Childcare can fall through. As the mom of two boys and the CEO of Flexable, over the last 10 years I’ve dealt with too many days to count where childcare was unavailable. My husband and I have joked in the past that we've felt like we had to "flip a coin" when the kids were sick or when daycare was closed or there was a school in-service day, to see who would take the day off. However, companies are finally coming around to understanding that childcare breakdowns are an economic issue—one that costs the US economy $57B annually in productivity—and something must be done to support working parents before they break.
Companies are becoming more and more used to the idea of offering flexibility, especially for working parents in the workplace. Plenty of studies have shown the positive effects of flexibility in the workplace both on employee morale and on the overall bottom line. But we still have a long way to go.
While 85% of American workers would like some sort of flexibility or childcare benefit to be offered at work, only 12% of companies currently offer any sort of benefit around workplace flexibility for working parents. If you work for a company that is part of the 88% who currently offer no flexibility benefits, here are five ways you can ask your employer for more flexibility.
Tips to ask your employer for more flexibility
1. Be direct about your needs
Whether you’re looking to cut down by just a few hours a week, or looking to work just a few hours a week, being very direct with your immediate supervisor is incredibly key. Going in with preconceived assumptions about how they may react won’t help you get the results you need.
Go into your meeting with your proposed schedule of hours, demonstrating that you've thought through exactly when and how you’ll be working. This will show your employer you aren’t walking in with an off the cuff request, but a well thought out one that will likely have positive effects long term.
2. Present the facts
Make sure your employer is aware of the current situation working parents are facing - perhaps they aren’t a parent or a primary caregiver, and aren’t aware of what working parents are going through. Send send some facts but don’t bombard your employer with twelve hours of reading material.
One way to collect data is to consider forming an employee resource group with other parents in your organization. Through this group, you can work together to collect data anonymously to present to upper management. This will give your employer insight into struggles their specific employees are facing and can help make your case.
3. Form internal allies and advocates
No matter how large or small your organization may be, forming internal allies is important to achieving your professional goals. These individuals don’t necessarily need to be in an HR-related field, but need someone who listens to you with empathy and would be willing to advocate for you. Sometimes in our careers, we work in environments where we don’t have the agency to advocate for ourselves. This is where internal allies are most important to help us achieve our professional goals.
4. Be clear you want to stay
If your end goal is to not leave the workforce, be very clear with your employer about that. Make sure they understand whether this is a temporary request or a long term change. Employers may be inclined to assume you may not be serious about staying in the workforce if you do not directly state that as your intention (if that is your intention).
5. Have a backup plan
If you feel as though you aren’t getting anywhere with your internal conversations, make sure you have your resume and your LinkedIn profile ready to go. This may not be the outcome you want but it may be for the best. Organizations that do offer flexibility and benefits such as childcare show increases in productivity, employee morale and overall profitability.
If you do choose to step away from the workforce, even temporarily, make sure to keep one foot in the door, through regularly connecting with your network and searching for job opportunities. More and more employers are offering flexibility in the workplace, and many organizations across various industries are hiring now - you’ll land on your feet.
Above all, remember that you’re not the only one going through this, and your employer has likely gotten a request for flexibility from more employees within the organization.
