Throughout the pandemic, Roundtable members adjusted their work models, benefits, and business practices to meet the needs of employees, including support for working parents and those with caregiving responsibilities. As the pandemic deepened the need for these supports, it has also mobilized a broader adoption of benefits for working parents and demonstrated how support for working parents is good for business.

As the Roundtable consistently hears from members about how they can best support their employees, we welcomed Sadie Funk, Director, Best Place for Working Parents (BP4WP), a new initiative recently launched in Massachusetts with support from Roundtable member PNC, for an Open Forum discussion on how to create a family-friendly workplace. There are several reasons why employers should prioritize support for working parents. During the Roundtable’s Open Forum, Sadie outlined the following factors:

  • Women’s labor force participation is at a 33-year low
  • Employers lose $13 billion annually in productivity costs due to child care challenges faced by their workforce
  • Current workforce needs are changing: most families are dual-working households, child care is a barrier for non-working parents who do not participate in the workforce, and workers prioritize jobs with flexibility and strong family policies

Recognizing the need to offer supports for working parents, our discussion focused on how employers can create a family-friendly workplace. To kick off the discussion, BP4WP outlined their 10 research-backed policies that benefit working parents and businesses:  

  • Core Benefits: company-paid healthcare coverage; paid time off; maternity and paternity leave
  • Family Resources: onsite child care; child care assistance; backup child care
  • Flexibility: flexible hours; remote work/work from home
  • Company Culture: nursing benefits; “best place” designation

The good news is that many of these policies have been adopted by Roundtable members and Roundtable members shared how they have embraced empathetic leadership to create a supportive culture for employees on top of these benefits. In fact, how leadership “shows up” was found as a recipe for success among members in the Roundtable’s May 2022 Future of Work & Massachusetts Competitiveness Survey, recognizing leadership in the workplace—including ways to create inclusive work environments like investing in caregiving, mental health, and supportive work schedules—help to attract and retain talent. And BP4WP and Roundtables agree that these are also all ingredients to creating a family friendly workplace.

The Roundtable consistently hears that talent is a top issue for Roundtable members—attracting and retaining talent, developing existing talent, and diversifying talent. As employers respond to employee needs and reimagine and design their workplaces for new schedules and modes of working, creating a family=friendly workplace supports existing workers and may attract new ones.

As part of the launch of Best Place for Working Parents in Massachusetts, employers are invited to complete a confidential 3-minute online self-assessment to see how their company compares to others and to receive a “Best Place for Working Parents” designation. The Roundtable will also continue to advocate for public policy and share best practices for employers to create a family friendly workplace.