One common misconception about working parents is that they are less focused on their jobs because of family responsibilities. Some business owners believe that hiring such employees is not worth every dime as they tend to lack the commitment to their professional careers. They need to take care and raise their kids, too, right? Such misconception results in business owners rejecting their applications and believing that helping these working parents is a waste of time and money.
Supporting your employees that are also full-time parents can give offer greater benefits that you can’t ignore. By introducing family-friendly measures, you better attract and retain talents, promote a positive work-life balance, and make your workplace a healthier environment. Check out below to know some fantastic ways you can support the working parents in your company.
1. Cultivate healthy work relationships
Establishing a positive working relationship can make it easier for you to support the working parents. Conduct regular work meetings while still allotting some time to talk about other things aside from work. Or, you can use coffee breaks to have short chitchats with your team and create a stronger and close bond.
Gather and talk like adults and vent about any topics. Doing so can help boost your employees’ overall health, happiness, productivity, and mood while alleviating stress. If you’re on a remote work setup, having a virtual happy hour would be extremely helpful.
2. Connect them to financial resources
Finances are among the top stressors for most people, and by helping your employees get access to related resources, you are making their lives much more manageable. For one, you can invite financial advisors to discuss tactics on savings, investing, and increasing streams of income, helping them take a better grip on their finances. You can also direct them to experienced mortgage lenders who can help them get their dream home in a guided manner. This is a unique way of supporting your employees to settle their personal or family lives, especially those new couples.
Aside from that, you can also guide them in getting insurance policies that their family needs. You can either invite an insurance professional to talk to them or partner with a reputable provider who can offer the right coverage for your people. Help the working parents achieve financial stability much easier by doing these.
3. Support their health and wellness
Working parents have a high risk of burnout as they are constantly bombarded with professional and family responsibilities. Help them take care of their overall health by opening doors for nutrition services. You can work with a registered dietitian for one-on-one consultations with your employees. This expert can suggest behavior change exercises and personalized action plans to help their families live healthier or eat smarter. You can also invite the dietitian for a virtual pantry walk-through for further suggestions.
Aside from a healthy diet, you can also encourage movement for the working parents by giving them access to fitness resources. Parents can stay engaged and strong if there are wellness activities such as virtual 5Ks that they can participate in. You can further help them stay healthy and productive by creating an employee assistance program to better assess their needs.
4. Help them with child care
Another amazing way to support your employees is through helping with child care. Not all working parents can afford to get a child care provider or send their kids to school, especially at these uncertain and unsafe times. This is a perfect opportunity for you to search and pay for backup or full-time child care service. Make your employees understand that this is more than just a perk. It’s a productivity investment or an operational expense that should be taken care of.
The good news for you is, this can give you the benefit of a tax break. You can choose to offer a referral service for your people’s child care needs or set up a daycare center. These readily allow you to claim around 10% to 25% of the expense. Be sure to check with the Internal Revenue Service to confirm the maximum amount you can claim or if your company is qualified for the tax break.
By giving your employees a chance to live happier and healthier personal and professional lives, it won’t be a surprise if you will be viewed as a thoughtful and reliable employer in your industry. Focusing on your people’s well-being can make real changes within your company and other organizations. Help build the foundation of cultivating an engaged and happy workforce by following this guide.
