Supporting the ongoing seasons of working parenthood
Most family-friendly programs focus on supporting new parents; however, parenthood also involves ongoing transition points as children grow from babies and toddlers to school-aged children and adolescents.
Open the door to ongoing conversations, and engage the employee and their leader in problem-solving what could work rather than what can’t.
With each new phase comes a new set of joys and challenges. Without effective ongoing support, later-stage working parents can be just as vulnerable as new parents to the conflict between work and family roles. Supporting parents to manage the varying stages of parenthood not only makes life easier for employees, but it also builds an organisation’s reputation for being a family-friendly employer, leading to increased retention of employees and a stronger ability to attract new talent.
Outcomes:
Get the Parental Leave transition right, and you have already laid the foundations for open conversations about managing ongoing work and family integration.
Promote awareness of the key transition points in the lives of working parents.
Understanding who your working parents are and who carers are.
Understanding and living the policies that support Parental Leave and flexible working arrangements.
Conversation starters to support ongoing working parenthood.
Help employees understand their leave options.
Encourage parents to use the EAP.
Facilitate connections within the business and external partners as required to support the ongoing transitions.
Promote awareness employees with caring challenges or change of circumstances.
How to remain inclusive by considering non-parents in initiatives where possible.