Nearly 60% of all families in the United States have both parents working. This is not a new trend. With the growing cost of living in virtually every state and earnings stagnant, more than half of American families have both parents working. Many of them need to be.
The narrative that families have to work to survive is true, but it’s not the entire picture. Many parents—women in particular—want to work. But with childcare and senior sitters at astronomical costs working families are making decisions with the little resources they have. So women are being forced out of the workforce.
Talking with your company about care benefits can be a hard conversation. But it’s important to be open and honest about your needs and how meeting them will help you be a better employee. Here are some ways in which you can empower yourself and advocate for better care benefits at work.
Be Honest
Employers aren’t necessarily thinking about your care needs. They’re busy worrying about meeting their business goals and objectives. And while that’s perfectly fine, it’s up to you to bring honest information to them.
If there are other parents or primary caregivers on staff that feel similar to you, ask them to join in on the care advocacy. More voices are more impactful.
Start an open and honest conversation with your employer. Let them know exactly how the lack of care support is hurting you as an individual and as an employee. This could be a lack of understanding from management when care options fall through. Or it could be the high-cost burden of care for younger children and older adults. Whatever the issues are, gather honest feedback from you and your team to bring to the conversation.
Highlight the Missed Opportunity
Imagine a world where parents didn’t have to worry about care every day we worked? Imagine knowing that the company you work for supports you both as a caregiver and as a person outside of your employment? There is extreme value in that for the employer. Satisfied employees are better retained. They stay with companies longer because they feel valued as a person, not as a commodity helping a company achieve something.
While this can increase employee retention, it can also increase employee mental health. And people who have fewer stressors in their life perform better. If there are opportunities that could arise from better care support, help your HR team visualize that. Will it offer parents on staff more focused time? Will it actually be less money out of the company’s pocket to offer care subsidies?
See how care benefits can help you and your team grow and translate that into actionable solutions your employer will understand.
Offer Solutions
While employee retention and mental health are promising ways to tell the story, bringing concrete solutions will help your management team see how they can make changes for the better of their workforce. Here are some options you can bring to the table when advocating for care support at work.
Care Subsidies
Care subsidies paid partially or in full can help immensely. This can take some of the burdens off of parents when paying the high costs of care. There’s also a benefit for the employer. Companies that offer care subsidies can receive up to $150,000 in annual tax credits.
Helpr can pay care facilities and babysitters directly through our app. We also have a babysitter directory for when care falls through and parents need support fast. If your employer doesn't already offer care benefits, you can refer them to us below.
Personal Time Off
Another option for employers is to offer personal time off for staff. If a care facility or school is closed then parents can take off without worrying about their vacation time being expended. This can also translate into personal time for less employees who need time off for doctor’s appointments, elderly care, and other personal issues.
Onsite Care
A final option would be to offer care onsite for your employees. If your employer has deep resources and a high annual budget, then you may be able to petition for onsite care options. There are different, more lenient liability laws when parents and children are both onsite, which would release some of the burden from employers starting a childcare facility at the office.
