Navigating a new normal after the pandemic is already difficult for many. The challenge can be even more significant for parents as they juggle remote work and child care. This article will explore ways to support working parents so businesses and organisations can thrive in a post-pandemic world.
How to Support Working Parent Employees
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many working parents to juggle their jobs with childcare responsibilities. Here are some ways you can support your working parent employees:
Flexible with work schedules.
Provide resources and information on childcare options.
Offer financial assistance for childcare expenses.
Encourage employees to take advantage of family-friendly policies like flexible work hours and telecommuting.
Promote a culture of understanding and respect for working parents.
Upgrade the employee insurance policy to the one that offers the best benefits when it comes to coverage for the spouse and children of the employee.
Strategies for Employers
The pandemic has impacted both employers and employees alike. Just as working parent employees feel overwhelmed and stressed, the organisation’s management is also working hard to balance operational efficiency and profitability for short and long-term sustenance.
In such uncertain situations, organisations are bending backwards to ensure they offer the best possible support to their employees to keep up their morale and enable efficiency even while they are working remotely. After all, a happy employee will automatically help the organisation tide through the adverse business environment resulting from the pandemic. To support these employees, employers should consider the following strategies:
Encourage working parents to adopt remote working/work-from-home/telecommuting models to better balance their work and home.
Renewed focus on planning effective workflows so that your deliveries to clients/customers do not get impacted due to remote working models.
Develop working models that focus on the timely delivery of completed jobs instead of monitoring fixed working hours for their work.
Invest in effective and efficient technological solutions for seamless workflow and quality work output.
Be understanding and patient if productivity levels fluctuate. Develop mechanisms to hand-hold employees to perform while working on remote models.
Encourage the creation of Employee Peer Groups/ Support Groups for working parent employees. Persuade employees to share practical solutions to real-time challenges and facilitate discussions in these digital groups.
Help employees create a healthy work-life balance. Facilitate online workshops by professionals for working parent employees on topics related to challenges they face.
Ways to Support a Working Parent at the Office
Despite putting in place effective remote working models, there may be times when the presence of employees at the office is inevitable. Responsible organisations will go the extra mile to ensure office environments support these employees while they are there.
Facilitate transport for parent employees, as commuting to the office and returning via public transport can be challenging and draining.
Understand if parent employees need to take time off for emergencies, early school pick-ups, or doctor’s appointments.
Offer help with child care through company benefits or simply lend a helping hand.
Help create a supportive environment at work by being understanding and accommodating to parents’ needs.
How to Support a Working Parent at Home
Assuming you are not a working parent yourself, there are a few things you can do to support your working parent employees both during and after the pandemic.
The most important thing you can do is be understanding and flexible regarding their schedules. Many working parents have had to make significant adjustments to their plans over the past year, and they may need to continue to do so in the future. Work with them so they can better balance their work and family responsibilities.
You should also try to be understanding if they need to take time off for childcare or family emergencies. Even if it means temporarily reassigning some of their work, giving them the flexibility they need to manage their responsibilities at home is essential.
Finally, you can show your support by offering resources that help working parents succeed at work and at home. This could include anything from sharing childcare expenses to access to mental health resources. Supporting your working parent employees will create a more productive and positive workplace for everyone.
Conclusion
The post-pandemic future for working parents is uncertain, but the need for employers to provide support and resources has never been more apparent. By creating flexible work schedules, providing access to childcare services and offering additional paid leave, companies can ensure that their employees can manage family commitments while still contributing at a high level in their workplace. This combination of practical measures can make all the difference in successfully supporting working parent employees as they transition back into the workforce after the pandemic.
