How summer childcare gaps still shape workplace performance
School holidays are one of the most visible and repeated examples of the Bright Horizons Work-Life Gap Report 2026 in action.
For working parents, a short break away may offer some breathing space, but it does not solve the wider issue. Several weeks still need to be covered, often with rising childcare costs, limited availability and options that do not line up with working hours.
What looks from the outside like a seasonal dip in energy is, for many employees, the result of trying to hold together work, care, logistics and cost all at once.
Findings from the report suggest the gap is not simply about flexibility. Flexibility still matters, but it does not fully close the problem when there is no childcare in place. Structured, reliable support changes the picture. One of the clearest examples of how organisations are addressing this is with workplace-supported holiday clubs.
Flexibility doesn’t fix this on its own
Flexible working has become the go-to answer for many employers trying to support working parents. It can help, and in some circumstances, it makes a real difference. Yet school holidays expose the limits of relying on flexibility alone.
A parent can shift hours, log on earlier, work later or squeeze tasks into smaller gaps, but none of that removes the need for actual childcare. When care is missing, work does not simply continue in a different shape, it becomes harder to sustain.
Think of work-life support as part of an organisations’ building structure, with tiers giving employees greater stability. Planned care cover is one of these tiers, which includes school holiday programmes to absorb seasonal pressures during the biggest predictable disruptions of the year.
What changes when childcare is covered
Among employees using employer-sponsored holiday clubs, 91% say provision helps them focus during working hours, 85% say it helps them attend the office or place of work.
Childcare support can shape whether people are able to show up properly at all.
Support during school holidays solves something immediate and visible. Employees notice when an employer steps in with support that makes daily life easier to manage. They also notice when that support targets a pressure point that returns each year and disrupts work in the same way.
That is part of why holiday clubs matter beyond the summer itself. They do not just help people get through a busy few weeks but shape how supported employees feel by the organisation they work for.
You do not have to look far to see where this matters most: 84% of women say workplace holiday club provision increases their likelihood of staying with their employer.
Who carries the load?
School holiday care does not fall evenly across households, and that matters. For many women, the planning, organising and carrying of childcare continues to take up a disproportionate share of time and mental load. That can affect progression, presence and confidence in what feels possible at work.
Without support, 48% of working mothers say caring responsibilities have negatively impacted their career and only 61% believe they can progress while working flexibly. Holiday club provision directly addresses one of the most repeated When support exists in the places employees most need it, it does more than ease pressure. It removes a barrier that can shape career decisions long after summer has ended.
This is not separate from productivity
There is a tendency to separate childcare support from performance discussions, as though one belongs to wellbeing and the other to operations. In practice, they overlap constantly.
The research draws a direct link between care infrastructure and business outcomes. Among employees using Bright Horizons nursery provision, 98% say it improves their ability to attend the office and 95% report a positive impact on productivity.
This is the business case in practical terms. Holiday clubs help employees to:
- Stay focused.
- Attend the workplace more consistently.
- Reduce the strain that pulls attention away from work.
- Remain in roles that might otherwise begin to feel unsustainable.
- Bring stability to a period that often feels like a workaround.
To explore how care gaps like school holidays are shaping workforce performance, take a closer look at the Bright Horizons Work Life Gap Report 2026.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Bright Horizons Work+Family Solutions
Bright Horizons is dedicated to providing the best in class work+family solutions.
