Are you a business owner? Here are six ways for you to support your working parent employees

No matter the industry or profession, working parents are almost always struggling to juggle their work lives alongside childcare responsibilities. Most employees who have a good support system fare better while single parents and those without a support network must reduce their work hours to take care of parenting responsibilities.

As an employer, there are many initiatives you can take to support the working parent employees of your business. Here are some benefits to consider if you want to improve the employee retention of your company:

Work flexibility

Work flexibility is an essential benefit for a working parent in your organization. It is beneficial for any of your employees who are managing responsibilities outside of work like an aging parent or pet. If your business does not involve physically dealing with clients or on-site work, you can give your employees the chance to work from home. Some great work flexibility strategies you can try are:

• Offering flexible hours
• Telecommuting
• Introducing condensed work weeks
• Remote work policies

Remote work stipends

If you have employees working remotely for your business, you can arrange a remote work stipend for them to buy things that make working from home easier. Most employees, especially those with multiple children, cannot create a distraction-free work environment at home without financial help. The remote work stipend you provide which allows them to buy a divider, noise-cancelling headphones, a chair with lumbar support, or a better internet connection can improve their efficiency a lot.

Employee resource groups

Your organization may already have different kinds of Employee Resource Groups, or ERGs. Introducing an ERG for working parents and caregivers will help your employees engage better. This will ensure that your workplace has a supportive culture. ERGs provide workers with safe spaces where they can authentically share their experiences, concerns, and ideas with a like-minded crowd.

Childcare support

Many employers offer on-site childcare facilities for their employees. As childcare is a growing challenge for a majority of parents, employers should pay more attention to introducing childcare-related benefits. If there is an option to put up a daycare facility in your organization, it will act as a perk incentive to future hires and your existing workforce. You can also offer different childcare benefits like:

• Offering childcare subsidies
• On-site childcare facilities
• Backup childcare assistance
• Flexible childcare spending accounts

Lactation support

Lactation support is an important thing that you should consider for your organization. Is there a lactation room that your breastfeeding employees can use? Have you provided support for your employees who need the time and space for pumping?

Paid parental leave

Parental leave is necessary for both mothers and fathers. Review your company’s parental leave policies and modify them to include both mothers and fathers. Paid parental leave allows new parents to bond with their children, whether newborn or newly adopted. Provide support for the parent employees who are in these kinds of situations.