Supporting parents during school holidays is a vital way of keeping a happy, engaged workforce.
The number of parents with dependents that work is increasing. However, with 260 working days in a year, and schools open for just 195, covering school holidays is a logistical challenge for many.
With companies struggling to find people for their teams, supporting parents with children of a school age is a great way of being an employer of choice.
Here we look at some of the things employers are doing to support parents find the right balance between work and childcare
Flexible Hours
Changing your employee’s hours during school holidays is a great way of supporting parents during school holidays. By offering earlier or later start and finish times you will really help parents balance the needs of work and childcare.
Remote-working
This can be contentious. For some it’s not possible to do their job remotely, for some it’s impossible to do their job to the required level with children around. However, for many people it’s totally feasible to do a day’s work, whilst also caring for their children. By sitting down with the employee and establishing a suitable solution for all parties you will make a huge difference.
Unpaid Leave
Paying for activities or additional childcare can be tough for some workers. For many, doing so makes it financially unviable to go to work during the school holidays. Some companies offer unpaid parental leave which enables parents to take additional holiday during the breaks.
4-day weeks
For some, condensing their working week into 4 days can significantly reduce childcare costs, whilst studies and trials have also shown that it actually increases productivity. Whilst a full-time switch to a 4-day working week might not be possible for your business, it’s worth exploring whether doing so during school holidays works.
Empathy
Whilst the above are tangible things you can do as a business to help working parents, the biggest things people need during the holidays is empathy from their employer and Manager. By showing you are supportive and that you understand the challenges faced by parents during the holidays, you’ll go a long way to firing, and retaining people.
As a parent of three children, I know only too well the challenges faced by families during the school holidays. If you want to discuss how you can ensure you are supporting parents during school holidays, get in contact with StackHire today.
