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The hidden burden of UK working parents and the path to meaningful support

Working parents in the UK face a paradox: they rate employer support more favourably than non-parents, yet remain more anxious, exhausted and likely to work unwell. This report examines the evidence behind this gap and sets out the path to meaningful support. Drawing from the 2025 and 2026 UK TELUS Mental Health Index, each surveying 2,000 people in the UK, the Working Unwell report offers leaders a clear picture of workplace challenges and how to address them.

Key trends and findings

Presenteeism is quietly costing organisations significant productivity

  • 67 per cent of working parents report feeling burnout, compared to 49 per cent of non-parents.
  • Working parents who say poor mental health impacts their productivity lose 24 additional days of output a year; those who go to work unwell weekly lose 32 additional days.

Conventional support isn't reaching the root causes of parental stress

  • 60 per cent worry about the career impact if a mental health issue became known at work and one in five have delayed or avoided seeking support in the past year.
  • Even among working parents who feel supported by their manager, 54 per cent still experience anxiety symptoms.

Insights 

The path to meaningful support

Learn how organisations can move beyond blanket wellbeing initiatives to address the root causes of parental stress such as extending support to the whole family, reducing mental load and building structural and managerial capability.

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