Many adults in the workforce have children, and working parents often face major challenges in trying to balance home and career. While women still often bear the brunt of tackling these roles, increasing numbers of fathers are also struggling to get adequate support for their home and professional lives. In fact, lactation programs can boost post-maternity leave retention from 59% to 92%.
Employers have to recognize that finding ways to support working parents often pays off in the long run. Though it might seem as if creating workplace initiatives to help parents will cost exorbitant funding or absorb too much time, most companies will see long-term benefits when they help all their employees succeed at home as well as at work.
With the right care and the right tools, parents can return to the workplace knowing they and their families are set to incorporate breastfeeding––and that their employer has their back in this and other parental situations.
Here’s why it’s worth it to support parents in your workplace and what you can do to provide parental leave resources.
You’ll Increase Worker Retention
It’s almost always cheaper and better to focus on keeping current employees instead of trying to find and train new ones. When you have a hardworking employee who is good at their job, you don’t want to lose them because they become a parent.
Parents are more likely to work somewhere, which simplifies balancing work and family.In fact, 83% of millennials would change jobs for better family benefits. If their employer is difficult or unsupportive, working parents are more likely to seek a new job at a more supportive firm.
In fact, the Pew Research Center found that more than a quarter of all parents experienced difficulties trying to balance their job and family which had a negative impact on their career.Parents miss work more than twice as often when their babies aren’t breastfed. Some workplaces might be unable to mitigate these stresses satisfactorily, but a supportive environment will keep top talent around and lead to happier, healthier employees and workplaces. Overall, that’s a win for all involved.
You Can Stand Out as a Workplace People Love
Supporting your employees with children won’t just help them; it will create a better environment for everyone. If you treat your employees as human beings with lives outside of their career, this attitude will inspire all of your staff. With a lactation program, 83% of employees reported higher company satisfaction.
When you foster a good reputation for employee satisfaction and retention, you’ll also be more likely to find excellent employees in the future. Salary is significant, but other benefits and the overall culture of a job matter, too.
So, if your company is known for unique initiatives that go above and beyond, such as lactation support and great parental leave, that’s likely to bring more success to the business.
How to Make Changes That Support Working Parents
Though every workplace is different, most firms can make some overall adjustments to support their employees that have kids. Generally, parents want flexibility.
This can come in the form of great parental leave or the ability to take time off for emergencies. Plus, of course, the flexibility will also apply to employees who don’t have children.
When you offer increased flexibility and understanding, everyone at the business will feel more secure.
And, while there are some general changes most companies can make to better support parents, it’s also healthy to talk to your employees. Since each business has its own culture and focus, it helps to conduct surveys and other initiatives that help measure what your employees need and want the most.
Supporting your employees with kids is likely to lead to more success, a better work culture, and a positive reputation. So, although you’ll have to figure out the right policies for your company and employees, it’s worth going the extra mile to support working parents and everyone that works for you.
