Supporting Parents in Your Remote Workforce
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Remote work has settled at around 25% of total workdays. This percentage is down from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it’s much higher than the 5% figure in 2019. These statistics come from Stanford University research.
But the stats don’t tell the whole story. Understanding the nuances behind remote work preferences can help you remove obstacles and support employees working from home.
The news site Vox reports that working parents, particularly mothers, are more likely to work remotely when it’s an option. Working from home offers personal and professional rewards, as well as challenges.
Remote roles benefit working parents by allowing them to:
But remote work for parents also presents obstacles. Challenges include:
Minimizing these challenges to help parents work effectively from home makes good business sense, reports the human resources association SHRM. Supporting working parents boosts your workplace culture and organizational reputation. It also increases productivity, reduces turnover, and elevates recruitment and retention.
Solutions to overcome challenges facing work-from-home parents
Use the following measures to support working parents in your remote workforce.
Create predictable work schedules. Knowing their work days and times in advance is essential for employees juggling home, work and caregiving duties. If possible, go a step further by establishing core hours and communication expectations.
These steps can create more certainty and reduce the mental burden on your employees. For example, knowing they must be available between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. increases daily flexibility and allows them to schedule appointments around these times. Knowing managers don’t expect an instant response to calls or emails reduces pressure when caregiving needs are urgent.
In addition, encourage boundaries around checking work. Allowing employees to disconnect and focus on other priorities can improve long-term mental health and performance.
Provide caregiver benefits. Working parents wear many hats. In addition to kids and work duties, many also care for pets and aging relatives. Caregiver benefits can ease their workload at home and boost their performance at work.
Many employee assistance programs (EAPs) provide child care and elder care resources. Services may include compiling local options, vetted and preferred locations, and online reviews. EAPs can connect employees to advisory and advocacy services, nursing hotlines and case managers. Information on emergency backup care and medical providers further supports these efforts.
Providing similar information on pet day cares and emergency veterinary services can help working parents with pets at home. Voluntary pet insurance benefits can make pet care and veterinary services more affordable.
Financial education and benefits are crucial to helping employees afford care options. For example, a dependent care flexible spending account allows employees to set aside up to $5,000 tax-free to pay for qualified child care and elder care.
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Offer affordable and accessible mental health benefits. Working parents have seen significant increases in stress, anxiety and depression, notes SHRM. Work-life imbalances and economic insecurity can exacerbate mental health issues.
Providing affordable mental health benefits is a crucial first step. Resources may include:
Virtual offerings can complement in-person care and further increase accessibility. Solidify your offerings through links and communications, making it easy for employees to access mental health care.
Personalize benefits communications, and repeat them often. Working parents have a lot on their plates. It may take multiple attempts to connect employees to the benefits they need.
Customize your benefits information to make it relevant in the moment. For example, you can send personalized communications for different life stages such as birth, preschool, kindergarten, high school, college and aging out of health benefits at 26.
Repeating and reinforcing your resources increases understanding, appreciation and utilization.
Listen to your employees. To maximize your benefits dollars, ask your employees what they need. Conduct semiannual surveys. Ask managers to hold conversations with working parents. Alleviate concerns where you can, point them to resources addressing their challenges, and report on relevant changes based on their feedback.
Show support for remote work. Return-to-office mandates have rattled remote employees. As of 2024, Benefits Canada reports 68% of working mothers are worried about losing workplace flexibility.
Demonstrating support for remote work can ease the fears of parents worried about in-person mandates. Normalize employees taking time for personal appointments and caring for sick kids. Reduce or eliminate expectations regarding evening or weekend work.
Highlight the contributions of remote employees. Ensure remote working parents receive equal opportunities for stretch assignments, raises, promotions and mentorships.
Be transparent about financial news. A fear of layoffs affects nearly 50% of employees with children under 18, according to the human resources technology platform Justworks. For those without a child under 18, that figure drops to 38%.
In response to these fears, working parents are more likely to take on additional assignments, work longer hours and look for backup jobs if layoffs occur. According to SHRM, these actions can affect employees’ mental health, work quality and team dynamics.
Communicating about the state of your industry and organization provides working parents with a trustworthy source rather than fear-based rumors. Reminders about severance and career placement can further alleviate their concerns and provide financial protection, SHRM reports.
For more information
For more ideas on supporting parents working from home, talk to your benefits adviser. They can help you evaluate current benefits offerings and explore new solutions.