What are the best ways for Employee Relations to support working parents?

Employee Relations can play a crucial role in supporting working parents by implementing policies and programs that address their unique needs. Flexible work arrangements: Offer flexible work arrangements such as remote work, flexible hours, or compressed workweeks. This allows parents to balance their work and family responsibilities more effectively. Parental leave policies: Implement generous parental leave policies that provide sufficient time off for new parents to bond with their child. Consider offering both maternity and paternity leave to support all parents. .Open communication channels: Encourage open communication between employees and Employee Relations to address any concerns or challenges related to work-life balance.

Flexible working hours and arrangements. Let them adjust their hours throughout the day to make sure they can get their kids off to school or daycare or wherever. As long as they are putting in the work and meeting deliverables it shouldn't matter when they work during the day. Also be flexible with where they work. If the job can be done from home and they have a sick kiddo who needs to stay home from school, let them work from home. This way they aren't stressed about taking a day off and they are still productive.

Employee Relations can support working parents by offering flexible work arrangements, parental leave policies, childcare support, lactation rooms, family-friendly policies, wellness programs, resource groups, and counseling services. Providing a supportive culture and accommodating work-life balance helps working parents thrive professionally and personally.

Shift the focus from micromanaging tasks to evaluating outcomes. Establish clear performance metrics and goals, allowing employees the autonomy to choose how they achieve those objectives. Promoting a results-based performance culture not only grants employees the freedom to excel in their unique ways but also motivates them to deliver their best work.

Employee relations professionals can support working parents by advocating for flexible work schedules, providing resources for them accessing childcare or any childcare support they can take advantage of. Also, offering leave options when necessary and creating a supportive work environment. Professionals should encourage regular check-ins and open communication channels that help address individual needs.

6 ways to support your working parent employees Flexibility. ... 1-A Remote Work Stipend. ... 2-Flexible Sick Time or COVID Days. ... 3-A Working Parents ERG. ... 4-Child Care Support. ... 5-Money Toward Education. ... 6-Showing You Value Your Parent and Caregiver Employees.

Flexibility and trust are key motivators when it comes to your working-parents employees. Since their time could be limited, trusting them to do what they need when it's best for them and fits the plan, means achieving a win-win situation for them and for your business.

When you hire working parents, trust is important and should evaluate them on their outcomes and not on simple things. Flexibility in work is much needed.

Being a working parent myself, I completely understand the value of flexibility both as an HR professional, and as an employee. Children do not give prior notice when they want to be sick, and so providing the opportunity to work flexibly is a benefit that most working parents value. In the world of work today, work can be done even from a hospital room. I have conducted effective meetings while caring for a sick child because I have flexibility at work, and it meant a lot to me! Provide the tools needed for the employees to be able to work effectively on-site of off-site

Guilt is a common feeling for me as a working mother, when I am unable to meet some work commitments in-person, or when some meetings are juggled around to accommodate an emergency I had. Thus, I put in extra effort to ensure I meet my work obligations for my team to achieve our goals. It feels good to be appreciated for my work. Appreciation can take various forms and don't necessarily have to be monetary - a simple nite of appreciation or public acknowledgment will go a long way to make working parents feel appreciated.

In Employee Relations, supporting working parents is about talking and involving them. Keeping things clear and timely, asking for their thoughts, creating chances to work together, and solving their concerns—this is how ER does it. It's not just about talking; it's about making sure working parents feel heard and part of the team. That's what makes a workplace work for everyone.

Being a family-friendly company and supporting work-life balance has many advantages for both the company and its employees. This does not only mean providing options for maternity/paternity leave and flexible working hours. It means seeing the professional for who they are, giving them opportunities for development, training and growth and allowing them to advance their careers. If you want the best people with you, you need to understand that, given salary stability, they are likely to want to have children. If so, your role as a company is to give them the tools to continue to develop their talent.

As a working parent of 2 neurodivergent children and 2 neurotypical children, I know what it's like to have more on my shoulders than feels possible sometimes. Employers can help take some of the load by offering therapy services for parents AND children to help lighten some of the burden for families. When kids are struggling with emotional regulation, self harm, focus, academics, etc. it takes a lot more emotional and mental space to parent. Resources, information, and support for parents and their families can help alleviate some of the stress and reduce some of this load on employees by helping their kids develop crucial coping and developmental skills. We all do better when we know those that we care for most are cared for.

When thinking about how to support working parents, don't forget that your demographic isn't just parents of "young" children. While a lot of programs tend to be focused on new parents & supporting babies, parenting is a life long commitment! Don't forget to consider programs and support models for parents of teenagers and young adults, who may need a lot of support with mental health support, prepping for college admissions, understanding their insurance outside of the house, and more tricky, time consuming issues!

Helping parents at work involves looking at everything. It's not just about usual benefits; it's also about giving parents flexible schedules since parenting is different. Connecting experienced parents with new ones through mentorship programs is like having friends who understand. Some simple things that we do every day include having childcare at work to make it easier for parents. We also let parents work from home sometimes and organize workshops to help them. Celebrating important moments in their kids' lives like birthdays or school events, etc. makes work feel like a family. This way we make sure that at work, we understand and help parents with what they need for both work and family.

employee resource group can be created as we had in Army where employees and their spouses can come together to discuss common experiences, share insights, and build a supportive network. Sessions are organized featuring experts on topics such as time management, effective parenting strategies, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Conduct breakout learning sessions covering various aspects of parenting, like child development, education, and wellness. Experienced parents can mentor newer parents, providing guidance and a sense of reassurance in navigating the challenges of parenthood. Conducting Family events, encouraging employees to bring their families together for activities that promote bonding and a sense of community.