How to make RTO policies win over working parents.

The return-to-office (RTO) trend is in full swing. Many companies are bringing back in-office policies, citing the benefits of in-person collaboration. 

While RTO has benefits, it can present challenges for certain groups—particularly working parents or those with caregiving responsibilities. When asking how employers can support working parents, companies must find ways to create a more inclusive return-to-office strategy.

RTO poses challenges for working parents

After the past few years of remote work being the norm, many workers are making a return to the office on a hybrid or full-time basis. This poses some unique challenges to working parents.

• Child care costs: Finding quality, affordable full-time child care can be challenging for many parents, especially those with young kids. Early childhood education and daycare centers often have long waitlists and hefty price tags. 
• Lack of flexibility: Many parents work hard to balance work schedules with family needs. These include school events, coordinating transportation, and dealing with sick days. Plus, most schools let students out at 3 p.m., while traditional work hours often go until 5 p.m. This disparity between school and work schedules can be especially challenging. 
• Increased stress and burnout: For many parents, the added pressure of juggling work and family responsibilities can lead to increased stress and burnout.

Low-cost solutions offer significant results

Easing the transition to RTO can benefit everyone and doesn’t need to be a heavy lift. These ideas don’t cost money to implement but can make a big difference to working parents. 

Flexible work arrangements

One survey found that nearly a third of workers want flexible schedules, while another third prefer compressed workweeks. Flexible start and end times are especially important for parents who need to accommodate school drop-offs and pick-ups. 

Hybrid options are also attractive. This could mean working some days in the office and some days from home. Workers may also work key hours in the office, with morning and afternoon hours remote when they need flexibility. 

Gradual return options offer another benefit specifically for new parents. This way, they can return to work part-time after their parental leave before resuming their full-time roles. 

With flexible work arrangements, employees feel more empowered to handle personal appointments, prioritize, and be there when kids are home or require care. 

Clear and supportive policies

Companies can support workers with policies that explicitly address flexible work arrangements, PTO, and family leave. Creating additional sick days or family care leave provides flexibility for handling unexpected child care needs. Plus, additional days of sick or personal time ensure workers do not lose out on pay for needing to be out. 

Additionally, consider updating policies to allow remote work when employees need to manage personal responsibilities. This gives employees flexibility to manage personal responsibilities—child care, elder care, or other needs—without using PTO. This way, all workers have the ability to balance life’s demands while maintaining productivity.

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Creating and endorsing employee resource groups (ERGs) can help employees feel a sense of support and belonging. Examples include a Working Parents’ ERG, or a Women's ERG. ERGs can foster community, encourage information sharing, and elevate peer support. 

Spur more loyalty with more benefits 

It may take a little more legwork—and a greater investment—but the following benefits can make it easier for working parents to work from the office. 

Partnerships with child care providers

Companies can negotiate corporate discounts with local child care centers or national providers like Bright Horizons and KinderCare. Partnerships like these make it easier for working parents to find backup child care or last-minute services.

Quality of life stipends

Working parents juggle a lot of responsibilities, both paid and unpaid. Employers can provide discounts or stipends to cover expenses that can ease the burden on all employees, such as:

• Gym memberships or fitness classes
• Laundry and dry-cleaning services
• House cleaning services
• Meal delivery services
• AI-powered family assistants or concierge services

Dependent care FSAs

Many companies offer health care flexible spending accounts (FSAs) that designate a portion of pre-tax income for employee health expenses. Similarly, dependent care FSAs allow employees to set aside pre-tax money for child care expenses. These offer potential tax savings and financial benefits for employees.

Long-term investments lead to the best payoff

The following benefits take the most effort and investment, but employees will take notice. For working parents especially, these benefits show a commitment to easing the RTO transition.

On-site child care

Partnering with a local provider to offer on-site child care goes beyond the child care discounts mentioned above. There are significant benefits for both workers and the business, such as increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and improved morale.

Generous paid family leave

Companies that offer generous paid family leave policies for all parents often get a lot of positive attention. Note that this must extend to birth, adoption, and foster care. This benefit creates more equity among and within families, and has a positive impact on employee well-being and retention.

On-site amenities that go the extra mile

Providing on-site amenities can make it much easier for workers to feel supported in the RTO transition. Companies can support folks with amenities such as dedicated lactation rooms, nap pods, or quiet spaces for focused work. This is one example of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in practice. Leaders can go the extra mile to provide designated family-friendly areas, such as a “bring your child to work” space to accommodate working parents who occasionally find themselves in a bind without child care.

Make your RTO policy a win-win

When navigating your return-to-office strategy, consider working parents. There are many ways to ease the transition—from low-lift, high-reward benefits to long-term investments that spur increased retention. Especially for smaller companies that can’t offer huge salary hikes, creating family-friendly work policies and in-office benefits can make RTO mandates easier to swallow. When HR professionals and business leaders foster a more inclusive and family-friendly workplace, everyone benefits.

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