The Double Burden of School Breaks and Work Responsibilities
School vacation periods pose a dual burden for working parents, requiring them to balance daily childcare with their work responsibilities. This imbalance often results in increased stress and decreased productivity.
Expert Insights
Ana María Flores, a gender and inclusive economic consultant for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), highlights that one of the main challenges in balancing school vacations with work is the lack of childcare services.
“When students are on vacation, parents must seek support for their care, such as summer camps, which can be costly. This becomes a problem because working parents worry about financial aspects and who will take care of their children, leading to work-related stress that diminishes efficiency and productivity,” she explains.
Fátima Masse, co-founder of Noubi Advisors, points out that the lengthy summer vacations make it impossible to align them with work leave days.
“Children have more than two months of vacation, which is not comparable to the 12 days given to a worker when they start a job. For many employees, it’s challenging financially, in terms of time, and productivity at work. The school calendar does not consider labor market implications; there’s a complete disconnect,” she emphasizes.
The Benefits of Employer-Supported Childcare Services
According to the IFC report, “Addressing Childcare: A Guide to Employer-Supported Childcare Services,” for every dollar invested in accessible and trusted childcare services, employers gain nine dollars in return.
Moreover, the report highlights that employers who invest in childcare services benefit the entire business community in the long term, as employees have better conditions to make their work processes more efficient during their working hours.
Recommendations for Improvement
Flores suggests that authorities should analyze the duration of school vacations and that companies can support employees with flexible work arrangements, such as remote work or staggered schedules.
However, she emphasizes that both employers and governments must take action. Governments have the responsibility to promote strategies that contribute to care, such as providing more childcare centers.
“Public-private partnerships could be established for parents during school vacations,” Flores proposes.
The Center for Economic and Budgetary Research (CIEP) stresses that improving care models requires the participation of all social actors, including the state, private sector, communities, and households.
“Equitable distribution of care responsibilities between men and women is necessary, along with expanding paternity and maternity leave, implementing flexible work hours, and creating incentives for employers who facilitate equitable participation in care tasks,” CIEP highlights.
Impact on Female Workforce
Flores points out that in the country, female labor participation is among the lowest due to the disproportionate care burden they bear.
Masse adds that companies should be mindful of performance evaluations during school vacations, as the stress on workers managing these responsibilities often leads to decreased productivity.
The World Bank report, “Women’s Participation in Mexico,” indicates that implementing childcare services positively impacts the female workforce’s ability to work under better labor conditions.
“The most significant barrier to women’s labor market participation is the need for care and lack of trust in childcare services. Social norms and gender roles can be significant barriers to labor participation,” the report details.
According to the United Nations, women in Mexico spend, on average, three times more time than men on care tasks.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main challenge in balancing school vacations and work for parents? The lack of accessible and trusted childcare services.
- What benefits do employers gain from investing in childcare services? For every dollar invested, they receive nine dollars in return due to increased employee efficiency and productivity.
- How do school vacations impact the female workforce? The disproportionate care burden and lack of trust in childcare services are significant barriers to women’s labor market participation.
- What role do governments play in addressing this issue? Governments should promote strategies that contribute to care, such as providing more childcare centers and implementing policies that support equitable distribution of care responsibilities between men and women.
