Modern families are facing a reality that looks very different from a generation ago.
Is the male breadwinner model gone? In most households today, both parents need to earn an income to meet rising costs of living. This economic pressure, combined with the intense demands of parenting, has made working from home and flexible work arrangements not a luxury, but a lifeline for many families.
A recent SBS article reported on the lived realities of modern families highlighted this point: with dual-income families now the norm, “cost of living pressures mean both parents often need to work and there’s one flexible arrangement that has become crucial to the functioning of households”, namely, working from home. It also highlights the trauma parents experience trying to maintain the juggle and the impact on careers and family life when things implode.
The option to work from home is necessary for modern families to balance their careers and caregiving responsibilities, and it’s time our workplace policies and culture fully recognise this reality.
The new reality for modern families
COVID-19 made the invisible visible, highlighting the constant juggle faced by working parents and carers. From sick kids to school runs and elder care, these challenges have always existed, but are now harder to ignore.
Flexible work, especially the option to work from home, is what helps parents stay in the workforce. When school hours or childcare fall through, flexibility can be the difference between staying employed or stepping out.
The 2024 National Working Families Survey (NWFS) confirms this:
- 65 per cent of parents with access to flexibility reported better work–life balance.
- Yet 74 per cent of mothers and 57 per cent of fathers still feel stressed trying to manage it all.
Outdated assumptions of full-time availability no longer match family life. To support modern working families, flexibility must become the norm.
Flexibility: a win–win for families and business
Some fear that flexible work hampers productivity, but research shows the opposite. Supporting work–family balance is a smart business move: it boosts engagement, retention, and performance.
The 2025 Australian HR Institute report found hybrid work is now standard, with 74% of employers saying staff would quit if it were removed. Meanwhile, the 2024 NWFS confirms flexibility is vital to managing wellbeing, especially as burnout rises.
When parents can work flexibly, they’re more likely to stay in the workforce and thrive. Companies that embrace flexibility gain a competitive advantage, attracting top talent, building loyalty, and strengthening overall performance. In today’s world, inflexibility is the real risk.
Beyond policy: building a truly family-friendly culture
Having flexible work policies is only the first step, culture is where the real impact lies. The 2024 NWFS revealed that half of employees fear their commitment will be questioned if they use family-friendly options, and 56 per cent believe it’s more acceptable for women than men highlighting the persistent stigma that holds everyone back.
To shift this, leaders must role-model flexibility and embed it into everyday practices. Companies like Deloitte Australia lead by example, offering a wide range of flexible options and encouraging all employees to use them without penalty. This kind of all-in commitment drives genuine cultural change.
Managers play a vital role too. When leaders visibly prioritise family whether by working from home or attending school events they give others permission to do the same. As one survey finding noted, men with flexible managers are far more likely to feel supported in doing so themselves.
Crucially, flexibility must be safe to use. It’s not enough to list it on a careers page; employees must feel empowered, not judged, when choosing how they work best. This shift demands empathy and trust at all levels.
Let’s move past the debate of “office vs home” and focus on building inclusive, high-performance cultures that reflect real lives. Supporting flexible work isn’t political, it’s practical, essential, and the foundation of future-ready workplaces.
A call to action for leaders and policy makers
Flexible, family-friendly work is not a passing trend – it’s essential to how we live and work now and into the future. It’s time to move from intention to action. Here’s how:
- Normalise flexibility: Make remote work, hybrid schedules and adjusted hours standard practice for everyone, not just parents. Focus on outcomes, not office hours.
- Close the culture gap: Challenge stigma. Leaders must speak openly about flexibility and model it themselves to create a culture of trust and inclusion.
- Invest in meaningful policies: Go beyond basics, offer inclusive parental leave, return-to-work programs, and support for all types of families, from dads to carers.
- Lead from the top: When executives and managers visibly support flexibility, it gives permission for others to follow. Leadership must turn policy into lived experience.
- Benchmark progress: Use tools like the Family Friendly Workplaces certification (created by Parents At Work and UNICEF Australia) to measure and improve.
Policymakers must treat flexible work and family support as essential infrastructure, not “soft” issues, but key drivers of productivity, gender equality, and economic growth. This includes stronger laws, accessible childcare, and normalised shared parental leave.
The future of work is undeniably family-friendly. Embracing flexible arrangements doesn’t weaken performance, it strengthens it. When parents and carers can thrive at work and at home, everyone benefits.
Now is the time to make flexibility and family-friendly policies the norm, not the exception. Modern families need it. Our future depends on it.
Become a Women’s Agenda Foundation member and support our work! We are 100% independent and women-owned. Every day, we cover the news from a women’s perspective, advocating for women’s safety, economic security, health and opportunities. Foundation memberships are currently just $5 a month.
Bonus: you’ll receive our weekly editor’s wrap of the key stories to know every Saturday.