How to Create a Family Friendly Workplace

This topic will highlight the strategies many companies are utilising in order to create a family friendly culture for their employees and the benefits of doing so.

If companies clearly set out their policies for supporting working parents, employees will feel safe and supported at work as they know there are measures in place which will support them growing their family. Below are examples of measures companies can take to support their employees, and how this, in turn, will benefit the company and its working culture.

• Maternity/Paternity Leave

  • The rate of men taking paternity leave has increased over the last few years. Companies can introduce longer, and clearer paternity leave programmes that allow new fathers to take time off.

  • It is also important for companies to support returning workers from an extended period of leave, especially if a considerable amount of time has passed. This could include training to update them on new systems and team-building sessions to meet new colleagues, which will help ease returning workers back into work.

• Flexible and Hybrid working policies

  • With the pandemic, more workers have got accustomed to more flexible or hybrid working, which mostly includes working from home with limited time at the office. When deciding workplace policies on where your employees should work, think about their family needs as well, as working from home will help them in family matters.

  • If employees are still needed in the office, consider measures such as allowing staff to leave early to pick up children from school, in addition to other family appointments.

• Showcase values in the company’s goals and ambitions

  • By having a clear mission statement for your company, you can show how you want to cultivate a family-friendly culture in the workplace and highlight that your company cares for its employee’s wellbeing.

What are the benefits of being a Family-Friendly Company?

Encouraging your organisation to be family-friendly not only benefits your employees, but also your organisation as a whole.

Happy employees will lead to higher retention, saving costs in advertising and hiring for new roles.

Additionally, your company’s reputation as family-friendly will attract prospective employees towards working for you, widening the talent pool.

A family-friendly culture will also help build respect between employees, leading to open communication and more collaborative work. 

Family-friendly policies also reduce stress for employees who have family members dependent on them. This will help maintain their health and also help them to focus on both their work and family obligations.

Overall, a family-friendly organisation is beneficial for all involved, as it helps employees to balance their work and personal lives without compromising either.