Supporting Working Parents

 

The Berger HR Solutions team understands and experiences, firsthand, the balancing act of being working professionals while also being full-time parents. This is why BHRS is committed to encouraging employers to support working parents by providing the necessary tools, resources, flexibility, and benefits they need to be successful. Perhaps now more than ever, during the pandemic, parents are experiencing the tension between work and family balance.

 

Help your employees be successful, both at home and at work by considering the following:

  • Flexible Work Arrangements – Depending on your industry and business model, offering a flexible work arrangement, whether this means an alternative or flex schedule or a remote work location, could be incredibly beneficial for working parents. Multiple studies have shown that working flexibly can actually increase employee productivity. Consider if a flexible work arrangement could work for your business model.

 

  • Parental Leave – Parental leave policies offer employees the option to take time off to care for a newborn child, recently adopted or foster child, or a child that needs specific parental care. The main benefit of having a parental leave policy is that parents can choose to take leave without needing a medical reason. If your business is looking for more ways to support parents outside of pregnancy-related leave, this is another great option.

 

  • Incorporate Family-Life Into Work-Life – Most parents would agree that when they are not working, they prefer to be spending quality time with their family. This is why we suggest including family in work social events whenever possible. Family-friendly workplaces can create stronger bonds between employees and improve employee satisfaction. Next time you plan a work event, brainstorm what types of events could be family-friendly like a picnic or mid-day sporting event.

 

  • FMLA – The Family Medical Leave Act entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage under the same terms and conditions as if the employee had not taken leave. If you have more than 50 employees (or are approaching that number), make sure you are properly communicating and implementing FMLA benefits. BHRS can assist you with this process. Some employers under 50 employees electively offer FMLA.

 

  • FFCRA – Make sure you are familiar with the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) requirements for your business. The FFCRA requires certain employers to provide their employees with paid sick leave or expanded family and medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19.

 

  • PTO – Take a look at your time off program to see if it is providing your employees with the flexibility they need while still giving your business the stability it needs to stay successful. Many employers are getting away from offering separate vacation time and sick time and are instead, offering a Paid Time Off program, which allows more flexibility to take from one bucket of time. For working parents, preplanned vacations may be less important than being able to effectively juggle doctor’s appointments, school meetings, daycare closures, or other unexpected scheduling conflicts.

 

  • EAP – Employee Assistance Program services can include counseling and guidance pertaining to personal and/or work-related concerns, such as stress, financial issues, legal issues, family problems, office conflicts, or alcohol and substance abuse. Talk to your benefits provider about the costs associated with offering EAP.

 

For assistance with supporting working parents, please contact Berger HR Solutions at info@bergerhrsolutions or (410) 695-9888. We are happy to help.