Have children in Italy it is an obstacle to career? For 36% of parents yes, especially in these years of pandemic (45% of those with children under the age of one affirm it and 42% of those with children between 1 and 5 years old). It is what emerges from People at Work 2022: A Global Workforce View, an annual survey drawn up internationally by the Adp Research Institute, which also analyzed today's sentiment among workers with children in our country.
The data speak for themselves: in Italy there are fewer and fewer children. 2021 was the year the birth rate infantry reached a new negative record: births fell to 400.249, with a drop of 1,1% on the previous year (-4.643). Decrease continued in 2022. According to the provisional data for January-September, le births in 2022 there were about 6 thousand fewer than in the same period of 2021. A sign that motherhood, today, is seen more as an obstacle than a wealth.
“It has always been difficult for working parents to find a balance between work and private life due to the overlap between professional and parental needs. The pandemic, with its extended social reach, has also influenced this area by generating new challenges in reconciling work needs with family ones, but at the same time producing some positive consequences. In fact, Covid-19 has forced companies to define flexible work contracts and managers have played a decisive role in offering greater flexibility to workers", he underlined Marcela Uribe, general manager ADP Southern Europe.
The Italy of parents at work: flexibility comes first
THEsurvey it took place on about 33.000 workers in 17 countries, of which about 2.000 in Italy, about 1.000 parents. In general, 80% of Italian working parents said they were satisfied with their current job (more than non-parents, with 75%). Of the 20% who declared themselves dissatisfied, 46% is because they do not see growth prospects, while 40% complain that they have not had any increase in payroll due to the increased workload suffered, a percentage that rises to 50% due to who has children from 0 to 5 years old.
41% of working parents expect an increase in paychecks in the next year, also because a percentage of 46% said they work in unpaid overtime at least 6-10 hours a week. Nonetheless, 28% would be willing to accept a pay cut in favor of a major flexibility of hours and spaces, while 43% would look for another job if forced to return to full-time work (55% of those with children up to one year old and 53% of those with children between 1 and 5 years old). It is therefore clear that flexibility is essential for those who are parents: 42% said that the perfect combination is working from both home and office, 34% only from the office and 17% only from home.
Having children in Italy is an obstacle to a career: that's for whom
When asked, "Do you think working from home has made it easier or harder for parents to work?" 38% of those interviewed answered easier (the percentage rises to 48% for those with infants under the age of one year), more difficult for 31% while for 17% nothing has changed.
Finally, 36% declared that being a parent is still an obstacle to a career (45% of those with children under one year old and 42% of those with children between 1 and 5 years old affirm this). Only 25% of those who have children after the age of 18 think so.
Analyzing an ADP study carried out during the pandemic (from 17 November to 11 December 2020, People at Work 2021: A Global Workforce View), it emerges how during the dark years of Covid, working parents felt supported and helped by respective companies.
As reported by the survey, according to most of the Italian employees with children (48%), i employers they have proved to be accommodating towards the parental needs of workers struggling with childcare or school closures. Furthermore, according to 34% of parents, their manager has even allowed more measures in their favor than those allowed by the company and provided for by the regulation.
More and more parents leave their jobs "by choice"
On the other hand, the study also highlighted that, despite the positive elements of the pandemic in terms of greater flexibility, there are still areas of resistance that have negatively affected the balance between work and private life.
Added to this is that, although the overview defined by the study is overall positive as regards flexibility in the working environment, it appears that as many as 5% of parents with children between the ages of 1 and 10 have left the workplace voluntarily during the pandemic.
In general, the survey showed that out of 32.000 workers interviewed in 17 countries, 71% of them noted a greater propensity on the part of employers to define that support the parenting needs of employees.
Marcela Uribe commented: “The flexibility that the pandemic has introduced within the workplace has been a fundamental element in supporting families in managing family loads, without compromising the demands imposed by the workplace. Without this type of agreements between employees and companies there is a risk of several parents leaving the world of work. Globally, just over one in four parents with a child under the age of one have voluntarily given up work due to the impact of Covid. But this is a situation that also involves parents with older children, just think that one in seven parents with children aged between 11 and 17 has left their job "by choice". This loss of talent could become a serious problem for employers and those who manage and set company policies”.
