2026, 80 per cent of highly-stressed parents and carers said their stress affected their concentration at work.
Why flexibility alone is not solving the problem
Hybrid working remains an important part of the picture, but the data shows it is not a cure-all.
- Employees working only one day onsite report the highest stress levels, at 41 per cent
- More than a third (37 per cent) say their working arrangements make it harder to switch off
Flexibility helps with where and when work happens. Crucially, it does not resolve what happens when care fails altogether. Without practical support behind it, flexibility can simply shift pressure rather than remove it.
At the same time, confidence in employers has stalled.
- Only 63 per cent of employees feel comfortable discussing family responsibilities at work, falling further for those expecting a child
When people do not feel able to raise care challenges early, issues surface later through absence, unproductive presenteeism or resignation.
How back-up care fits into a modern benefits strategy
When care breaks down unexpectedly, employers need a practical way to support employees in real time. Back-up care addresses this gap, providing reliable childcare and eldercare at short notice and reducing uncertainty and panic during unexpected moments of disruption.
By enabling continuity rather than forcing employees to choose between work and family, back-up care helps reduce short notice absence, protect wellbeing and maintain productivity. Simultaneously, it also reinforces a culture that recognises the differing realities of employees’ modern working lives.
As caring responsibilities grow and workforce pressures increase, back-up care can play an important role in building resilient, inclusive and future-ready reward strategies.
Bright Horizons helps organisations to enable their people to be at their best. Explore how Work+Family Solutions can support your employees by reviewing the latest Modern Families Index, which offers valuable insight into the current challenges faced by today’s workforce.