According to a survey by Vodafone, 1-in-5 people have quit a role due to poor parental policies. A further 25% of respondents admitted to not applying for a position because they didn’t like an employer’s approach to parental leave. The study is well worth a read, but I suspect these findings merely scratch the surface of what is truly at stake for businesses who don’t look after their parents in the current climate of attrition and change.

Of course, the challenge of juggling employment and parenting is not a new thing. Many of you reading this will have experienced hectic days on no sleep. But right now, in an era where employees are assessing how they can better balance their work and home lives, it’s never been more vital to listen to what your people want from the business’ approach to parental support.

Because when you lose the ability to retain and attract this crucial group of people and remember we’re not just talking about parents here, but anyone who might one day wish to start a family too. Sooner or later, the dirty nappy is going to hit the fan.

Generous maternity and paternity leave packages are a great start, but they’re only the first baby step towards truly supporting your working parents. As many as two-thirds of UK businesses are now thought to have gone above and beyond the statutory minimum, according to a range of studies. That’s certainly going to help with the attraction side of things.

However, when it comes to your current talent, it’s how you support your working parents through their next seventeen and a half years plus of parenting that’s going to really decide whether attrition starts to bite or not.

Look at output, not ‘time spent at the screen’ modes of productivity.

The likes of sports days, medical appointments and emergency pickups can take hours out of a working day. However, these things are non-negotiable. What is negotiable, is how you assess your people’s effectiveness as employees. Rather than focussing on accounting for every hour of your people’s working day, look at the results they achieve. If you trust your people to do what they’re there to do, you don’t need to worry too much if they’re managing their time around necessary family tasks. And they’ll likely reward that trust by putting the extra effort in.

Hybrid working really helps, but scheduling matters too.

There’s nothing like a school run to throw a spanner in the works when it comes to morning and mid-afternoon meetings and scheduled events. If possible, look to scheduling important meetings and in-person events during the middle of the day. We need to look beyond the ‘breakfast meeting’ to something more inclusive.

Remote working when kids are sick is feasible.

The start of this decade put our home and professional lives into a blender, and we’re all still figuring it out. Once, the idea of a snoozing toddler gurning softly through a video call would’ve been the stuff of viral news. Now, it’s a sign of acceptance that sometimes when our offices are our home, there will be some unavoidable overlap. If you can create a culture of understanding that sometimes work and parenting might have to mix, you’ll build an environment where working parents can feel at home.

Summer holidays require logistical sleight of hand.

For many working parents, school holidays can be a tightrope walk of day clubs, grandparent visits, and family holidays. Nobody expects a business to shut down for Summer, but a little flexibility in working patterns is always welcome.

PwC have made positive headlines recently on this front, with their summertime half-day finish Fridays. They’ve also given people the freedom to take two flexible bank holidays a year. With 73% of staff reporting positive benefits to their wellbeing, it goes without saying this has gone down well with everyone, in and out of the business. If you can give your people more flexibility, and trust them to manage their own workloads, they’ll likely reward you with loyalty and commitment.  

Providing flexibility and support for people juggling work and family lives is critical for attracting, retaining and developing talent. If you’re ready to create a more supportive culture in your organisation, then call us today, we’re ready to help.