Family-Friendly Workplace Tips

Are you ready to attract and retain strong, skilled employees?

Start by creating a family-friendly workplace. Studies show that employees miss fewer days of work and are more productive when they have access to affordable, high-quality early care and education services.

Supporting Employees

There are many creative ways to support employees with families, including:

  • Connecting employees with information and resources about parenting, early childhood education options, or financial supports
  • Providing mothers with a clean, private area to pump and store breast milk
  • Implementing policies such as flexible work arrangements, paid family leave, or dependent care reimbursement plans
  • Supporting a local early care childhood education program in exchange for priority enrollment/reduced fees for your employees

Family-Friendly Workplace Checklist

Use the list below to think about which options already exist at your business, potential options, and options with which thread could help.

Information & Resources

OptionDescription
Child Care Resource & Referral ServicesProvide a list of child care options and programs in the community by zip code
Parenting SeminarsHost informational meetings/brown bag lunches on parenting issues and child care concerns
Family Fairs/Special EventsPromote seminars for child care and family development events
Employee Rideshare Co-opA program for employees living in similar geographic areas to coordinate ride sharing to and from child care

Employer Policies

OptionDescription
Dependent Care Reimbursement PlansProvide an option for employees to receive pre-tax savings through a child care account
Flexible Work ArrangementsCompressed work week, flexible hours, telecommuting
Reduction of Work TimeRegular part-time, job sharing
Leave Benefits (Beyond FMLA)Birth or adoption (maternity & paternity), family, funeral, medical, sick
Active Promotion of BenefitsEmployees are aware of family friendly programs

Direct Services/Support for Employees

OptionDescription
Sponsor Near or On-site Child Care Center(s)A center owned and operated by the company, or owned by the company and managed by a third
party, primarily for the employees of the sponsoring company
Create or Support a Network of Home Child Care FacilitiesSupport in home care facilities to provide preferential slots to employees — particularly helpful to companies with employees working
evenings or weekends
Create or Support Child Care CooperativeWork with neighboring companies to create a child care co-op providing preference to co-op
company employees

Financial Support — Employers

OptionsDescription
VouchersPay a portion of child care expenses as part of employee benefit package
DiscountsArrange for employees to be charged a reduced rate at programs of the employer’s choosing

Financial Support — Community

OptionsDescription
In Kind ContributionsSupport a specific child care agency through the donation of surplus materials
Corporate FundsA corporate set-aside for grants to local child care centers agreeing to provide access to employees (not philanthropic dollars)
Corporate ContributionsFund organizations to generally improve the supply or quality of child care at the local, state, or national level
Support a Local Child
Care Center
Through grant or contract, child care centers may accept funds from a company or a group of
companies (as in a consortium arrangement) in exchange for priority enrollment/reduced fees for employees of the contributing companies