Remaining competitive during the Great Reassessment: 5 top benefits for working parents
Employees—particularly mothers and working parents—are taking the time to really consider the type of workplace they want.
Well into 2022, the so-called “Great Resignation” rages on, as boardroom leaders across the country wring their hands over a seemingly never-ending throng of talent departing for greener pastures.
In the last month of 2021, a staggering 4.4 million Americans left their jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure was just a few thousand below the month before, when an all-time record-setting 4.5 million people quit their jobs.
So sure, the numbers on their face paint a picture of a “great resignation,” but when you dive a little deeper, it’s easy to see that this is less of a “great resignation” and more of a “great reassessment.”
Related: Talent marketplaces and the challenges of 2022: Time for real innovation in workforce strategies
For the first time in longer than most of us can remember, the power differential between employers and employees has shifted somewhat rapidly—in favor of employees. In turn, employees—particularly mothers and working parents—are taking the time to consider the type of workplace they want. And they are leaving workplaces that don’t fit that vision.
So what’s feeding the shift? Among parents who decided to quit their jobs, there are a few prominent and recurring themes:
Childcare: Parents left without affordable, accessible, and dependable childcare found that simultaneously working and caring for children was near-impossible or at the very least severely hampered productivity.
Balance: As remote work broke down the firewalls between home and the workplace, worklife and homelife bled into each other, creating an always-on atmosphere that’s detrimental to mental health.
Culture: Grind culture is a choice—and it’s one that’s falling increasingly out of favor. Tired of having to make difficult choices every day, employees are seeking work that allows them to focus on their families.
Inclusion: Diversity, equity, and inclusion needs to be more than a talking point in an annual report. Employees are seeking workplaces that have policies and culture that understand and fit their needs—and their whole selves.
Competition: As the job market becomes more and more heated, employees feel much more empowered to make changes—and companies are much more willing to poach talent.
In short, employees aren’t leaving jobs because they’re sick of working. They’re leaving jobs that simply don’t work for them. And for the first time, they’re empowered to do so.
This is undeniably a good thing. It’s of course a good thing for employees, but also for employers: Employees are voting with their feet and being explicit about the type of workplace they want. Becoming a workplace that people flock to—and stay at—is as simple as listening to what employees are telling you.
How to become a destination workplace, not a departure point
At Ovia, we surveyed 2,919 parents for our new Future of Family Friendly report, aiming to uncover the best ways to build workplaces and workplace cultures that enable parents to bring balance to their lives, remain engaged, and be productive.
One of our most striking findings? Nine in ten respondents said they would leave their current employer for one with better benefits.
“Better” can be subjective, though, so we asked what they meant, providing 40 different benefit options and asking respondents to rank them. If you’re looking for an initial roadmap to get started on creating a more attractive workplace, their top five list is a good place to start:
Better leave policies: Research shows that with every extra week of parental leave, the risk of adverse health outcomes for mother and baby, including infant mortality, drops. So even extending leave by a week or two can not only make real impacts on employee health and lives, but lower overall health care costs. Additionally, given the high ranking of family leave by employees, investing in longer paid leave can save an average of 50% compared to losing an employee.
Family-friendly culture: Changing culture takes time and active effort, but manifests itself in big and small ways. It could be as simple as making it a point of practice to block off calendars to do school pick-up in the afternoon—and having that be an accepted practice—or it could be having well-stocked, clean, and comfortable lactation rooms. It also comes in the form of resource groups for working parents, parental leave planning, and critically, family-friendly benefits. Culture is a top-down phenomenon, so it’s especially important for executives and managers to lead by example, ensuring there is no stigma associated with being a working parent.
Flexible schedules and remote and hybrid work options: The 9-5 is a dinosaur, especially in a working world that’s been remote for two years now. Through flexible scheduling and location, you can help parents create a routine that works for them, reducing stress and maintaining productivity. Consider hybrid work options, flexible hours, gradual return from leave, and leave for parents experiencing the pain of a miscarriage.
Return-to-work flexibility and prep: The return to work after parental leave is a pivotal inflection point, marked by sometimes overwhelming physical and emotional stress. Programs like gradual returns-to-work with part-time options, pre- and post-leave checklists and training, and manager training, can all ease the transition back to the workplace and enhance retention. With many parents making the decision about whether or not they’ll return to a position before even going on leave, it’s crucial that resources and support are available well before leave begins.
Benefits that are easy to understand: Benefits can be difficult to parse. Ensure that communications are clear, accessible, and approachable and that employees are encouraged to use all available benefits through reinforcement from managers and teams. Normalize talking about benefits in the workplace, create and circulate benefits checklists, review all benefit literature to ensure it’s simple and inclusive, and work with existing groups of employees going through similar life experiences to explain and enroll benefits.
Critically, these qualities share a common thread: They aren’t all that costly. Instead, they highlight the overwhelming desire for a working environment that makes employees comfortable bringing their whole and true selves to work every day. This is the crux of the Great Reassessment: It’s not all about money (although compensation is important). It’s about living an intentional life, and finding a workplace that fosters that—respecting values both inside and outside of work.
Gina Nebesar is co-founder of Ovia Health.
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