Supporting working parents in the workplace
It’s tough being a parent and also having a full or even part time job. Managing school holidays, illness, school events and various childcare arrangements alongside the traditional 9 to 5 poses a serious challenge for many parents.
According to recent research by Deloitte, one in four working parents take 13 days of annual leave each year in order to care for their children. Women are significantly more likely to do so than men, with 33% of working mothers taking annual leave for childcare compared with 18% of working fathers.
The research also found that 57% of parents surveyed said they felt mentally exhausted or burnt out, while 53% reported increased stress or anxiety.
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for working parents to juggle busy family life alongside their careers and women in particular are bearing the brunt of it.
So, why should this matter to you as an employer?
Burnt out, stressed and anxious employees don’t make for a productive workforce. They’re less likely to be engaged and motivated, which ultimately affects your business.
As an employer, recognising the challenges that working parents face and offering some practical support is a great way to work towards showing employees they are valued and supported.
How can you help?
It’s not just about what you have to do legally as an employer (flexible working and family-related leave for example), those that go above the minimum requirements often see more success in business and happier employees.
Encourage open, supportive communication between Line Managers and employees
Be understanding when childcare emergencies arise
Plan meetings within core working hours, where possible, rather than first thing in the morning or towards the end of the day
Remind staff of any support available to them and promote employee wellbeing
Ensure policies around family leave and flexible working are clear and consistently applied.
Building a workplace that is supportive is not only beneficial to your employees, but to your business too. Happy and heard employees lead to improved employee retention, higher engagement and productivity.
So next time an employee receives a phone call from school or nursery to say their child is ill and needs collecting or they request to start later or finish early in order to attend a sports day or a parents evening, we’d advise trying to have some empathy and understanding for the situation and work with them to find a practical solution.
With the right HR advice, you can create policies and practices that benefit your employees as well as your organisation. If you’d like to review your current policies or need guidance on managing flexible working and family-friendly policies, get in touch.