As September approaches and the summer holidays draw to a close, a large part of the workforce will be adopting a back-to-school mindset, with thoughts turning to the beginning of term.
For parents and carers, this point in the calendar can represent a major milestone as children enter the next chapter in their education. It can also trigger a shift in the dynamics of working families, with the juggle of the open-ended summer days replaced by the regular rhythm of a timetabled school week, including all the demands associated with homework, after-school activities and social commitments.
Understandably, the need to manage these shifts in childcare dynamics can be a challenge for working parents who are balancing demands on their time from family members alongside the pressures of a career. Together, these forces can escalate to become a potential source of stress and anxiety.
And, of course, such challenges are not exclusive to parents of school-age children – those co-ordinating pre-school, nursery or other care arrangements will also be familiar with the requirement to manage spinning plates with a finite amount of time and energy.
For those that reach the point of not being able to cope, there are obvious implications in terms of the negative impact on mental wellbeing. At its worst, this can result in parental burnout, where individuals feel exhausted and struggle with low moods and loss of motivation in both their personal and professional lives.
In working environments, this can manifest itself through a drop in levels of engagement or productivity. It also has the potential to cause employees to rethink their situation entirely. Indeed, two-fifths of working parents have said the failure to strike a healthy work-life balance has made them consider quitting.
Against this backdrop, it is little wonder that employees are turning to their employers for help, with as many as 93% of working parents saying it is important for a prospective employer to be supportive to working parents. However, just 14% feel they have an employee benefits package that delivers on this objective, showing how companies have an opportunity to explore the increasingly broad array of benefits designed to help workers at all stages of the parenting journey.
Flexible working
Among the benefits that parents cite as most desirable in an employer is the offer of flexible working. And while this certainly includes the potential for home and remote working, it is important to note that flexibility can take many forms. Examples include job sharing, compressed hours, flexitime and staggered hours.
Parental leave
Support at the earliest stages of parenthood can be particularly valuable and many organisations are going beyond their statutory obligations in the area of parental leave and pay. Of those offering extended policies for maternity leave, 18% offer between 4 and 13 weeks at or near the full rate of pay and 21% offer 26 weeks of enhanced pay followed by 13 weeks at the statutory rate or 90% of average weekly earnings.
When it comes to paternity/partner leave and adoption leave, individuals might be eligible for statutory leave and pay, but employers are looking to deepen employee relationships by tapping into the demand for greater levels of support. One survey points to the fact that enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay is the family-friendly benefit valued most highly by their workforce.
Fertility and pregnancy support
Increasingly, companies are providing support for employees at the earliest stages of parenthood. Tech giant Google, for example, has enhanced its family-building benefits for staff through an expanded medical insurance offering that covers several rounds of IVF alongside other fertility treatments and pregnancy-related conditions.
Although fertility benefits are not widely offered currently, there are indications that they will become more prevalent in the future. Research from a provider in the US suggests that around 70% of employers believe reproductive and family health benefits are important to help attract talent, while 75% said it was crucial for retention.
Mental health support
As well as managing their own mental health, parents are also likely to be concerned about the mental health of their children. This strain is associated with a drop in worker performance that is estimated to cost employers £8 billion a year through turnover, absence and presenteeism. Flexible working, open discussion forums and access to professional help can all contribute to workers feeling more supported in this area.
Employers such as Amazon are also providing access to practical support, resources, and information to help employees with care responsibilities. This includes on-demand access to local babysitters, pet sitters and housekeepers to help share some of the strain that working parents might be feeling.
Offerings such as this underline how the previously distinct lines between personal and professional lives have become increasingly blurred in the modern workplace. Today’s employees are increasingly welcoming of the benefits and offerings that employers can provide to help manage the pressures of parenthood and support their own personal wellbeing.
The information contained within this communication does not constitute financial advice and is provided for general information purposes only. No warranty, whether express or implied is given in relation to such information. Vintage Health or any of its associated representatives shall not be liable for any technical, editorial, typographical or other errors or omissions within the content of this communication.
