With the right support, working parents can thrive

Managing a career and a family has always been a struggle for working parents, especially if they don't have any support solutions in place. With more than one third of today's workforce made up of working parents — many with children under five years old — there is a strong economic and business case for keeping them in the workforce. 

Recent data shows working parents today are more comfortable speaking up and asking for the benefits they need, and report they will go elsewhere to find a company that offers them. Seventy percent of respondents to the 2024 Modern Family Index, conducted by the Harris Poll, agreed that working for a company that has benefits to support work/life balance is "non-negotiable." Being a working parent shouldn't get to the point where it's affecting one's mental health or has negative consequences on career trajectories. 

All working parents need the right supports in place, and their employer can play a role in solving this work-life conundrum. They need this support for themselves, their careers, and their families to be successful and productive. 

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Life events like having a child should matter to all employers. It's time for companies to listen to their workforce, as it's more cost-effective to retain experienced talent with institutional knowledge than re-hire and train. According to McKinsey Research, benefits like on-site child care open the door to otherwise unreachable talent for whom caregiving is a top reason for leaving the workforce. 

We work with hundreds of forward-thinking employers that are seeking to create a compelling future vision of the workplace by providing meaningful supports — such as access to care for children, elderly parents, and even pets, to allow all employees to bring their whole selves to work.

For many employers, offering important work/life balance supports has become a must-have amenity like the fitness center. In fact, when Walmart was planning to build its new state-of-the-art campus, having on-site childcare was the number one request from Walmart associates who would work there when asked what they wanted most.

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When looking at benefit options to provide, employers must consider employees' life stages. With 4-6 generations at most companies, offering a variety of options is important as people need different supports throughout their career to meet their varying needs and challenges. We know from our research that the younger generation want their employers to provide not only physical health and financial well-being benefits, but familial supports as well. I call this the third pillar, and it's crucial to working parents. 

Companies that offer familial supports, whether it's access to a childcare center or offering a select number of back-up care days when regular care falls through, or even pet care and elder care options, find them to be great talent attraction and retention strategies. Studies show caregivers with employer support are more loyal, and are 50% less likely to leave their jobs.

When companies commit to creating a culture of caring, they will see positive returns play out in a variety of ways for years to come. I like to say when people are centered at home, only then can they be fully present at the office. That to me is the real answer to the work-life balance integration equation.