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    • How to solve the childcare conundrum?
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    How to solve the childcare conundrum?

    Harry Posted on

    It’s a familiar scenario: An employee suddenly finds himself without child care and is forced to take a day off on short notice. In fact, more than two-thirds (67 percent) of employees have missed at least one day in the past 12 months, and almost half (49 percent) report taking annual leave to cover childcare disruptions.

    This is clearly a common problem with serious consequences for productivity, team morale, and more; That’s why it’s so important for employers to consider ways that working parents can help keep them working.

    Backup Maintenance

    One solution to this common dilemma is an employer-sponsored Backup Maintenance program. Your employees can leave their children in a high-quality child care setting or even arrange for a last-minute nanny in case there is a last-minute change in care arrangements.

    For employees, being able to continue working knowing their child is being well cared for in one of many settings across the country or by a trusted, fully supervised and qualified nanny is a game changer.

    For employers, it minimizes disruption, increases productivity and saves money by reducing unplanned absences and better staff retention; 76 percent of Back-Up Care users say they are more likely to stay with their employer as a result of the service. Moreover, by demonstrating their commitment to supporting working parents, employers will differentiate themselves from their competitors and enable employees to advance their careers.

    Similar support options are available for employees caring for elderly parents or relatives, or even pets. No matter who the dependent is, the Backup Care program has been proven to have a positive impact on all caregivers. For parents of older children, school holiday clubs and access to virtual lessons are included.

    A data-driven decision

    Bright Horizons surveys its customers’ employees every year. Three-quarters (74%) of those who have access to a backup care program say it allows them to work on a day they would not otherwise be able to work. According to nearly 9 in 10 (87%) service users, having Backup Maintenance available means maintenance failures are ‘less likely to impact my ability to work’.

    Additionally, 92 percent of employees who used Supportive Care said their employers were extremely supportive of families.

    Bright Horizons’ data also shows that it helps companies save more than 170,000 work days per year and delivers a triple return on investment.

    seize the opportunity

    For more than 30 years, Bright Horizons has partnered with leading employers around the world, creating new solutions for work, family, life and education.

    There is a new emphasis on productivity today, and as a result, research from Bright Horizons reveals a decline in perceived family support among some UK employers.

    But the reputation of employers partnering with Bright Horizons remains high, and their employees express satisfaction with the family support available, with 80 percent of Back-Up Care users saying it has increased their productivity.

    Real-life impact of Backup Maintenance

    Here’s how Bright Horizons’ Backup Care program helps customers manage their employees’ work-related responsibilities:

    • “If Backup Care was not provided, I would have to reduce my working hours to be able to look after my children during the school holidays.”
    • “I was able to go to work and not take unpaid parental leave to care for my child.”
    • “My wife and I have professional careers and rely on parents for child care. But of course they may not be available in a short time. Without the Backup Care program, this would mean that one or both of us would have to take time off at short notice to care for our children. “This is very valuable.”
    • “Aged care is difficult to organize and so this is a good support that is relatively painless to put in place. “I care for an elderly person with dementia and this service has given me the confidence to do more office-based work.”

    Learn more about Backup Maintenance

    If you’re an employer looking to explore Backup Maintenance, access the latest content from Bright Horizons Backup Maintenance + Training Guide. Call us on 0345 241 5309 or email [email protected] to discuss the range of services we offer. Discover more by visiting Bright Horizons’ Work + Family Solutions at: Bright Horizons Solutions.

    Harry
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