Has The Pandemic Affected Parents Ability To Progress In Their Careers? | What A New Survey Found

There’s nearly no aspect of our lives that haven’t been changed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year-and-a-half. It’s affected our health, work, and personal lives, and has made the job of parenting even more complicated. According to results from the latest American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor online survey, more than six out of 10 U.S. adults with children under the age of 18 believe their child care and virtual schooling duties during the Covid-19 pandemic have negatively affected their ability to get ahead in their career. The association polled over 2,000 U.S. adults in June.

During an interview conducted by CNBC, American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor’s CEO said, “Parents are feeling left behind in their careers and in their workplaces. Some have come back, others have stayed on the sidelines because they couldn’t come back. As a society, this is another one of the big challenges.”

The survey also found people of color were more likely to say childcare duties have been a career obstacle during Covid-19. Seven in 10 Black parents and 62% of Hispanic parents believe their opportunities for career advancement were negatively affected by their childcare and virtual schooling duties; that’s compared with 51% of White parents. “The impact of COVID that we have seen has disproportionately impacted the populations in most need of assistance, according to the American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor CEO. “It’s the same old story.”

In an effort to address some of these obstacles and inequalities, the American Rescue Plan was signed into law in March. The plan was designed to build a bridge to an equitable economic recovery and immediately reduce child poverty. 

The initiative included a national vaccination program, a plan to safely reopen schools and to deliver immediate relief to American families bearing the brunt of the crisis. Here are some of the benefits:

• Increase the value of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The American Rescue Plan will increase SNAP benefits by 15 percent through September 2021.
• Increase the Child Tax Credit from $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child and make 17-year-olds qualifying children for the year. 
• Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit for 17 million workers by as much as $1,000. 
• Expand childcare assistance, help hard-hit childcare providers cover their costs, and increase tax credits to help cover the cost of childcare.
• Give families an additional tax credit to help cut childcare costs. Families will get back as much as half of their spending on childcare for children underage of 13, in the form of a refundable tax credit .

Experienced Employment Law Attorney, Mediator, Arbitrator, Investigator, Legal and Media Commentator 

Twice-named a U.S. News Best Lawyer in America for employment and labor law, Angela Reddock-Wright is an employment and labor law attorney, mediator, arbitrator, and certified workplace and Title IX investigator (AWI-CH) in Los Angeles, CA. Known as the “Workplace Guru,” Angela is an influencer and leading authority on employment, workplace/HR, Title IX, hazing, and bullying issues.

Angela is a regular legal and media commentator and analyst and has appeared on such media outlets as Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Law and Crime with Brian Ross, Court TV, CNN, NewsNation, ABC News, CBS News, Fox 11 News, KTLA-5, the Black News Channel, Fox Soul – The Black Report, NPR, KPCC, Airtalk-89.3, KJLH Front Page with Dominique DiPrima, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times, Forbes.com, Yahoo! Entertainment, People Magazine, Essence Magazine, the Los Angeles Sentinel, LA Focus, Daily Journal, Our Weekly and the Wave Newspapers.

Angela is a member of the panel of distinguished mediators and arbitrators with Judicate West, a California dispute resolution company.  She also owns her own dispute resolution law firm, the Reddock Law Group of Los Angeles, specializing in the mediation, arbitration, and investigation of employment discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other workplace claims, along with Title IX, sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct conduct cases, along with hazing and bullying cases in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, fraternities and sororities; fire, police and other public safety agencies and departments; and other private and public sector workplaces.

For more information regarding resources for employers, businesses, and employees during this time, connect with her on LinkedIn for new updates, or contact her here. You may also follow her on Instagram.

This communication is not legal advice. It is educational only. For legal advice, consult with an experienced employment law attorney in your state or city.