For weeks, respiratory viruses have been sickening kids, filling up children’s hospitals and even causing nationwide school closures. Now, new data shows working parents are also feeling the strain. Last month, the number of parents missing work to care for their kids reached an all-time high, and many of them are scrambling to make up for lost pay, lost hours and to help their kids stay well.
More than 100,000 adults missed work to care for their kids in October, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS). The Washington Post reports that number is higher than the number of adults who missed work at the height of the pandemic.
Working parents are stretched too thin
Sick kids, a lingering child care shortage and lack of access to paid leave and other pro-parent policies has created a perfect storm for parents. Dozens of moms and dads have taken to Twitter to voice their concerns about their jobs and how best to care for their kids amidst a growing crisis of illness.
Citing the impossible choices many parents are being forced to make, one mom asks, “What do other single moms do when their kids are sick and can’t go to daycare? Just miss work?”
In addition to the stress of caring for sick children, some say they also feel guilty about saddling their colleagues with extra work.
“Any teachers figured out how to miss a day without feeling guilty? I’m staying home with a sick kid tomorrow and hate leaving my colleagues the extra work of covering my classes,” one teacher writes.
Parents are also talking about how the labor of caring for sick kids disproportionately impacts women and moms.
“More than 100,000 Americans missed work last month because of child-care problems, an all-time high that’s even greater than during the height of the pandemic,” one person writes. “My question is which parent is missing work to take care of their sick kid?”
“A lot of employers assume that families have grandmas/aunts to swoop in and watch sick kids,” another person adds. “And while I know families that benefit from retired grandmas it’s really not the norm for most people.”
Lack of paid leave hurts U.S. families
The hard hitting cold and flu season highlights the many problems working parents in the U.S. face. While health experts advise keeping kids home when they’re sick to prevent the spread of the illness, the reality is that many families simply can’t do that. More than 94% of the country’s highest paid workers have access to paid sick leave, but only 57% of low earning workers can say the same, according to government data.
Historically, it’s also true that absences and closures heavily impact working mothers. In 2021, 47% of working moms said they had to take unpaid sick leave to care for their kids during pandemic-related day care and school closures. This includes 60% of lower-income mothers and 75% of moms who work part-time.
Cold and flu season typically lasts through the winter, and it’s clear that respiratory viruses will continue to plague kids and parents for at least the next several weeks. With hundreds of thousands of parents out of work, families may also be dealing with lost wages and diminished help with the added burdens of child care. To get through this tough season, parents will need as much support as their employers and government leaders can offer.
