Working parents’ responsibilities don’t stop when they leave the workplace each evening. They have to be sure that their kids’ needs are met, and that may require them to take paid time off. Sometimes they might need to take family leave for prolonged periods of time, or they may ask for flexible working hours to facilitate drop-off and pick-up times – sadly, the worlds of school and work are not aligned.
With that in mind, how should employers encourage parents and carers to stick with your firm, or indeed attract them back to your company if they decide to drop out for a spell?
Parents need to work
As of 2020, more than half of American parents in every household were employed, 71.2% of whom are mothers and 92.3% are fathers. After all, they need to support their families and make sure their children are well provided for.
Likewise, companies need parents in their workforce. Here are the top five reasons:
- Expanded perspective. A parent’s mindset operates differently from people who only work to support themselves. This makes them especially effective when dealing with situations they can relate to, like coming up with a marketing strategy aimed at children or working closely with customers who are also parents.
- Attract and retain talent. Job seekers are more likely to work with companies that are supportive of employees from all walks of life. This also tells them that any change in their socioeconomic situation will not affect their employment, increasing job security.
- Increased talent pool. Excluding parents from your recruitment efforts is an easy way to miss out on top talent, as well as a diverse pool of skilled personnel.
- Supportive work culture. Employing parents is a good step towards creating a more inclusive workplace. The resulting diversity fosters creativity, loyalty and productivity.
- Motivated employees. Employees who have families to support are all motivated to be productive and contribute to the company’s growth.
Family leave
Whenever parents have a new child, they will need to take paid family leave. Also, in the UK for example they are also entitled to 18 weeks’ worth of unpaid leave to spend more time with their children.
In any case, being off of work for an extended period may make it difficult for them to rejoin the workforce, with some abandoning the prospect altogether so they can focus on raising their children.
Retaining parents in your company
Here are some ideas.
- Offer bonuses. Some companies offer incentives such as “baby bonuses” to encourage a return to work. This is but a small price to pay to keep a valuable asset.
- Prepare the workplace for parents’ return. Have everyone on board and create an atmosphere that makes returning parents feel welcome in the workplace; a small welcome party may be in order.
- Provide retraining. A parent’s absence from work may result in a loss of skill or difficulties adjusting to new technologies, or a changed work environment. Retraining sessions should help the employee get back up to speed and reintegrate into your company.
- Conduct regular check-ins. Hold one-on-one meetings with returning parents to see how well they’re dealing with their return to work. Make sure their feedback is heard, and their needs are appropriately met.