National Parents Day (28th July) provides the perfect opportunity to explore how companies can support parents in the workplace.

Being a parent or carer is arguably the hardest job in the world with the least amount of training.  It’s a lifetime commitment and the needs of children are constantly changing and evolving, even long after they leave home. Parenting can feel all-consuming and very confusing. The impact of the responsibility can be immense both emotionally and physically.

That is why it is so important to support working parents and carers throughout their journey, not just around the time of becoming a parent and transitioning back from leave. Employee support from organisations tends to focus the most on the early stages of becoming a parent.  However, each age and stage brings new joys and challenges.

The school summer holidays are now in full swing. A period that can actually be far more challenging for parents of school-aged children to navigate work and parenting, than those with younger, less independent children in a nursery open all year round with early drop offs and late pick-ups.

Parents and carers make up about 40% of the workforce and can end up being an organisation’s greatest asset. The whole organisation benefits when employees with caring responsibilities are well supported. 

It will assist with recruitment and retention of talent, increase productivity, motivation, wellbeing, trust, loyalty and reduce absenteeism.

It is very important to appreciate that the definition of ‘family’ or ‘carer’ is broad in scope with multiple, diverse family units. Many people may be actively involved in raising a child, such as grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, neighbours, siblings, foster parents etc.

Companies need to recognise, acknowledge and appreciate the multiple, holistic, transferable skills and qualities that parents and carers bring to the workplace.

 For example: 

• Improved time management and organisation
• Establishing priorities, perspective and purpose 
• Ability to manage difficult stakeholders
• Greater empathy and understanding for both colleagues and clients
• Flexibility and adaptability to change

Here are some fundamental ways in which organisations can support working parents and carers (in no particular order):

Make no assumptions / expectations 

Ask open ended questions and really listen to what employees need. Just because employees are parents or carers does not mean they all belong in the same bucket. 

Know your organisation’s strengths & weaknesses 

Speak to and survey parents and/carers. Understand their unique pain points and challenges, along with how you can support them. 

Make flexibility the norm

Nurture a culture where flexibility for ALL is the norm. This is the cornerstone of attracting a diverse, inclusive workforce. It increases trust, productivity and healthy work-life balance. 

Explore reduced hours, term time hours, job sharing, part time roles, compressed days. Outcome based targets, focus on productivity not presenteeism or hours. 

Time and flexibility is the new currency, often over pay.

When parents/carers have some control and autonomy over their working hours they are far happier and more productive.

They may have a different give and take dynamic in terms of hours worked, where and when but often overcompensate when given that flexibility.

Make remote and hybrid options the norm for all employees. Develop strong communication strategies and regular check-ins. Ensure out of sight does not mean out of mind. 

Family friendly policies & benefits 

Have these in place and also ensure they are easy to understand and accessible, so people know they exist.

Communicate and promote your commitment and make it visible through championship from the boardroom, in staff newsletters, award schemes and celebrations and during recruitment.

Recruitment 

Advertise roles as flexible. Carefully think through the job design – not just full-time roles squeezed into fewer days. Have a returnship program in place and be open-minded about caregiver gaps in CVs. EDI is not just an HR issue; it's a fundamental aspect that should be woven into the fabric of the entire organisation. Flexible working is crucial for promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion. It allows employees from diverse backgrounds, including parents, caregivers, and individuals with disabilities, to thrive in their roles without compromising their personal responsibilities.

Supportive line managers 

The relationship with managers is one of the most significant factors in a parent or carer’s ability to navigate the demands of work and family. Provide training for managers so they understand the specific needs of those with caring responsibilities. Employees benefit immensely from an authentic sense of belonging, purpose and good work-life integration. Be an engaged listener, foster psychological safety and help employees to feel valued and respected. 

It is common knowledge that employers don’t leave an organisation, they leave their managers.  There may be enviable family friendly, forward thinking policies and benefits in place, senior management may say all the right things but each individual employee’s experience is totally dependent on the line manager they report to.   

Reality counts far more than the values and ethos on a company website. Trust, flexibility, empathy and communication are the foundations of the relationship between an employee and their manager.

Parental Leave 

Normalise parental leave so mums or dads who take it won’t be regarded as less committed or concerned about the impact on career progression. Paid leave should be available for all categories of carers. One of the keys to gender parity is encouraging dads to take leave and work flexibly.

Role modelling

Highlight and share stories of good practice. This enables employees at all levels of the business to take leave loudly and proudly.

Senior leaders are in a position to set the tone and culture at work, especially if they are also a parent or carer.  What message are they sending out?  What steps do they take to take care of their own well-being?  Modelling unrealistic expectations adds a whole added layer of pressure on employees.

Make sure working Dads are not overlooked

One of the biggest changes we’ve seen in recent years is when it comes to working dads who are still often overlooked. Most dads are keen to play a greater role in their child’s life and want a healthy work-life balance just as much as mothers. The trouble is that the culture in most workplaces still needs to evolve and we need to stop thinking in terms of primary and secondary carers. A lot of dads say they would like to work more flexibly but their flexible working requests are more likely to be denied.

Many dads comment that they find it harder than female colleagues to be open about their caring responsibilities.  ‘Parenting out loud’ needs to become a real movement.

The best way to support mothers is to support dads too. A diverse family friendly workplace needs to have a healthy mix of men and women working and parenting/caring.

Family Networks / Employee Resource Group

Build a peer led community to raise awareness, educate and normalise common challenges and shared experiences.

These networks also provide a direct line of communication to senior management with exec sponsors.

I have been working in this space for 23 years, long before Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) even existed. I have supported many organisations across various sectors globally in setting up family networks, witnessing firsthand the tremendous results of providing that support.

Access to affordable childcare

The availability and cost of childcare is a fundamental part of employee infrastructure.

Explore subsidising childcare, tax free childcare schemes, back-up childcare andonsite nurseries for large organisations.

Change start times, end times, meeting times to accommodate drop off and pick up.

Nurturing a culture that welcomes, values and supports people who are juggling work and caring responsibilities, allows them to feel that they belong and can express their wishes and aspirations for their working/caring situation.

Rachel Vecht, the founder of Educating Matters, a former teacher and mum of 4 has 20+ years of experience guiding working parents and carers on all aspects of educating, raising children and integrating work and family.

She works with global organisations across a vast range of sectors, to help nurture more inclusive workplace cultures for employees with caring responsibilities.

She can be found on LinkedIn most days posting about parenting.