Working parents often feel they have to sacrifice their work or home life in order to get everything done. As kids are headed back to school, some parents are feeling more pressure about balancing their schedules. Here are five ways employers can support working parents once kids go back to school.
Promote Open Communication
Employers should take the time to actively promote open communication with their staff. This way, if someone is having trouble with work-life balance as their kids go back to school, they will feel comfortable coming forward to discuss it. Managers should also make time to perform regular check-ins. Meet one-on-one with your staff and inquire about how they are doing. These meetings will give them a chance to communicate how they are feeling and make them feel more valued in the workplace.
Allow Flexible Schedules
Flexible schedules are becoming more and more common. Consider what kind of flexibility you can offer your staff. For instance, working parents might benefit from altered hours. They may prefer to come in early and leave early to mirror their children’s schedule. You can also consider allowing employees a flexible remote work schedule. Some employers have offered their employees the option to work from home part of the week and, in some cases, full time.
Connect Them With Resources
You won’t have a healthy, productive workplace if your employees aren’t able to take care of themselves or their personal needs. As an employer, you can also make the effort to connect working parents in your organization with resources. This may include food access programs, afterschool programs, and other childcare options. Additionally, if you feel the working parents on your staff are struggling with anxiety, stress, or depression, strive to connect them with resources to assist them.
Encourage Time Off
Speaking of stress, working parents can easily become burnt out if they aren’t careful. You should encourage them to take time off and offer paid leave as well. Most parents are in need of a break from time to time but, from a financial standpoint, it is often difficult to actually take that break. Offering regular breaks and paid time off can help increase productivity and morale in the workplace. So, it is a win-win for you and your employee.
Adopt Policies That Support Families
Look for policies you can implement to help support working parents and employees. Offer a generous paid family leave policy. In the event your employee or someone in their family falls seriously ill, knowing they will be taken care of by their employer can provide peace of mind. You can also help advocate for other family-friendly policies, such as universal childcare and statewide paid family medical leave. These things will show your support for these individuals in your organization.
Working with an agency can also help you mitigate staffing changes. Whether you need to fill in the gaps while your working parents are taking care of things at home or you are looking for new full-time direct hires, A.C. Coy can help. Contact us to learn more about our staffing services.
