Strategies for Supporting Parents in the Workplace

The National Vital Statics Report on U.S. birth trends has been released. This year has shown a decrease in overall birth rates, with significant patterns in age-specific fertility and prenatal care dynamics. Such insights not only shed light on public health strategies but also provide a crucial lens through which employers can enhance workplace policies. Key findings: -A decline in the general fertility rate and specific decreases across different age groups. -A notable reduction in early prenatal care and smoking during pregnancy. -Changes in delivery methods, including a slight increase in cesarean rates. -Stability in Medicaid as a primary source for delivery payments, indicating the ongoing importance of supportive healthcare policies. Employers play a pivotal role in supporting the workforce, especially expectant and new parents. Here are 10 strategic solutions that can be implemented to foster a supportive work environment: 1- Flexible Working Hours: Adapt work schedules to accommodate prenatal appointments and postpartum needs. 2- Remote Work Options: Provide options for telecommuting to help manage pregnancy-related fatigue and doctor's visits. 3- Extended Parental Leave: Offer more generous leave policies to support parental bonding and childcare. 4- Fertility Benefits: Enhance healthcare coverage to fertility care. 5- Onsite Childcare: Establish or subsidize childcare facilities at or near the workplace to ease the burden on working parents or increased daycare funds. 6- Employee Assistance Programs: Offer programs that provide counseling and support for prenatal and postnatal care. 7- Education and Training: Conduct workshops on family planning, prenatal health, and parenting to educate employees. 8- Support for Breastfeeding Mothers: Provide private, comfortable spaces for breastfeeding and allow breaks as needed. 9-Return-to-Work Programs: Create phased return-to-work options for new parents to ease the transition while maintaining career trajectories. 10- Wellness Programs: Implement programs focused on maternal health and stress management to support overall well-being. As we move forward, understanding and adapting to the evolving demographic trends will be key in crafting effective corporate policies that align with the needs of a diverse workforce. What is your organization doing to support families? List it in the comments ⬇️ #employeebenefits #parentalsupport

During my parental leave, I considered not returning to work. And I’m not alone. According to a recent report by Moms First and Adecco Group shared in Charter, two-thirds of mothers with children under five report that they considered quitting their job as the end of their parental leave approached. When I first shared publicly in an article in 2019 that I had considering not returning to work during my parental leave, it surprised many people who knew how much I loved my career and my calling in university fundraising. Here’s the thing: we can do more to support working parents in our organizations. It’s my mission to help all working parents, and mothers in particular, to see that they can love their career and their family—and be great at both. Here are four ways to support working mothers in your organization: 1. Speak up about practices that disproportionally affect moms. According to What Works for Women at Work by Joan C. Williams (one of my fave books), part of the bias against working mothers and pregnant women is the perception that they’re not as dedicated to their careers. Correcting this means addressing what’s being said—by shutting down any comments about working moms who rush out of the office at 5 pm, for example—and what’s not being said. Though you may not directly experience what others do as a working parent, show compassion and advocate for others. It shouldn’t fall only to working mothers to speak up about office policies—both official and unspoken—that negatively affect them. 2. Be mindful of scheduling… I’ve been known to swoop into conference rooms like James Bond ducking under a closing steel trap as I tried to navigate making school drop off, commuting to work, and getting to that early morning meeting. In some workplaces, there are parameters on when meetings can be held to be mindful of the demands on people’s schedules. If your org isn’t one of them—you can still make it a personal practice to only schedule meetings after (or before) a certain time. Let’s be real, no one really likes rushing in for an early morning meeting, so this is more inclusive for everyone! 3. …and rescheduling. Meeting times often change to keep up with unexpected demands of the workday, and though it can cause friction for everyone, it can be an added challenge for working parents. They may have set aside time to pump or need to leave early to get to parent-teacher conferences. If you’re changing a scheduled meeting, consider how it might affect others and give as much advance notice as possible. 4. Ask how they want to be helped. If you’re not sure how to support a working mother, ask her! She’ll be grateful for the acknowledgment, even if she doesn’t yet have the answer figured out. Whether a woman has just returned to work after parental leave or has been navigating working motherhood for years, she could benefit from your support. Which strategy resonates most with you?

Ever wonder what employees wish they had when returning to work after having a baby? 👶 The transition back to work after having a baby can be overwhelming. From our research and the shared experiences of many new parents, here are some key wishes and insights to make this journey smoother for everyone: 1. 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀: A high-level summary of the last few months, including changes and new challenges, helps returning employees catch up quickly. 2. 𝗛𝗥 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Ensure HR systems are updated correctly. Errors in status and payroll can cause unnecessary stress. 3. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Policies to support breastfeeding mothers, such as providing services like Milk Stork for traveling employees, can be incredibly helpful. 4. 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀: Daycare illnesses and personal adjustments require flexible hours. This flexibility can reduce anxiety and help parents balance work and family. 5. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: Evaluate the necessity of work trips. If possible, offer remote participation until the employee feels comfortable. 6. 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: Clear guidance on essential materials, meeting attendance, and training helps returning employees prioritize their workload effectively. 7. 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗽-𝗨𝗽 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗱: A gradual increase in responsibilities over two to three weeks can ease the transition back to full productivity. 8. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸: Offering the option to work remotely can significantly ease the stress of returning to work. 9. 𝗣𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀: Encourage scheduling placeholder meetings for pumping sessions. Avoid unexpected calls, especially during pumping times. 10. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁: Ensure the employee is returning to their previous role without feeling that they have to re-earn their position. Creating a supportive and understanding environment can make all the difference for new parents returning to work. Looking for ways to support the new moms and parents in your organization? Let's work together to build a more inclusive and compassionate workplace. #WorkingParents #ReturnToWork #EmployeeSupport #Inclusivity #HRBestPractices

Please don't do this one thing to working parents: Give a project that they could help with away to someone else and tell them it's because "they are too busy" or "I want you to have time with your family." While it might seem kind, removing projects can feel like a penalization for being a parent. Like saying, "You can't handle it." Ouch. Here's the reality: many working parents already feel the guilt tug-of-war. Taking away work adds another layer of doubt and self-defeat. They might think, "See, everyone thinks I can't balance it!" Worse, it can be a mechanism to convert the guilt they have into shame: "I can't do this. I am not good enough" So, how can you ACTUALLY support working parents? 1. Be a Collaborative Captain: Don't dismiss them! Instead, approach them with the new opportunity and highlight their unique skills for it. Then, ask the magic question: "I know you're juggling a lot, but I believe you'd excel at this! How can we make it work for you and maximize your strengths?" 2. Empower, Don't Undermine: This gives them agency and lets them voice their needs. They might say, "Bring it on!" or suggest adjustments. Whatever it is, respect their decision. 3. Trust the Juggling Act: Parents are master multitaskers! Unless they explicitly express overload, trust their ability to prioritize and delegate as needed. Remember, working parents don't need pity or protection, they need partnership. Offer support, flexibility, and an environment where they feel valued and capable. That's the recipe for a truly thriving team, parents included! #workingparents #worklifebalance #leadership #empowerment

If you're serious about retaining and growing your working parent talent, childcare benefits aren't a nice-to-have; they're a strategic imperative. The reality for millions of employees right now is that the lack of affordable, reliable childcare is a massive barrier to productivity, career progression, and even simply showing up to work consistently. When parents, particularly mothers, struggle with childcare, it directly impacts their mental bandwidth, creates immense stress, and often forces them to step back from their careers or leave the workforce entirely. This means companies are losing experienced, valuable talent – and incurring significant replacement costs – not because of performance, but due to external life demands. By offering robust childcare support – whether it's on-site facilities, subsidies, stipends, or even robust dependent care FSAs – organizations are making a direct investment in their workforce. It signals an empathetic, human-centric culture that understands and supports the whole employee. This isn't just about retention; it's about enabling career growth, fostering greater diversity, and ultimately, ensuring your best talent can thrive without constantly battling an impossible work-life equation. Prioritize childcare, and watch your working parent talent flourish. #ChildcareBenefits #WorkingParents #EmployeeRetention #TalentStrategy #HRLeadership #FutureOfWork

Postpartum Allyship: Recognizing that postpartum mothers’ organizational reentry is fraught with physical, emotional, and psychological challenges, and engaging in specific behaviors to support and advocate for working mothers during their reentry process. In our work, David Smith and I find that Aspiring Allies for #GenderEquity and #GenderEquality need to work at constantly refreshing their evidence-based GQ (Gender Intelligence). Here is my GQ update recommendation for this week, an important piece of research from Nitya Chawla and her colleagues on ally behaviors that matter during what they describe as the #FifthTrimester of the pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period. "the fifth trimester as the period during which the #workingmother is born...this period is marked by mothers grappling with the “working mother” identity that is fraught with incongruity between the ‘ideal worker’ and ‘mother’ roles, surfacing concerns ranging from whether they can effectively enact both the worker and mother roles to whether colleagues perceive them to be less committed to work." Here are just a few of the ally behaviors that ultimately helped mothers in this study report lower turnover intentions, lead enriched family lives (work-family capital), and preserve their well-being (lower postpartum depressive symptoms): Co-Navigating the HR Infrastructure: ·        helped me interpret HR policies for parents in a compassionate way. ·        shared their knowledge about HR policies for parents. ·        encouraged me to advocate for myself with HR. Creating Physical Spaces for Motherhood: ·        supported my choice to work remotely. ·        allowed me to bring my baby to work when needed. ·        ensured I had access to a suitable lactation room. Creating Temporal Spaces for Motherhood: ·        allowed me to craft my transition back from parental leave. ·        enabled me to have daily schedule flexibility without judgment. ·        structured breaks in meetings for me. ·        gave me wholehearted permission to establish boundaries between work and family. ·        took on elements of my work when I needed help. ·        took notes for me during meetings I missed when attending to my baby’s needs. Validating Both Her Worker and Mother Identities: ·        allocated work to me as a valuable contributor to our workgroup. ·        celebrated my return to work. ·        expressed confidence in my work capabilities. ·        acknowledged the struggle of being a new mother at work. ·        compassionately listened to my experiences as a mother. ·        asked about the development of my baby. Workplace Allies #goodguys #athenarising #menasallies #maleallies #womenleaders

Employees aren’t just worried about returning to the office. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘁. Childcare and elder care costs are a huge hurdle for many employees. We talk about flexibility and work-life balance. What happens when care isn’t affordable? As HR professionals, we’re often caught in the middle. We’re implementing policies while trying to support employees through real challenges. If childcare or elder care is a major pain point, here’s what we can do: ✅ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Make it easy for employees to share their challenges. Try surveys or 1:1s to understand their needs. ✅ 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 Does your company offer dependent care FSAs? Could your company offer a childcare stipend or reimbursement program? ✅ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 For employees juggling care, flexibility isn’t a perk. It’s a lifeline. Hybrid schedules, flex hours, or remote Fridays help. ✅ 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 Employees don’t always know what’s available to them. Point them toward local care resources, company benefits, and external support programs. ✅ 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 Supporting employees often means sharing their concerns. Bring their challenges to leadership. Share real stories (anonymously) that highlight the impact of these challenges. Affordable care isn’t just an employee issue—it’s a business issue. When employees are stressed about care, it affects engagement, productivity, and retention. What creative solutions has your company implemented? Please drop your ideas in the comments. 👉 If this resonates, share this post with your network. ♻️ I appreciate 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 repost. Want more HR insights? Visit my profile and join my newsletter for weekly tips to elevate your career! Stephanie Adams, SPHR #Adamshr  #Hrprofessionals  #humanresources  #HR 

7 rounds of IVF, 2 miracle babies, and a battle with PPD.  As a Total Rewards Leader I will always advocate for better parental leave. ❗️Shocking stat❗️: Only 23% of U.S. workers have access to paid family leave. For primary parents, this is a crisis. 12+ Weeks Paid Leave for Primary Parents is Non-Negotiable. Why?  • Critical physical recovery time • Establishment of vital routines • Reduced risk of postpartum depression • Stronger parent-child attachment My journey as a primary parent taught me: • The '4th trimester' is real and demanding • Healing and bonding can't be rushed • Adequate support prevents burnout As HR leaders and tech employers, we're uniquely positioned to champion this change. Offering 12+ weeks paid leave for primary parents isn't just compassionate - it's a strategic investment in your workforce. Not enough of an argument for the decision makers in your organization? Then here are some reasons why to help convince them: 1️⃣ Boosts retention by fostering loyalty and long-term commitment. 2️⃣ Strengthens organization reputation as a people-first company.  3️⃣ Happy parents return to being more focused and productive. 4️⃣ Attracts top talent by standing out in the market.  5️⃣ Promotes gender equity by supporting all family structures. What's the biggest obstacle you see in implementing extended leave for primary parents? Let me know in the comments. #PrimaryParentLeave #ParentalBenefits #WorkplaceCulture #EmployeeBenefits References: - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023). National Compensation Survey: Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2023. https://lnkd.in/egp7ycfX - American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2018). https://lnkd.in/eMwfqMrc

The hidden cost of motherhood at work isn't in dollars. It's in the silence of brilliant women wondering if they've "lost their edge." But here's what your HR department isn't telling you: ↳ Up to 75% of new moms experience postpartum changes ↳ Most return-to-work programs don't focus on brain health ↳ Simple lab work could change everything The science is clear: Postpartum brain needs: ↳ B12 for sharp thinking and memory ↳ Vitamin D for emotional resilience ↳ Omega-3s for nervous system balance This isn't about "time management." It's about biology. And it's fixable. What if instead of judgment, we offered understanding? What if instead of pressure, we offered support? What if instead of silence, we started talking? Evidence-based postpartum support includes: ↳ Regular nutrient screening, especially for B12 (crucial for vegetarian/vegan mothers) ↳ Flexible scheduling that accounts for physical and cognitive recovery ↳ Recognition that maternal brain health directly impacts work performance The most expensive talent loss? The one we could have prevented. ================================ ♻️ Share if you believe mothers deserve better support 👉 Follow me for more evidence-based mental health insights ❤️ Tag an HR leader who should see this ❤️ May is Mental Health Awareness Month

7 Ways Companies Can Support Working Parents (That Don’t Cost A Dime) 40% of the workforce is made up of parents. But companies often create cultures that limit the output of those employees. Here are 7 zero-cost ways companies can support working parents (and reap the rewards of higher productivity and better results): 1. Focus On Outcomes Over Hours Parents don’t have unlimited time, but they do know how to get things done. ✅ Action: Set goals based on output, not hours worked. Let parents prove their impact with results, not face time. 2. Set Real Work-Life Boundaries If employees are always "on," they’ll eventually burn out. ✅ Action: Normalize no messages or emails before 9am or after 5pm. 3. Introduce No Meeting Days It’s hard to get deep work done between back-to-back Zooms. ✅ Action: Designate one day per week with no meetings so parents can focus or catch up after a long night / weekend. 4. Be Aware Of Schedules Parents are often balancing multiple schedules. Pick up, drop off, sports practice, etc. ✅ Action: Ask your team to share their schedules and let colleagues know which times they'll be offline. 5. Celebrate Personal Wins There’s more to life than work. People feel appreciated when you take time to understand what's happening in their personal lives. ✅ Action: Shout out graduations, sports wins, recitals, and other family milestones in team meetings and Slack channels. 6. Respect PTO “Just a quick ping” can wait. ✅ Action: When someone’s on vacation, don’t contact them. No emails. No meeting invites. Let them unplug. 7. Lead By Example Company culture is shaped by what leaders do, not what they say. ✅ Action: Make sure execs follow these practices themselves, visibly and consistently, while encouraging employee to do the same. What did I miss? Drop your tip for supporting working parents below👇 —— ♻️ Repost to help other job seekers ➕ Follow Austin Belcak for more 🔵 Ready to land your dream job? Click here to learn more about how we help people land amazing jobs in ~3.5 months with a $44k raise: https://lnkd.in/gdysHr-r