Effective hybrid work and childcare

Hybrid work has increased amongst parents since the pandemic – but are all families experiencing positive effects for work-family balance, health and wellbeing?

What are the patterns of hybrid work and childcare arrangements for families? How have they changed over time? Which patterns of hybrid work and childcare are more “effective” in improving work-life balance, health and wellbeing for both mothers and fathers, in different circumstances?

These are some of the questions that our new comprehensive research programme will explore. Funded by the Nuffield Foundation the Hybrid work and childcare research programme is led by Dr Naomi Finch of the University of York, with Professor Katharina Bader in collaboration with charities Coram Family and Childcare and Working Families, and research consultant Ivana La Valle.

Hybrid working is where parents split their time working between the office and home. However, some research suggests that the positive effects of hybrid working might not always materialise – specifically for mothers.

Why now?

With the cost of living rising and hybrid working increasing since the pandemic, there is emerging evidence that parents have reduced formal childcare use, indicating that parents with a hybrid work pattern may have children at home with them while working, and may work longer hours, or outside of their usual days and times, to ‘make up’ time, with mothers potentially more likely to do this than fathers.

The pandemic highlighted that homeworking can lead to work-life imbalance and low wellbeing, with this being more pronounced for mothers than fathers.

There is a lack of comprehensive evidence about how parents are arranging hybrid work and childcare or whether hybrid working has different implications for mothers and fathers, or for families in different socio-economic situations. Parents appear to favour hybrid work but with some employers reverting to expectations of more regular office presence this research will help understand which hybrid work and childcare arrangements are effective in balancing work and childcare, wellbeing and health.

The current Government has promised to support working parents with greater flexibility to look after their children, and 30 hours funded childcare is now full expanded to children in working families from 9 months old to when they start school, which is anticipated to impact parental hybrid work and childcare decisions.

Outcomes and impact

This research will improve understanding, and inform regional and national policymakers, employers and childcare providers about how best to support hybrid working parents. It will inform changes to policies, systems and practice, and provide guidance about effective hybrid work and childcare arrangements. Specifically it will deliver a timely and robust evidence base on how parents arrange hybrid work and childcare, and how effective they are for positive outcomes for different groups.

We will share our findings through webinars and workshops, evidence and policy briefings. We will publish regular blogs, develop best practice toolkits for employers and childcare providers, and produce accessible advice and information for parents and carers.

All this will be published on this webpage, and you can sign up to our stakeholder newsletter to be among the first to hear about the study’s progress and findings.

About the collaborative research partnership

Dr Naomi Finch BA (York), MSc (Oxon), PhD (York), is Senior Lecturer in Social Policy and Deputy Chair of the Equality and Diversity Committee at the University of York.

Professor Katharina Bader is Chair in International HR Management (York) and Head of the People Work and Employment Group. She is an expert on gender equality in organisations, especially working mothers and fathers.

Coram Family and Childcare works to make the UK a better place for families, focussing on childcare and early years to make a difference to families’ lives now and in the long term. Every year, we publish our annual Childcare Survey and Holiday Childcare Survey – the definitive reports on childcare costs and availability across Great Britain. Our network of Parent Champion schemes reach thousands of parents each year, with dedicated local volunteers ensuring parents are aware of their rights and entitlements, improving children’s outcomes.

Working Families is the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers, whose aim is to remove the barriers that people with caring responsibilities face in the workplace.

Ivana La Valle is a research consultant with extensive experience of carrying out research to inform and evaluate children’s policy and practice. She has led a number of large scale national studies that have played a key role in shaping children and families policy.

The Nuffield Foundation funds research, encourages innovation, and supports the use of sound evidence to improve lives.

For further information please contact: info@coramfamilyandchildcare.org.uk