Prioritize Flexible Policies to Support Working Parents

As many companies prepare for the new year, one of the most important aspects to consider is a company’s holiday and office closing calendar. By getting ahead and planning early, companies can let parents prepare for their children’s school activities and schedule days off without worrying about taking too much vacation or sick leave. For companies, it’s essential to have a comprehensive company calendar in place to ensure coverage and avoid any scheduling conflicts.

Working parents face unique challenges in managing their time between work and family responsibilities. That’s why flexible time-off policies are indispensable for keeping parents productive and happy. States may have laws requiring time off for school-related activities.

By providing some leave time, employers can help parents attend important school-related events, like parent-teacher conferences and field trips. This allows working parents to feel supported and builds stronger relationships between families and employers. With the right work-life balance, working parents can enjoy peace of mind knowing they won’t have to choose between work and family.

Update your company policies to include time off for school-related activities and communicate how employees should enter this in the company timekeeping system. Accompany your policy with procedures to enter this type of time off in your company’s timekeeping system.

Companies need to prioritize an early release of their company holiday calendar, understand flexible policies that address the needs of working parents, and allow for time off for school-related activities. Taking steps to ensure your company complies with your state’s school-related time off laws and that your employees are cared for shows a commitment to creating a healthy work-life balance.

Please click here for a list of those laws as of October 4, 2023.