Useful
Back to School – How to Be a Family-Friendly Workplace?
The start of the school year is always a critical period for employees – summer camps and rural grandparents are no longer available to help manage the balance between work and family during stressful times at the office.
A family-friendly workplace ensures that employees don’t have to worry about the start of the school year because established company practices help balance work and family life – and vice versa.
What Challenges Does This Period Pose for Families?
Autumn often brings new life situations: this is the time when children transition from nursery to kindergarten, kindergarten to school, and from lower to upper grades. Parents need to be more present during these transitions, attend back-to-school meetings, help find new classrooms, take their children to their first music or sports lessons, and coordinate with extracurricular instructors. It’s no wonder parents are anxious at work during the first weeks of September; it takes time for new routines to form and for them to feel confident that their children are in good hands. Employers must recognize that this is a challenging period for parents and provide flexible conditions.
Family-Friendly Workplace – Not Just Beneficial for Employees!
Discriminating against candidates with families during the selection process not only contradicts a 21st-century work mindset but also deprives you of valuable employees. People with families often have a strong sense of responsibility, excel at time management, prioritize effectively, and are loyal because stability is important to them alongside their family.
How to Be a Family-Friendly Workplace: Company Practices
A family-friendly workplace is flexible. Thanks to modern technology, most office jobs can be done, at least partially, from home – a logistical solution that many companies perfected during the pandemic, likely requiring no additional digital development. While full home office arrangements may not be expected by families, even one or two days a week can be a great help to a parent.
Many tasks can be done outside core hours, before 8 AM or after 5 PM. For example, if a parent has to take their child to school far away, allow them to start work at 9 AM and finish an hour later, or complete the remaining hour of work outside the office. Part-time job opportunities should not be limited to students and interns: 4- or 6-hour positions can greatly help in balancing family and work.
Provide childcare! Unexpected situations can arise where a working parent cannot arrange last-minute childcare. A family-friendly workplace is prepared for this! It is beneficial for both employees and employers if the workplace has a playhouse either on-site or in partnership with an external institution – ensuring that the workday is not canceled and the parent knows their child is safe.
Corporate Social Responsibility
A family-friendly workplace is empathetic, values its employees, considers their personal goals and life situations, thereby fostering a company culture based on loyalty and balanced work performance. Implementing family-friendly company practices sends the message that employees are valued and appreciated, setting a good example for society as well.
Want to Hire Students? We Can Help!
At Y Generation Student Cooperative, we work to provide your company with the best student workforce and offer young people the best professional opportunities and development.
