On-site childcare is the dream of many parents and yet it is not very common. Being able to breastfeed during the day while being at the office, and to reduce expenses and commuting efforts childcare in the workplace can be a big relief.
Since the pandemic, employees are leaving their workplaces in search for better jobs. For many employees, their employers have played a big part in why they are walking away. For some workers the pandemic has led them to a shift in priorities, encouraging them to pursue a “dream job”. Some transitioned to being a stay-at-home parent. For many others, the decision to leave came as a result of the way their employer treated them during the pandemic. Workloads spiked for many employees and many had to juggle both their jobs and their children at home, who could not go to school or day care centers. The pandemic had a very strong effect on employment overall, but especially on mothers.
As a result, employers struggle to retain talent and fill empty seats. This has given many workers leverage over existing and future employers to negotiate benefits that better suit their priorities. Those priorities have changed for many people during the pandemic. Looking after kids has been particularly difficult over the last two years, due to school and day-care closures. There is now a growing demand for on-site childcare solutions, which are employer-sponsored and located in the workplace.
New childcare services could have many positive effects. It can help keeping more working parents with their current employers, it can enable primary caregivers who stepped away from the workforce a path to returning, and it can better position companies to retain and attract new talent.
No matter what the employment situation is – remote, hybrid or in-office – working parents have to manage childcare. It is the most important thing on their minds. This is particularly the case for those parents with younger kids. The desire for employer-sponsored childcare benefits has outranked gym memberships, mental wellbeing programs, and even enhanced parental leave pay. Many people even consider looking for a new job or leaving the workplace altogether if they cannot access reliable childcare options.
The value of employer-sponsored childcare is well proved. A 2010 Bright Horizons survey of 3,100 parents showed that parents who have access to on-site facilities are able to concentrate better at work, are more likely to remain at a job, and can more effectively balance their work and family commitments. In order to be productive at a job, parents need their children to be well cared for.
Onsite childcare facilities help reduce parental stress by cutting down on cost and commute. It also feels safe to have the kids nearby. When childcare is easily accessible and parents know it is high quality, it keeps parents, and especially mothers, in the labor market.
There are also benefits of onsite childcare facilities for the employers. They can attract new workers, draw employees back to the office, and keep their current staff from leaving. Managers can consider a larger talent pool, one that ordinarily might not be accessible due to childcare costs and obligations.
