Ah -- back-to-school season. With all of the
new ventures, classmates and extracurricular come the carpools, parent-teacher
conferences and research projects. An exciting time for kids, going back to
school can also spell stress for working parents.
But employers can take a load off employees
with kids during this time of year. To ensure those personal pressures don’t
impact workplace productivity, implement the following pointers to keep things
on an even keel:
1.
Remind
Employees About Company Policies
Sounds simple, but a little refresher can go a
long way when it comes to giving parents with peace-of-mind.
“Knowing the lay of the land can provide
parents with reassurance and confidence at what can be a stressful time of year,”
says Vicki Shabo, vice president at the National Partnership for Women &
Families. “All parents know that there are times when missing work
is unavoidable, so knowing whether [they] have paid sick, vacation or personal
time to use, and understanding employers’ rules about providing notice for
using that time, is also important.”
2. Allow Flexible Work Arrangements
Assuming you’ve discussed the situation, let
your employees use personal time off during that first week back to school so
it doesn’t interfere with their performance at work. If they have to come in
late or leave early, allow them to make up lost time by working a little later
or working from home in the evening. “Flexible work arrangements -- or
“work-flex” -- are fast becoming a great way to retain, recruit and engage
employees,” adds Shabo.
Types of work-flex options include compressed
work weeks, telecommuting, job sharing, flex-scheduling and a results-oriented
work environment. Explore them all to see which ones best suit your company’s
culture.
Read more about What Working
Parents Wish Their Boss Would Say
3. Inform Staff About Available
Employee Assistance Programs
This can help working parents locate various
types of resources in their communities. Does your company provide child care resource and referral to
help find after-school sitters, child care subsidies or even a backup care
benefit for those days when the kids get sick or the sitter
cancels? Not only will having this information handy help your employees
prepare for the year ahead, but knowing child care is covered will allow them
to focus on work while they’re in the office.
4. Address the Work-Life Issue
Across the Company
Chances are many of your employees have
families with school-age children. Allison O'Kelly, founder of Mom Corps, suggests emailing the staff,
letting them know that management is aware of and understands work-life
challenges around this time of year. “Employers can gain a lot of loyalty from
their employees if they are proactive when it comes to recognizing the
work-life needs of their team,” she says.
Providing information on state-level
family-friendly laws is another good plan of action. “There are
also cities and states with ‘small
necessities’ laws, which require employers to provide employees
unpaid time off to attend a child’s school-related events or to take family
members to medical appointments,” says Shabo.
Read more about the Biggest Issues
Working Parents Face
5. Evolve Your Family-Friendly
Policies
Businesses that value their employees
recognize the importance of policies like parental and medical leave, paid sick
days and employee assistance programs. “Many businesses provide their employees
with child care, child care subsidies and flexible spending accounts to offset
the costs of child
care,” says Shabo. Having such assistance in place for workers will make them feel
respected.
Managing the family-work life balance during
the back-to-school season all comes down to flexibility and open dialogue. By
providing the tools your employees need to do their jobs effectively as well as
manage their responsibilities at home, you can create a situation where
everybody wins.
Kayla Mossien is
a writer for prominent blogs and websites and is the former editor-in-chief of
PARENTGUIDE News.
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