Support Working Parents to Be Successful
Juggling a career and children is a constant balancing act with each week throwing up new challenges. Working in a supportive environment and having a manager who is understanding is crucial to enable your employees to succeed.
This blog explores measures which can be put in place to support new parents and allow their careers to continue to thrive. After a period of leave a parent will begin the journey back to work.
Going back to work as a new parent
This is when reality hits a new working parent, and it is a huge shift in perspective for both employee and employer. No longer will the employee leave the house and simply commute to work. Instead, the employee is now faced with getting themself and a baby ready for the day, possibly making a nursery run and settling their child in for the day, all before starting work. The early morning dash can seem make it feel like a mountain has been climbed before you even enter the office.
Those first few weeks can be daunting for a working parent as it can be tempting to check in with the child often to ensure they are content and have everything they need. Employers can help by being understanding in the first few weeks and flexible as the employee works on a new routine. Allow the employee time to check in on their child as this will ensure the employee can then focus on work and maximise productivity.
Working with a sick child
Babies get sick a lot – especially at nursery as they seem to catch all the bugs going. The employee can be faced with a child who gets sick and has to decide what to do in those scenarios – are there alternative childcare options available, is taking time off work an option or even juggling work with a sick child. Employers can support parents with flexible working in these instances and allow employees to make up the time, work their hours for that day flexibly or even swap working days if that’s an option.
An employee is legally entitled to time off for dependents and to put emergency childcare in place. Whether this is paid is discretionary and the amount of time allowed is what is considered reasonable depending on the situation. Employers can decide whether to go above and beyond the legal entitlement.
Employers who actively support working parents will benefit from increased retention and by having access to a wider talent pool when recruiting. Research by charity organisation Working Families found 85% of working parents agree that work-life balance is a top priority and say that it will influence their next choice of job.
Progressing your career
There is light at the end of the tunnel – working parents can and do enjoy going to work and using their work skillsets, having adult conversations, and most importantly having a warm cup of coffee without being interrupted! Working parents want to be at work and doing a good job. Their lives are just different now and there are additional demands on their time – try to be patient and offer help where you can.
Support the employee at work, set career goals and confirm the value the employee has in the organisation to help them settle back into the role.
Be Flexible for Those Special Moments
Working parents may speak of special moments they missed when a child was growing up – settling in visits, first day of school or sports days. Be flexible and allow employees to be at these events as they will go the extra mile for employers who recognise the significance of allowing them to be at these life events.
The more support and family friendly policies you have, the better your workplace will be, and Albany HR can help with this!
Albany HR, your outsourced HR consultant, has a team with over 50 years’ combined experience. We help you succeed through your people and can assist in all areas of HR including:
• Family Friendly Policies
• People Strategy
• Employee Wellbeing
• Employment Contracts
• Flexible and Hybrid Working
Get in touch to discuss if our services can support you. Email us: letstalk@albanyhr.com or call for a chat: 0131 364 4186.