Having a a job that provides childcare is a dream come true for a working mom. In fact, providing childcare in the workplace is the common denominator among companies who made the list of “Top 100 Companies for Working Mothers” compiled by Working Mothers magazine– over 80% of them provide on-site childcare for employees.
Unfortunately, only about 9% of companies offer employer sponsored child care programs, leaving employees of the 91% of American companies who don’t have that benefit to find their own trusted childcare, and transport their children to and from it before and after work. Arranging childcare has become so complicated that 23% of working parents depend on multiple arrangements to cover their childcare requirements while they work. If you have decided you need childcare in the workplace, here are a few tips for motivating your employer to provide childcare resources for employees:
- Show Your Employer How It Benefits Them
Paint a picture for your employer of how they win by offering childcare. Companies who provide workplace-funded childcare report that employees have strong job loyalty, are less likely to quit, show better productivity, and have lower rates of absenteeism. In fact, studies show that employers with onsite childcare save 50% to 200% of the cost of the service in avoided paid leave and related costs. - Leverage Strength in Numbers
Show your employer how greatly they need childcare in the workplace by uniting parents within your company to lobby for it. A good way to find other parents who need childcare in the workplace is by conducting a survey. If that is too formal, simply talk to your coworkers about the challenges they face as working parents, and what they look for in convenient, quality childcare. Compiling these statistics will help your employer see the need they could meet, as well as it may help you identify other working parents who could join your cause. - Organize the First Steps to Get Your Employer Started
Your HR manager might be hesitant to jump on board because the idea of arranging on-site childcare is so foreign they don’t know where to begin. If you present your proposal with a simple outline of the first steps, it might make your employer find the idea more enticing. Start by compiling a list of potential vendors who provide on-site childcare for companies, with some background of their experience. It’s also helpful to get contact information for other employers who offer on-site childcare in the area, so that your employer can get feedback and guidance in getting the program started. - Volunteer to Help Spearhead the Program
If your employer sees that you’ve done the legwork, and have foundational relationships with the employee base who will be utilizing the program, having you on their team might be the tipping point to get your proposal approved.
Have you been successful at getting on-site childcare started at your place of work? Do you have any advice for others who are trying to do the same? Please leave a comment with your input below.
