Nationwide, employers are studying the costs of offering various work/family programs and some businesses are responding to the conflict between work demands and family responsibilities. You may want to check if your employer offers family friendly initiatives to balance work and family commitments. Wherever you work, the following information may help you and your employer.
The first step is to consider exactly what kind of help you need. Would changing your work schedule by half an hour mean that you could get to work on time and pick up your children before the center closes? Do you need an occasional morning off for parent conferences and pediatric appointments? Would you be willing to work on a Saturday to cover lost time at work when your child was sick? Do you need referrals and time to visit area child care facilities? Without programs from your employer, you are more likely to be absent or late to work, or spending some work hours trying to find answers to your child care needs.
Familiarize yourself with all the family leave initiatives at your job regarding time off, sick time and flexibility in your hours at work. Determine how these policies may best fit your needs. Contact your local Child Care Resource and Referral Agency for information on successful work/family programs. These programs for parents generally fall into the following categories:
Despite a growing awareness of the tension between the demands of work and family, every business must decide individually how to respond and what changes to make. Some managers may be unwilling or unable to make changes and resist requests from employees. Some employees hesitate asking their manager for flexibility or programs for child care issues for fear of reprisal. Your ability to successfully combine work and family will largely depend on who your manager is and your company's attitudes and policies. You may want to inform your manager that addressing employees' needs for help around child care issues can bring real business benefits:
After you determine how to best meet your child care needs, set aside a quiet time to speak with your manager about your request. If you have more than one supervisor, decide who will be most responsive to your work and family issues. Plan ahead about what you will say and how to deliver your words in a calm manner. The better prepared you are, the more likely you will be successful.
Learn as much as possible about how others have handled their child care issues before you. For some companies, a written proposal that details your personal needs with the coverage of your responsibilities at work is important. Remain confident and enthusiastic as you explain that your proposal can benefit both you and the business. Be sure your boss understands that you are committed to doing your job well.
If there are limited or no family leave policies at your job, you might talk to your manager about what adjustments can be made to ease your work and family responsibilities. Explain to him that instead of worrying about your children, new company programs could allow you to be better focused on your work and reduce your absenteeism. Together you can discuss options that might work for both of you. Most family-oriented personnel initiatives cost little or nothing for a company to implement but do require employers to be flexible and rethink their practices. Some managers just may not know where to begin.
Speak with your manager or human resources department ahead of time about how your work can be done when you must leave work for unexpected reasons. If possible, be prepared to have more than one solution. When minor child care emergencies do arise, try to handle them with minimal disruption to your work. For larger emergencies, check in again upon your return to see if things ran smoothly. The key will be clear, ongoing communication.
Every employer will decide which benefits will be feasible to offer and most responsive to their employees' needs. It may be helpful for you to report to your manager some of the options available and the advantages for companies who offer work/family programs.
Support for child care issues is one way employers can work with their employees to balance work and family commitments. Increasingly, businesses are offering flexible work options as a way to recruit and retain employees. It is helpful for parents to be aware of the following alternative work schedules:
The Daily Parent is prepared by NACCRRA, the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.
© 2012 NACCRRA. All rights reserved.