Working Parents More Positive About Their Jobs—But Two-Thirds Have Made Career Sacrifices, New Study Finds

NEW YORK, NY — Over 80% of U.S. parents participate in the workforce, yet nearly two-thirds (66%) have had to make career compromises due to personal life demands, according to new research from idealis., a research-backed leadership advisory firm. Despite these sacrifices, working parents report more positive workplace experiences than their non-parent colleagues—revealing a complex mix of struggle and strength that companies must understand to retain talent and sustain performance.

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The finding highlights a critical challenge: parents are contributing critical leadership, empathy, and resilience to organizations, but many are doing so while navigating unprecedented intensity in caregiving with declining social support. Companies that fail to address this reality risk losing a strategic asset.

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Key Findings:

Career compromises are common—especially for mothers: 66% of working parents have made career compromises due to personal life demands, compared to 54% of non-parents. Mothers are particularly impacted, with 68% making compromises versus 63% of fathers. These compromises include refusing promotions, relocating, reducing hours, or leaving the workforce entirely.

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Parents are more positive but struggle more with balance: Despite making more career tradeoffs, parents are 1.5x happier in their jobs, 1.4x more engaged, and 1.4x more trusting of their CEOs than non-parents. Yet 42% of parents struggle to maintain focus at work due to outside responsibilities, compared to 38% of non-parents.

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Support gaps persist across the board: 42% of U.S. workers—parents and non-parents alike—do not receive the emotional support they need from their workplace to balance demands. Asian workers report the lowest support levels at 48%, compared to 36% of Black workers and 37% of Hispanic/Latino workers.

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Parent leaders struggle most with balance: Parents in leadership roles report better workplace experiences overall but face intensified pressure. 46% find it difficult to maintain focus due to outside responsibilities (versus 37% of non-leader parents), and 66% have made career compromises (versus 51% of non-leader parents).

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Mothers and fathers have different needs: 54% of fathers cite compensation as most important when choosing a job, compared to 43% of mothers. Conversely, 29% of mothers prioritize work-life balance and flexibility, compared to 21% of fathers. Mothers also have higher expectations for companies to positively impact society (83% vs. 77% of fathers).

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"Parents are not just balancing competing demands—they're raising the next generation while contributing leadership, hope, and resilience to our organizations," said Dr. Sumona De Graaf, Founder and CEO of idealis. "Their experience as parents isn't a liability. It's a strategic asset. But only if companies create the conditions for them to thrive."

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Prior to founding idealis., De Graaf served as Chief Human Resources Officer of a Fortune 300 company, where she led talent strategy and organizational transformation through periods of rapid change.

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"Working parents are bringing optimism and engagement to their roles while simultaneously making significant career sacrifices," said De Graaf. "Organizations that view caregiving as incompatible with leadership are missing the point. The skills developed through parenting—empathy, resilience, prioritization—are exactly what we need more of in the workplace."

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The research was conducted in partnership with CivicScience using its nationally representative survey platform, with demographics matching U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics workforce data. The study includes over 110,000 responses collected over four months.

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The full report is available by request.

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About idealis.
idealis. is a research-backed leadership advisory firm that helps organizations navigate moments of change with clarity, trust, and performance.

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Media Contact:
media@idealisadvisory.com
+1 (602) 492-3883

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