Workplace Benefits for Parents Can Cause Friction with Employees Without Children

Canadian companies report that, on average, half of their workforce is made up of parents, and most companies believe they already offer enough benefits and support to working parents (72%), according to a new survey from The Harris Poll commissioned by Express Employment Professionals. 

The COVID-19 pandemic created additional pressure and stress on working parents across the country with school closures and online learning over the past two years. As a result of the pandemic, companies had to make changes, not only for the safety of their workers, but also to accommodate the new reality of employees who are caregivers.

Indeed, many Canadian companies say they currently offer a slew of tailored support for working parents with paid parental leave (43%), flexible work hours (41%), flexible work location (34%), ability to work part-time (30%), unpaid parental benefits (25%) and shortened work weeks (21%) among the most common. Companies offering childcare assistance/reimbursement (8%) and on-site childcare (5%) were rare.

In terms of what support working parents have used since the start of the pandemic, adjusted work hours (39%), time off to care for children (36%) and working remotely (36%) were the most popular. Additionally, working longer hours (19%) and shifting from full-time to part-time work (16%) was also used by some working parents. More than 1 in 6 working parents quit (16%).

But not all parents were impacted equally. Nearly three-quarters of Canadian hiring decision-makers agree that working mothers have faced more challenges than working fathers (71%). 

Companies may need to be mindful of those in their workforce who are not parents, as the survey found more than half of hiring decision-makers (55%) feel accommodating working parents causes tension between them and those who aren't parents. 

"Offering a workforce where employees feel they supported when growing a family is incredibly important to many people" said James Norris franchise owner of the London Express franchise office. "In a very competitive climate for employees, employers need to ensure their doing everything they can to retain their top talent. Parental leave, accommodations before and after parental leave can leave a lasting impression on employees, and that can be good or bad, depending on what you offer. If you do not handle parental leave appropriately you not only risk alienating that specific employee but also the rest of your staff. Even employees who are not currently looking to start or grow a family may start looking for other employment as a protective measure for their future."

"Every segment in the labour force is incredibly important, and in this instance, companies are wise to offer some flexibility to working parents to help ease the labour shortage," Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller said. 

Survey Methodology
The survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between May 3-23, 2022, among 504 Canadian hiring decision-makers (defined as adults ages 18+ in Canada who are employed full-time or self-employed, work at companies with more than one employee and have full/significant involvement in hiring decisions at their company). Data were weighted where necessary by company size to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

***

About Express Employment Professionals
At Express Employment Professionals, we're in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 586,000 people globally in 2021 and 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com/CA.

The London Express office is located at 300 Dundas Street, Suite 200, and serves the London, Middlesex, St. Thomas, Strathroy, Stratford, Woodstock, Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, and Southwestern Ontario. Local businesses and applicants are encouraged to visit https://expresspros.com/london/ or call (519)672-7620.

About Bill Stoller
William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment 
International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor
supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.