3 benefits that support working parents

REVIEW RTO: When the dust settled post-COVID, remote work has allowed many parents to return without sacrificing time with their children or their career growth. Sixty-nine percent of working parents feel they've been able to be more involved in their children's lives because of more flexible work schedules, according to a recent study by KinderCare Education Centers .?But return-to-work mandates threaten that newfound work-life balance, says Dave Jacobs , co-founder and CEO of Homethrive , a caregiver support platform.?

"Even if the return-to-work is two days a week, the needs that an employee might have with their family could easily overlap with those days in the office," Jacobs says. "Over the last three or four years, employees have gotten used to flexibility — they've built their entire lives around it. Maintaining that is going to be very important for organizations moving forward."??

Here's what you should consider before asking employees to RTO: How to keep RTO mandates family-friendly

LISTEN TO MOMS: The University of Phoenix and Motherly? , a content platform for moms, released their 2023 Mothers Overcome More report, or the M.O.M, highlighting how low-income mothers (those who earn below what they would need to meet basics needs like child care and housing in their state) faced the highest amount of adversity for the lowest payoff.?

"To boil it down, there are four key components missing in workplaces where we find our lower-income moms: Accessible child care, paid time off, the recognition of skills acquired through motherhood and opportunities to build one's skills," says Ruth Veloria , chief strategy officer at the 美国凤凰城大学 . "If employers put those components together, they can set moms up for success."

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DIY A POLICY THAT WORKS: When Jennifer Barnes’ child care falls through, she doesn’t need to miss work and disrupt her entire day. Instead, she brings her one-year-old son into the office with her.?As the CEO of accounting firm Optima Office , Barnes is in a unique position to create policies that benefit her employees — and herself. Since becoming a mom in 2022, she brings her son into work with her often, and has even created a formal policy allowing all employees to do the same when the need arises.?

“Over the years, I allowed a number of children to come into the office when their parents needed them to and it was never really a big deal to me,” Barnes says. “Now I have a 15-month old and it was a natural fit for me to bring him into the office. If they're not disruptive, if somebody needs to bring their kid to the office for the entire day, that's not a problem. Just don't take advantage of the flexibility.”?

Here's why more employers need to think outside the box around child care: With child care harder to come by, this CEO brings her baby to work