CA-EN
UK
AU
US
NZ
PH
ZA
SG
HKAre parent shifts the new essential for businesses?
In the past few decades, the number of families with two working parents has skyrocketed. And although it is great that so many people can earn an income, it is causing extra pressure to find time to work and take care of family (kids, parents, extended family etc).
Parental shifts are certainly growing in popularity, offering flexibility means employees can start later and leave early working around times that may better meet their family needs. eg during school hours. It also means that if someone wants to work part-time, they can take on fewer hours, whilst still earning an income and be there for their family or the 3.30 pick up!
There are many benefits to offering split or flexible shifts for working parents. The talent shortage experienced by many industries has driven more flexible thinking from employers. The result is attracting an untapped talent pool (stay at home parents) as well as retaining talented employees who may opt to do reduced hours depending on their stage of life or personal circumstances.
Why should businesses be flexible with employees?
- It allows parents to care for their children without sacrificing their careers
- It increases employee loyalty, which will help your business thrive
- It encourages women to stay in the workforce, which helps reduce gender inequality
- It gives employees a sense of control over their work-life balance
- By giving employees the option to match schedules with family life, this enables employees to feel empowered and valued
At Drake International, we now work with several companies offering “parent shifts”. Georgia Matterson, Victorian Manager for Drake explains how parent shifts have transformed the hiring practices of many companies we work with and created a positive impact for both employees and employers alike:
“Introducing flexible school hours has been one of our most successful initiatives to date. With the current skill shortages, we have been able to offer flexible work arrangements, primarily for parents, and gain access to a previously unavailable skill group, due to childcare costs. During the pandemic period, traditional shift patterns across the industrial sectors were severely understaffed, leading to a ripple effect from the supply chain to the consumer. Offering a flexible option to our workforce has had an incredibly positive impact on both our retention and employee satisfaction. As workplaces continue to evolve, we will be able to measure productivity and overall morale more accurately.”
Ultimately, it remains a candidate market and all the experts continue to predict work life balance and flexibility as two of the primary requirements of today’s employee.
Want to know more? Get in touch with a Drake consultant today here or call 13 14 48.
