Family-friendly employment: you can't (and won't!) avoid it anymore
Family-friendly employment: you can't (and won't!) avoid it anymore
If we've learned one thing from the Corona crisis, the closed schools and child care and the grandparents who couldn't babysit, it's that combining work and family is top notch. And that is an understatement. It is therefore high time that employers adjust their policies accordingly and get to work with family-friendly employers. Fortunately, there are already a number of organizations that are setting a good example (also for some time)!
What can you do to be a family-friendly employer? We'll give you a few examples. Tip of the hat: that means more than just smiling endearingly when a baby unintentionally appears on screen during your Zoom call.
Why do you want to be a family-friendly employer?
In short, because everyone benefits; parents, children and employer alike. The family because there is more time for each other, the parent because the PSA (psychosocial workload) is lower and the employer because the employee is happier, has much less absenteeism and is thus more productive. In addition, the old picture of inflexible employers who think you should just "combine family + career" simply doesn't fit anymore.
Family-friendly employment = flexible working hours
Clocking in at 8:30 a.m. and clocking out at 5 p.m. Better not. We can already tell you that with this system a lot of stressed out parents will throw their child around the door of the day care center / elementary school and then hurry, stressed and frustrated to open their laptop on time. Therefore, be flexible in terms of working hours and working from home. Your employee will feel more comfortable and start the workday better (and more productive).
But also consider additional leave arrangements
You can choose to stick only to the statutory leave. You can also choose to go the extra mile as a family-friendly employer. For example, there are employers who offer additional arrangements whereby parental or childbirth leave for partners is paid in full, rather than the 70% payment under the law. But also consider additional leave arrangements for women who have miscarried.
Collection options
Are you striving for family-friendly employment? Then also orient yourself to the possibilities of enabling babysitting. There are organizations that have day care for children but also organizations that support their employees by making babysitting available.
Pumping room
This is more than the stockroom you put a chair in or an empty meeting room that happens to be unmanned for an hour. As a family-friendly employer, you pay more attention to this. For example, Greenpeace has a veritable flask lounge where you can seclude yourself and flask in peace. Sound excessive? It's not. According to Joyce Knappen, director of Pro Parents and expert on work and parenting, negative experiences with pumping in the workplace can cause mothers to stop breastfeeding sooner or even (temporarily) stop working. Definitely important to pay attention to this!
The Netherlands' most family-friendly employers
Intermediair, together with Ouders van Nu, conducted a survey of the Netherlands' most family-friendly employers. High scores were: WWF, Hema, a.s.r. & Tony Chocolonely's. Among others because of extensive leave arrangements, a babysitting and childcare service and a real baby bonus from Tony Chocolonely's; an extra amount of money to help parents with the extra costs a baby entails. Now we at Hire.co.uk already knew that chocolate is always a good idea anyway, now we also know for sure that chocolate itself has the best ideas.
