Taking time out of the workforce to care for family, manage health, or pause for other life reasons is common — but stepping back in is rarely simple. Returners often face barriers around confidence, skills gaps, access to flexible work, and the sense that opportunities don’t quite fit their lives. At Back to Work Connect, we want to change that. By sharing your experiences in our survey, you’ll help us uncover the real challenges returners face and shape the supports, training, and employer practices that are truly needed. Your voice can guide how we build pathways that make returning to work not just possible, but sustainable.
If you selected “childcare” or “elder care”, you’re not alone.
Nearly half of the mothers who leave the workforce did so because childcare costs or access to childcare just didn’t add up.
Childcare disruption and responsibilities alone push a vast majority of changes to hours or exits—and almost always, it’s women who adjust their working lives.
Unpaid caring doesn’t just affect work today—it echoes into future earnings, job quality, pensions, and promotion paths.
In 2022, the Census recorded 272,318 stay-at-home parents in Ireland. A strong majority—90% were women. That’s a substantial cohort stepping back from the paid workforce to manage the home front.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) notes that among individuals who cited “looking after the home and family” as their principal economic status, 90% of those were women aged 35 and over.
The pattern’s clear: women are significantly more likely than men to be the ones managing home and caregiving roles—especially as they move into midlife. It’s neither niche nor rare—it’s the norm.
Our Back to Work Survey is anonymous, only takes a couple of minutes, and your insights will directly shape resources and opportunities for future Returners. There are no right or wrong answers — we’re simply interested in your perspective.
Your voice matters. Thank you for sharing it.
