Providing benefits such as childcare, maternity/paternity leave, flexible working, and emergency leave is critical for helping employees keep a healthy work/life balance. The responsibilities of parenting require a great deal of time and energy, and supporting new parents as they find time for everything can significantly improve employee satisfaction, retaining key talent through good benefits and employee support.
How To Support Parents
Childcare
The scope of a child care program is up to the business itself, as well as the decision to create this benefit in house or to outsource it. Most commonly, businesses will create agreements with childcare providers in the local area, covering or sharing the costs of childcare while the parents are at work. However, not all programs will fit all age groups. Larger organizations may want to consider partnerships for the following:
- Infant care (0-1 year old)
- Corporate child center (0-3 years old)
- Corporate kindergarten (3-6 years old)
- Corporate camp for holidays (3-14 years old)
Through providing childcare benefits, employers can potentially realize the following benefits:
- Reduced employee absenteeism
- Increased focus at work
- Decreased healthcare costs
- Development of a strong, family-oriented culture
- Increased employee loyalty
- Reduced HR costs (recruiting/onboarding new employees)
Other Parental Support Programs
New parents need more than childcare to fully balance work and life demands. Providing ample time for maternal and paternal leave is critical to empowering employees to adjust to their new responsibilities. Parents need time to organize their new lives, and create a strong ecosystem for their family to thrive.
Along similar lines, emergency leave is also absolutely necessary in case something happens. Employees who are afraid of getting in trouble for having to leave work early will be less loyal, less focused and more anxious about the demands of their home and work lives. Trusting employees to get the job done when and how they can, and providing a flexible and family-oriented work culture, is an incredible advantage.
Daycare
This image shows children at a daycare, where employee children can socialize and learn while the parents are at work.