Back to School Support for Working Parents

With the school summer holidays ending in September, working parents will need to re-organise their familial commitments and their working lives. As a business owner this can present challenges as there is a good possibility that you will employ staff who are also parents.

Whilst the summer months can pose headaches for parents with children below school leaving age (16) due to childcare arrangements, the ‘Back to School’ routine can also create its share of issues for employers. The morning commute to work might have to be a shared venture along with the school run, which can mean a rise in lateness due to traffic congestion etc. Then there are instances of sickness, and employees having to leave work to care for an ill child.

As an employer, showing some flexibility and understanding when it comes to employees taking time off for dependants goes a long way to helping create a positive work culture. This can also lead to improvements in retaining staff. Understandably, striking the correct balance between flexibility and maintaining the smooth running of your business is paramount, which is why seeking advice from an HR professional is highly advisable.

Head of HR Advisory at Croner, Dan Wilson comments:

“The transition from the school holidays to the start of the new school year can often be a stressful period for working parents and employers alike. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. By actively supporting working parents in your company, you can nurture a strong working culture within your organisation and, at the same time, mitigate any potential disputes with employees, that you may otherwise encounter.”

Talk to a member of Croner’s HR advisory team today on 0808 501 6651.

Flexible working

As any staff member who is a parent will attest to, being a parent does not have set working hours; it is a full-time responsibility which can demand attention at any time. With this in mind, it might be possible for your business to adopt flexible working, allowing for adjusted start and finish times to coincide with school runs and pick up times.

You could also employ a hybrid working system, allowing working parents the option to perform their role from home on occasional days of the week. Offering flexible working arrangements for working parents can go a long way in increasing staff retention and overall employee satisfaction.

Dan comments:

“Flexible working, especially around start and finish times, can be a mutually beneficial situation for employers and employees, especially for working parents. For employees, it allows easier navigation of school runs, doctors’ appointments and more, whilst for employers it means that there is no loss of productivity and working hours.”

Create a robust and fair absence policy

When utilised correctly, absence policies can help ensure working parents are provided with ample flexibility when it comes to childcare responsibilities. Whether it’s having to leave early to pick up a sick child from nursery, or a last-minute childcare arrangement that has fallen through, an absence policy should foster inclusivity in your workplace for working parents.

Utilising an absence policy to interrogate employees regarding any absence will not only create tension between management and employees, but it could lead to a high staff turnover, not to mention opening your business up to potential legal repercussions.

Dan adds:

“Employers should ensure their absence policy does not inadvertently discriminate against any protected characteristics, outlined in the Equality Act. This would also include things such as pregnancy and family friendly leave, such as maternity and paternity.

If you are at all in doubt about whether your policies stand up to scrutiny or are compliant with the latest legislation and best practice guidelines, you should seek the advice of a qualified HR professional.

Employees are entitled to a reasonable amount of unpaid time off for dependants where it is necessary under the Employment Rights Act 1996. There are no specific limits regarding time off for dependants, however, if you feel that this is having a detrimental effect on the employee’s work, it is best to discuss this with the employee and try to find a fair solution.”

Bringing children into work

Some employees may even request the possibility of bringing their children into work if there isn’t another option. You don’t have to allow this and should take care before deciding to do so; having a child at work could present Health and Safety issues and distract the employee.

Improve workplace culture regarding sickness

If you don’t explicitly mention that employees are entitled to a number of sick days, then you may think this would mean there is a good chance that they won’t use them. Whilst there is a temptation to think that this is a good thing from a business perspective, the reality is, staff not using sickness leave when they need to, is ultimately detrimental to your organisation.  It also creates uncertainty over entitlements, and it is a legal requirement that information on the amount of sick leave and pay is given to all workers in their written statement of terms (or details of where the information can be found) on or before their first day of employment.

In terms of company culture, it is far better for employees to feel comfortable taking sick leave when they need to. When an employee is given adequate time to rest and recover, they will, ultimately, be more productive at work, compared to if they are working whilst ill.

Furthermore, other employees are at risk of sickness because of ill staff coming to work whilst sick.

Ensuring that there is a positive culture regarding the use of sick days will help to make staff feel genuinely supported when it comes to not only their own heath,  but the health and wellbeing of their children as well.

Dan comments:

“Removing the culture of guilt that can often prevent employees for prioritising their health, can have a positive effect on workplace culture, especially in the case of having to take time to care for children.

In the case of a possible long term care issue, such as a child being sick for an extended period, you can discuss the possibility of parental, annual or unpaid leave with your employee and try to come to an arrangement that benefits you both.” 

Talk to a Croner HR and Employment Law expert

Ensuring that you get your documentation and contracts up to date is the first line of defence against being taken to an employment tribunal.

With once in a lifetime changes to Employment Law coming into effect soon, courtesy of the Employment Rights Bill, now is the time to ensure compliance.

Call Croner today on 0808 501 6651.