Working parents learnt during the coronavirus epidemic that having a job isn’t enough—you need an organization that recognizes and accommodates parents’ specific concerns.
This is a fact the corporate world is realizing, especially as recent research demonstrates how helping working parents may boost profits. Some firms provide help via incentives and perks.
As a parent, you may not know what you should seek for in a career or advocate for at your existing employer. This goes beyond vacation days and 401(k) planning. We’re discussing extras that make working and parenting simpler.
Here are eight advantages to help you and your family succeed.
1. Flextime/Remote Work
Working parents prioritized flexibility while looking for a new job before the epidemic, with 94% stating it made them better parents.
“Employers must understand working parents’ need for flexible schedules and occasional work from home,” says Lorna Borenstein, CEO/founder of wellness solutions business Grokker and author of It’s Personal: The Business Case for Caring. Flexibility in hours and location might be essential when your child is ill, a co-parent is out of town, or other parenting scheduling challenges arise. It might mean doing your task on time or not.
Borenstein believes flexibility should be “woven into the fabric” of every firm, and potential workers should inquire about how existing employees use flexible work schedules and work-from-home rules. If the second interview question is received with blank looks, it may be a hint that the flexibility policy isn’t implemented. Same for all bonuses and perks on this list.
“The more people using it, the better, as it shows that it’s unlikely that people feel punished for working remotely or leaving the office early, which can discourage people from using it,” Borenstein adds.
When arguing for flexible work arrangements to a potential or current employer, Borenstein suggests citing recent studies and statistics that show employees want them and the business benefits (retention, productivity, and cost savings).
Negotiations began differently after the outbreak pushed many companies to try work-from-home. According to a Harvard Business School survey, 81% of respondents who worked from home during the COVID-19 epidemic want to continue or negotiate a hybrid work schedule. Thus, you’re not alone in wanting employment flexibility. Companies seeking top personnel will notice it and develop methods to supply it.
2. Parental leave paid
Only the US does not mandate paid parental leave among 41 OECD and EU nations. Some firms are providing such advantages even though the government doesn’t.
Only 21% of U.S. workers have paid maternity and paternity leave in 2020. That proportion is up from 14% in 2016, indicating that employers are taking employee requests for paid parental leave into account. Working parents should request and discuss it.
“You’re not going to want to worry about how to pay the bills while on leave, or that you’ll need to return before you’re ready,” says HR veteran and time management and productivity coach Alexis Haselberger. She thinks it’s not just about leave, but what these regulations indicate about business culture. Generous parental leave policies for same-sex families and bonding leave for non-primary parents reveal the company’s ideals.
3. Family-wide Health Benefits
When job hunting, fantastic health benefits might be enticing. Haselberger advises parents seeking coverage for their partners and children to read the small language on such health policies.
“Lots of companies tout generous benefits because they pay 100%,” she explains. “Then you find out they only pay 100% for the employee and you have to pay for your family, which can get expensive quickly.”
Haselberger thinks a company’s absence of dependent coverage might reveal more than its insurance preferences. It may mean they don’t have many other parents on staff, making them less likely to understand and meet working parents’ requirements.
4. College Savings Aid
Saving and paying for college is a stressor for many contemporary parents. But barely a third of American people know about 529 college savings plans, government-sponsored accounts that give tax benefits for money saved for college.
Patricia Roberts, JD, chief operating officer of Gift of College and author of Route 529: A Parent’s Guide to Saving for College and Career Training with 529 Plans, says payroll deduction and employer matches to 529 college savings plans are valuable financial wellness benefits for employees with future students and those who want to further their education.
With over two decades of experience helping families save for college, Roberts thinks corporations can support those efforts. Only 11% of U.S. firms allow payroll deduction into 529 plans, and only 2% match employee contributions, according to the 2019 SHRM Employee Benefits Survey.
Roberts advises prospective or current employees to remind their employers that college savings assistance is easy and low-cost to set up and maintain, especially since nearly every state has a 529 plan provider that can help for free. Remind prospective employers that organizations that provide 529 plans as an optional perk stand out and are worth working for.
5. Student Loan Repayment Help
Roberts argues student loan debt prevents many working parents from saving for retirement or their children’s schooling. “Student loan debt negatively impacts many areas of an employee’s life and causes stress for the employee and family.”
Finding a firm to assist you pay off debts might help. Good news for everyone: Student loan repayment help benefits companies nearly as much as students. Roberts advises highlighting that employers may now pay up to $5,250 to employee student loans as a tax-deductible business cost when negotiating job offers or with existing employers. Employees are exempt from personal income tax on employer contributions.
6. Child Care Grants
Borenstein says top companies are increasingly offering working parents daycare stipends.
She believes childcare stipends are vouchers for preschool or day care. “Ideally, this will be offered in addition to a parent’s yearly salary, not as a deduction, which can be seen as a parenting penalty.”
Many working parents struggle to find inexpensive and accessible daycare. This bonus shows that a firm values working parents.
7. Daytime Emergency Care
Borenstein says losing daycare at the last minute may be stressful for working parents, especially if it occurs on the same day as a deadline or a significant presentation.
Maybe a youngster becomes ill and misses school. Your nanny may not show up or the school system may announce a snow day. Unexpected daycare loss may put working parents in a bind fast.
Emergency day care may help. Like a school hiring a replacement teacher, companies may pay to keep some childcare firms on retainer so parents can contact them last minute.
According to Borenstein, last-minute aid offers workers “reassurance that they will have childcare coverage at those crucial times.” This should be a no-brainer for firms since it helps people be more present at work and show up when it matters. Of course, it reassures parents that a daycare emergency won’t ruin their day.
8. Loud Parenting Culture
“This is not your typical benefit, but it is possibly the most crucial one,” Borenstein adds. “Parenting loudly implies revealing your parenting. It involves discussing a child’s doctor’s visit, soccer game, etc.
It may not be a program, but it reflects an organization’s culture. So during the interview, you may want to consider (and inquire about):
- The top leadership team has how many parents?
- Are they using flexible work?
- Are they honest about their parenting problems and needs as they balance work and life?
- Can your interviewees describe how the group has helped working parents?
Child-care provider Bright Horizons discovered that 41% of businesses regard parents as less dedicated and 72% of working moms and fathers believe women are punished in their jobs for establishing kids.
“The only way this can change is if men and women start parenting loudly and encouraging each other,” Borenstein adds. Parenting loudly may not be a perk you can write into your contract, but it’s one you can hunt for and advocate for, whether you’re trying to better parent working conditions at your present workplace or looking for a new one.
The Muse lets you look for employment at firms with the benefits and perks you want. You should conduct your study (use these sources), pay attention to verbal and unspoken signals, ask questions, and negotiate for what you want and need.
