Nursery World - Family friendly employers now key to a productive and happy workforce, says survey

Nearly half (48 per cent) of working parents regard family life as a higher priority now than they did before the pandemic, according to new research.

Nearly four out of five (79 per cent) of respondents with children stated they had days where they had a childcare breakdown in a typical year.

The report by nursery group Bright Horizons also found a clear link between employers providing family-friendly services and employees’ ratings of productivity, engagement, loyalty and wellbeing.

The most valued support from an employer when balancing work and caring responsibilities were:

One respondent said, ‘My line manager, and his line manager in turn, have consistently supported me in balancing work with my family responsibilities.

‘They have created a culture in our team where people can be frank and open about their lives and the message is always “do what you need to do”. Without their attitude – and the back-up care provision – I think it probable that I would currently choose to be a stay at home parent.’

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