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Most Times Top 100 employers still lack clear family support, index finds

Only 23% reached the highest ratings for transparency, meaning fewer than a quarter were open about the support available to parents, carers and job candidates. 

By Marvin Onumonu
Most Times Top 100 employers still lack clear family support, index finds

The 2026 Parental Fog Index from Working Families found most Times Top 100 Graduate Employers were still not making their support for working parents and carers clear. 

Only 23% reached the highest ratings for transparency, meaning fewer than a quarter were open about the support available to parents, carers and job candidates. 

Over a third of organisations showed no visible commitment to family support at all, and more than half did not provide clear enough information for people to make informed decisions.

The Index raised the bar for what counts as transparency, taking into account not just policies but also equal parenting, neonatal care, elder care and real evidence of how support is being used. 

Very few employers published proof that family-support policies were actually used, creating a credibility gap for those thinking about joining or staying at a company.

Nine employers reached Beacon status for being clear and consistent: Deloitte, PwC, the Civil Service, NatWest Group, the NHS, KPMG, Teach First, UBS and Clyde & Co. 

These employers stood out by making their support visible and making sure people know how to access it.

Additionally, the report noted that unclear communication risks putting off talent before they even apply for a job. 

Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, said: “What this year’s Parental Fog Index shows is a persistent credibility gap between what organisations say they value and what working parents and carers can actually see and rely on.

“It’s no longer enough to list policies or point to good intentions. People want to know whether support is encouraged and embedded in organisational culture so it can be used without fear of career penalty. 

“When that information is missing or unclear, it sends a signal about the lack of understanding or consideration towards those that rely on it.”

van Zyl added: “The employers leading the way are being transparent about how work and care fit together in practice. 

“At a time when families are under real pressure and employers are competing for talent, making support visible is not a ‘nice to have’, it’s fundamental to fair and sustainable working lives.”

Emma Spitz, chief client officer at The Executive Coaching Consultancy, said: “Seven years ago, when we first launched the Parental Fog Index, our goal was simple: make family support visible. 

“By 2024, we believed employers were close to meeting that challenge. But this year’s findings reveal a worrying reversal.

“Right now, public pressure is growing for stronger parental rights, greater flexibility and more affordable childcare, yet many organisations are becoming less transparent, even about core policies such as maternity, paternity and carers’ leave.”

Spitz added: “As dual-career households become the norm and the pressures on working families intensify, there is a widening gap between what employees need to know and what employers are prepared to show. Partial transparency no longer works.

“Our report with Working Families shows that trust is built on clarity. 

“Many employers are doing meaningful work to support parents and carers, but if that support is not visible, employees and prospective employees will assume it does not exist.”

She said: “The organisations leading the way are those making support clear, credible and easy to find because clarity is no longer a communications issue, it is a trust issue.”

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