How to Help Working Parents During Back to School Season

Working parents are arguably the backbone of most workplaces. Research shows that 75.1% of mothers with dependent children and 92.6% of fathers are in work. These figures may have changed during COVID. A massive 72% of mums had to work fewer hours due to child care issues. Parents working fewer hours are likely to experience financial wellbeing issues. Therefore productivity and employee engagement will suffer.

With children in the UK returning to school, working parents may feel under pressure. Juggling preparations for their family on top of work can be frustrating. Hence why you should make this time as manageable as possible for any member of your team. Since stress can lead to a lack of concentration and joy, your people will find it more challenging to maintain their workflow, leading to higher absenteeism and mistakes.

In this article, we discuss three ways to help working parents during the back to school season. 

Remain Flexible

Most companies by now have developed a sense of flexibility for their employees. Due to COVID-19, for many, working from home is the new office life. Therefore, keeping this flexibility for working parents during the back to school season will allow them to manage their time efficiently. In addition, they will be able to work without missing any time or feeling stressed.

Autumn has been ranked as the most productive season for employees, don't let this opportunity go to waste in your business amongst the back-to-school schedules. Find out why this season is so productive for businesses in our latest blog and consider how you can help your people whilst keeping employee engagement up!

Create a Plan for Working Parents

Devising a plan to support working parents can be a manageable yet incredibly effective way to help retain your people’s engagement and wellbeing. Set out what times they may need to be flexible and how they can make up for the lost time. Additionally, you can encourage them to speak to you when they need help at certain times. Remain vigilant and aware of how different people have different needs, and your team will feel understood. 

Supporting working dads is as equally important as supporting working mums. That's why we have shared advice and guidance on how you can help fathers manage their work without missing out on spending much needed time with their children, here.

Recognise Hard Work

Rewards and recognition can be a great way to support working parents within your team. Perhaps you can sincerely say thank you for your hard work during this time. Consequently, your people will feel like they are appreciated, moreover, that they are understood. The employment rate of women has overtaken that of women without children, and the rate of fathers has consistently stayed higher. So, make sure you value working parents is crucial throughout the year.

To conclude, working parents have a lot of responsibilities, similarly, for many other employees. Stay understanding and flexible to support any member of staff, especially working parents. 

We at Each Person know just how much of an impact a successful employee reward scheme can help engage staff. To find out more, contact us at info@eachperson.com.

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