How Companies Can Support Working Parents

By Mary Beth Ferrante

A version of this article was originally published on Forbes.com

The challenges facing working parents today are not new, but they have become more urgent.

The pandemic exposed and exacerbated long-standing issues, from inadequate childcare support to inflexible work arrangements. While some progress has been made, many employees still struggle with balancing caregiving responsibilities and their careers.

Companies that fail to address these issues risk losing top talent, facing lower employee engagement, and seeing reduced productivity. If organizations want to attract and retain a diverse and thriving workforce, they must take real action to support working parents.

How Employees Can Advocate for Change

If you’re a working parent—or simply someone who cares about a supportive workplace—there are actionable steps you can take to encourage leadership to prioritize family-friendly policies.

Here’s how you can make an impact:

1. Gather Data and Share Stories

• Use employee surveys or informal conversations to collect feedback about workplace challenges for working parents.

• Gather examples of employees who have struggled due to a lack of support.

• Highlight industry trends, showing how leading companies are implementing family-friendly policies to remain competitive.

Example: If you know that other companies in your industry offer expanded parental leave or childcare benefits, use that data to show leadership how your company might be falling behind.

2. Make the Business Case

• Connect family-friendly policies to business outcomes like retention, engagement, and productivity.

• Show how investing in working parents leads to cost savings in recruiting and training new employees.

• Use data to demonstrate how diverse, family-friendly workplaces perform better.

Example: Studies show that companies offering flexible work options see higher employee satisfaction and lower turnover. Presenting this data can make your case more compelling.

3. Engage Leadership and Allies

• Find leaders who already support family-friendly policies and ask for their backing.

• Build a coalition of employees and managers who want change.

• Identify decision-makers and tailor your message to their priorities.

Example: If a senior leader has publicly spoken about work-life balance, approach them with concrete suggestions on how to improve it at your company.

4. Propose Practical Solutions

• Suggest flexible work policies, enhanced parental leave, or childcare stipends.

• Advocate for manager training to help supervisors support working parents.

• Recommend pilot programs that allow small-scale testing before a full rollout.

Example: Propose a “Core Hours” policy where employees must be available for key meetings but have flexibility outside those hours.

5. Hold Leadership Accountable

• Ask for transparent reporting on parental leave usage, flexible work adoption, and employee satisfaction.

• Encourage leadership to publicly support work-life balance initiatives.

• Request regular updates on progress and improvements.

Example: Advocate for an annual report on how well family-friendly policies are being utilized and their impact on employee retention.

What Companies Can Do to Support Working Parents

To truly foster a family-friendly workplace, organizations need to go beyond offering benefits—they must create a culture that encourages employees to use them without fear of stigma. Here are the key steps companies should take:

1. Implement Flexible Work Policies

• Allow remote and hybrid work where possible.

• Offer flexible schedules to accommodate caregiving responsibilities.

• Shift focus to outcomes rather than hours worked.

2. Enhance Parental Leave and Caregiving Benefits

• Provide equal parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender.

• Offer financial support for childcare and eldercare.

• Ensure employees feel encouraged to take full advantage of these benefits.

3. Train Managers to Support Working Parents

• Equip managers with strategies and training to accommodate employees with caregiving responsibilities.

• Encourage regular check-ins to understand team members’ evolving needs.

• Hold leaders accountable for fostering an inclusive culture.

4. Create Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for Caregivers

• Establish forums where working parents can share experiences and advocate for change.

• Provide mentorship programs for caregivers navigating career progression.

• Use ERGs to surface real employee needs to leadership.

5. Foster a Culture of Inclusion and Respect

• Normalize caregiving discussions at work.

• Encourage senior leaders to model work-life balance.

• Ensure working parents aren’t penalized for taking leave or requesting flexibility.

The Future of Work Must Include Support for Working Parents

Supporting working parents is not just an employee benefit—it’s a business imperative.

Companies that proactively create family-friendly cultures will retain top talent, increase engagement, and foster long-term success. Employees can play a crucial role in driving change by making a compelling business case, rallying allies, and holding leadership accountable.

As we move into 2025 and beyond, the companies that thrive will be those that recognize and support the full spectrum of their employees’ lives, ensuring that working parents don’t have to choose between their careers and their families.

Going back isn’t the answer. Let’s not accept a return to pre-pandemic normalcy for working parents.

Instead, let’s move forward and commit to building company cultures where working parents and caregivers can thrive personally and professionally.