Whether you have working parents on your team because they’re highly motivated business people or have no choice but to work to pay the bills, you know that managing a child and a career is challenging — especially if there’s no one at home to help watch the child while the parent is at work.
Many organizations have adopted a parent-friendly environment to help ease the burdens of stress and financial constraints on working parents, but there are always new ways to employ parent-friendly strategies. In addition to major steps like setting up a breastfeeding area and offering daycare during working hours, there are plenty of little ways for businesses to take care of employees with children.
Here, members of Forbes Business Council share their top nine ways in which organizations can better support working parents.
1. Offer More Flexibility With Working Hours
Flexibility with working hours and location is the key to long-term workplace happiness and this is especially important for working parents. Organizations that create the space for trust and allow for mental health days will see their employees thrive, therefore leading to higher retention, productivity and performance. When work flexibility is embraced, both employers and employees thrive. – Anna Sinclair, Total Mom Inc.
2. Support A Higher Level Of Autonomy
Give autonomy in work to allow for time for parents to be able to drop and pick their children off at school. Allowing time for work to be completed when it best suits them so that they are able to support their family environments would be very beneficial to your teams and their families. Work environments should be able to support this level of autonomy. – Paul L. Gunn, KUOG Corporation
3. Give Parents Ownership Of Their Time-Keeping
Give parents ownership of their time-keeping so they have the flexibility to balance their personal and professional obligations. Ensure there is no “guilting” if full hours are not worked as long as their delivery is still strong. – Peta Conn, Invest Northern Ireland
4. Ask Parents About Their Top Challenges
One parent-friendly strategy to better support working parents is to ask them directly—with curiosity, not judgment—regarding their top priorities and challenges. Use their intelligence and experiences to drive the decision-making process. A clear focus on weekly measurable outcomes supported by an efficient reporting strategy can get you way ahead of the game in retaining this group. – Loubna Noureddin, Mind Market Consultants
5. Extend Maternity Time Off
Today, organizations should allow parents to work from home and establish activities that are kid-friendly. From a policy standpoint, extend maternity time off and have flexible hours to better support working parents. – Gil Allouche, Metadata.io
6. Offer A Paid Option To Work Remotely
We have earmarked budgets for those that want to work from a co-working space or a cafe instead of working from home. Many parents enjoy the new freedom of flexible working hours and work from home, but at the same time, giving them the option to work elsewhere is important. Many that work from home end up doing a bit too much housework, so giving parents the flexibility of working from an office, cafe or home is ideal. – Saana Azzam, MENA Speakers
7. Give Parents Time Off For Kids’ Activities
We always give time off for parenting. If one has a play, a game, or another kid activity, we encourage the parent to go and be with their kids. Kids are the most valuable things in our lives — our job as employers is to embrace this as part of the organizational culture. – Adam Rudman, Apartments Near Me
8. Allow Parents To Bring Kids To Work
Allowing parents to bring kids to work sometimes works well. Daycare, babysitters, etc. aren’t easy to arrange and are also expensive. You will have to arrange daycare, education and the like for a group of children for a few hours, but it’s manageable and doesn’t have to be expensive. The parents will be relieved and happy knowing their kids are safe and within easy reach. – Alina Clark, CocoDoc
9. Focus On Results
Focus on results instead of hours worked while making compassion, empathy and kindness part of your culture. Provide a “happiness fund” for all employees as a bonus to use for activities that bring them joy or relaxation. Parents may use it to hire a nanny to have a few quiet dinners without the kids, while nonparents may use it for dance classes. Offer equal advantages to all employees. – Andreea Vanacker, SPARKX5
This article was published on Forbes.com