Most Western economies share a problem they struggle to address adequately: deteriorating demographics. The business world wrongly believes that they can do little to ensure that the labour market will continue to provide them with the talent to help them grow and be successful. Still, the war for talent will continue to rage until more employers support working parents more tangibly.
Most workers in Europe have a right to maternal and paternal leave that helps parents cope with the few months before and after the birth of a child. In most countries like Ireland and the UK, childcare costs are high. A general lack of support for parents at work has promoted a growing number, especially mothers, to leave employment for the long term.
Many women leave the workforce to care for relatives with long-term health challenges. Most of them never return to the workplace, as some employers often consider workers returning from a career break lacking the updated skills to fill vacancies.
According to the Office of National Statistics, nine million working-age people in the UK are currently economically inactive. A quarter of these are affected by long-term sickness.
A little less than a quarter are students pursuing their tertiary education. About 1.1 million Britons are economically inactive because they have caring responsibilities. Of these, one million are women.
Governments are gradually introducing free childcare to help working parents address the challenges of balancing workplace and family responsibilities. Some employers are also taking initiatives to provide childcare facilities for their employees to ensure they do not lose their talents.
Still, the war for talent is far from being won. A survey by MickBx, a UK provider of assistance to workers with family caring responsibilities, found that 63 per cent of working parents feel that having children has negatively impacted their careers. Women are more than twice as likely as men to feel less ambitious after becoming a parent.
Women start to downsize their careers even before having a baby. For instance, some highly qualified female parents prefer to opt for teaching because the summer, Christmas and Easter holidays are crucial for them to be with their children when schools are closed. This often means they miss out on employment opportunities in more financially rewarding industries that offer better career prospects. Understandably, work-life balance is a top priority for most working parents.
Few women are getting past middle management because the business world still has not adapted to helping women achieve this balance. Flexible working hours, part-time work and special leave for family-related commitments help, but more needs to be done. Expecting the government to legislate to make family-friendly concessions mandatory for all employers is unrealistic.
Caring goes beyond maternity and paternity leave. Employers must make their people feel that they can balance their demands at home and work without having to seek special permission
It remains the role of businesses to support employees beyond the first months of parenthood. It is not just the first year after a baby is born that matters. It is those 18 years that follow.
Some businesses are focusing on “attraction and retention” strategies to support staff with childcare responsibilities. They are the ones who are more successful in winning the war for talent.
Aviva, the insurance giant, offers a week of paid leave each year to workers with caring commitments. The company reports that employees have welcomed this initiative, and eligible employees only used just over a third of this entitlement.
This proves that workers struggling with caring responsibilities are not out for a free ride and act responsibly when their employers go the extra mile to support them. Aviva also gives parents an extra half-day off for their child’s first day at school.
These are the kind of initiatives that help employees to strengthen their loyalty to their employers. These simple concessions exemplify how employers can go beyond what the legislation requires and enhance their offerings. Working parents can mitigate the growing demographic problems leading to a talent shortage. If employers do not have a reputation for supporting working parents, they will find that addressing the skills shortage is much more challenging.
Caring goes beyond maternity and paternity leave. Employers must make their people feel that they can balance their demands at home and work without having to seek special permission.
There is mounting evidence that companies that show more sensitivity to the hardships faced by workers with caring responsibilities are more successful in attracting and retaining talent. This pro-family mindset of employers will create a really empowering environment and removes any potential feelings of guilt of working parents.