Leadership & Talent

As Burnout Grips Agency Parents, They're Desperate for Help From Their Leaders

How agencies are helping— and failing—their employees

Agency Parents Are Burnt Out — Many agencies have placed unrealistic expectations on parents to juggle more shutdowns without relief from their workplaces.Fanatic Studio/Getty Images

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One director of business development for a holding company agency hoped the end of 2021 would be a chance to see family, enjoy the holidays and recharge her batteries as a parent of two young kids.

Instead, her family contracted Covid-19, dashing their holiday plans. Worse yet, despite the fact that she was taking care of two sick kids while also experiencing symptoms, the agency’s execs asked her to keep working during the final week of the year that she described as a “pencils down” period.

“You