{"id":8309,"date":"2022-03-02T11:15:18","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T19:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/?p=8309"},"modified":"2022-03-02T11:15:18","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T19:15:18","slug":"ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"Ways your company can support working parents!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The pandemic has forced us to confront many faults in our system. It has uncovered how important it is to create flexible policies that allow parents to work in a stress-free environment while taking care of their children.<\/span><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_50 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\" role=\"button\"><label for=\"item-69ebf6641f652\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><input  type=\"checkbox\" id=\"item-69ebf6641f652\"><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents\/#How_Your_Company_Can_Support_Working_Parents\" title=\"How Your Company Can Support Working Parents\">How Your Company Can Support Working Parents<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents\/#Parental_Leave\" title=\"Parental Leave\">Parental Leave<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents\/#Flexible_Schedule\" title=\"Flexible Schedule\">Flexible Schedule<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents\/#Childcare_Benefits\" title=\"Childcare Benefits\">Childcare Benefits<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents\/#Final_Thoughts\" title=\"Final Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/ways-your-company-can-support-working-parents\/#About_the_Author\" title=\"About the Author\">About the Author<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supporting working parents isn\u2019t just a humanitarian act on the company\u2019s end. It ensures your employees aren\u2019t handing over the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fortune.com\/2022\/01\/19\/childcare-isnt-the-only-reason-women-are-considering-quitting-their-jobs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">resignation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> letter any time soon because they don\u2019t have enough time for their kids. When you find a reliable employee through <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BCjobs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you don\u2019t lose them because of simple mistakes with the company policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s look at how you can protect both your company and your employee\u2019s best interests.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Your_Company_Can_Support_Working_Parents\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Your Company Can Support Working Parents<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both men and women are responsible for child-rearing and domestic tasks. However, the world has moved beyond working dads and stay-at-home moms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, the workplace policies seem not to have evolved. Not to mention the neglect towards the same-sex couples, who have <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/library\/stories\/2020\/09\/fifteen-percent-of-same-sex-couples-have-children-in-their-household.html#:~:text=Who%20Is%20More%20Likely%20to,opposite%2Dsex%20couples%20with%20children.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">four times<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the chance of adopting compared to opposite-sex couples.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When making your company policies, you have to adopt a neutral approach that accounts for everyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Parental_Leave\"><\/span><b>Parental Leave<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legally, a company must allow<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pregnancyinfo.ca\/postpartum\/postpartum\/maternity-leave\/#:~:text=Maternity%20leave%20in%20Canada%20is,be%20shared%20between%20two%20parents.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> 15 weeks of maternity leave<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to both biological and surrogate mothers. Canada is ahead of other countries as it provides 35 weeks of parental benefits after a biological birth or adoption. The parents have the right to decide how they will share the benefit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can support our employees further by turning this leave into a parental leave instead of a maternity leave. Paid maternity leave is also only available to biological mothers and it would be a good idea to extend it to all parents. The law also stipulates that weekly earnings have to be under 40 percent of what they used to earn due to the presence of a newborn. However, it would be good to pay in full regardless.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Flexible_Schedule\"><\/span><b>Flexible Schedule<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of the day, you need the job done. So should it really matter how many hours an employee has logged in if they\u2019re efficient? Indeed, work from home has proved how ineffective the old system is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How you make your office flexible for parents is up to you. You could give parents the chance to decide the days they will work at the office versus at home. You could allow them to have paid leaves when the situation calls for it, apart from the parental leave.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some companies have begun to introduce unlimited paid leaves. It\u2019s a way to showcase trust in the employee\u2019s discretion to use these only when needed- be it for looking after their child or when they\u2019re sick.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Childcare_Benefits\"><\/span><b>Childcare Benefits<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Children are a big part of the parent\u2019s life or their everything, for that matter. So when you make policies to support them, you need to think of long-term ways in which their children are cared for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can come in many forms. For example, some companies keep a list of childcare providers on call for days when employees can\u2019t miss out on office work. Other companies allow children to join their parents in the workplace, setting aside a room where they can play and study until their parents are done for the day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Final Thoughts<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the end, the best way a company can support working parents is by asking them. Open a clear line of communication with your employees regarding what childcare support they need to feel comfortable in the workplace. We can assure you that no one will take advantage. If the company meets its employee&#8217;s emotional and financial needs, there is no reason to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_the_Author\"><\/span><strong><em>About the Author<\/em><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BCjobs.ca<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is Western Canada\u2019s largest job board, and host of \u201cInnovators\u201d a weekly <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/podcast.bcjobs.ca\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">podcast<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> interviewing top recruiters in BC and across Canada. Check out our recent interview with Fernanda Ave, Head of Tech Programs at CICCC (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/podcast.bcjobs.ca\/59-ciccc-discover-emerging-tech-role-trends\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Podcast link<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), and Sachi Kittur, VP of People Strategy at\u00a0StickerYou (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/podcast.bcjobs.ca\/58-stickeryou-3-top-job-application-tips\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Podcast link).<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The pandemic has forced us to confront many faults in our system. It has uncovered how important it is to create flexible policies that allow parents to work in a stress-free environment while taking care of their children. Supporting working parents isn\u2019t just a humanitarian act on the company\u2019s end. It ensures your employees aren\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":8320,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[149],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8309"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8309"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8310,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8309\/revisions\/8310"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}