TORONTO -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still evaluating his family’s personal decision on whether or not his children will be returning to the classroom come September.

This is a conversation happening in homes across the country. The pandemic is wreaking havoc on so many lives and the health scare continues to be very real. Many things we once took for granted -- having your children start a new school year is now being questioned. At times like this, in the middle of a crisis, families are having to make emotional and financial decisions they never thought they would have to make.

Highlighted, in a recent report by RBC, 1.5 million women lost their jobs in the first two months of the pandemic.

Women continue to dominate front-line positions, tend to be the primary caregivers, and are a strong force in the service industry. Women are also more likely to be exposed to the pandemic while now also running the risk of having gains in the workplace compromised if they are forced to decide - do I care for my children and school from home or do I let them go back to school with increased health awareness and precautions in place, so I can continue to work?

Not every family even has the luxury of choice.

Some households still have women shouldering the bulk of child-care responsibilities and the conversation around the division of labour can be a challenging one. Pure dollars and sense may drive the household decision of who works and who doesn't. Coming down to something as basic as: Who makes more? However, in other cases male counterparts aren't willing to even discuss the options available to them.

This is not an easy fix.

Women have been climbing the corporate ladder, becoming successful entrepreneurs and in many cases regardless of household income inequalities have come to realize their job means as much to them as their partner’s job does to them. However, this pandemic is highlighting issues not easily discussed but felt. Women's roles in their households have been unvalued for years and it is a hard hill to climb to strive for balance between business success and family responsibilities.

Clearly not all families are like this but there are some and the mental toll is mounting. The strides women have made in the workplace could be compromised in areas beyond income -- connections and confidence being two of the big ones. Many women have established networks that have been supportive in the progress they have made to date and the fear is it won't be there if they have to take an extended leave.

The reality is we don't know what the fall will bring in terms of the pandemic and or even additional job layoffs. This uncertainly has families forced to make decisions that are tough financially and emotionally.

Still, those conversations are happening. Some families are electing to keep their children home and some have gone so far as to secure tutors, others are trying to co-ordinate shift work within the household, some have done back-to-school shopping and set aside additional funds for masks, hand sanitizers etc. But there are still households in which the conversation focused on who stays home and who works is yet to be had.

The pandemic has created an obstacle that has once again challenged the concept of the ability to have it all. Family and career has been a delicate balance at the best of times. The pandemic sure hasn't made it easier.

However, there is hope as companies offer flexible long-term work options. This could be the game-changer for many women and for men as well. There will always be a war on for the best talent and employers know this. Retaining top talent by thinking creatively will be key not only to a company’s growth but to our country's economic growth as well.