What does it mean to have a “caregiver-friendly or “family-friendly” workplace culture? While flexible schedules and paid leave are essential, they only scratch the surface on what your employees need to balance the demands at home and at work.
A truly supportive workplace isn’t just about benefits – it’s about designing work culture in a way that doesn’t force caregivers to constantly choose between their job and their personal responsibilities.
So, let’s get creative. Here are three out-of-the-box ways to build a workplace that actually works for caregivers (and, honestly, for everyone).
1. Rethink how you socialize
Culture is often curated during and after work hours. Outside of meetings and water-cooler chat, teams bond over happy hours and networking dinners (especially as many companies implement return-to-office policies). For working parents, these events create a dilemma: participate, or get home in time for school pickup or relieve a caregiver.
Instead of centering workplace bonding around after-hours gatherings, encourage your managers to coordinate gatherings during work hours. A team lunch or coffee break can be just as impactful in building relationships as that after-work cocktail hour.
A strong company culture should include everyone, not just those who can stay late.
2. Align your holiday schedule to school breaks
Ask any working parent what their biggest logistical nightmare is, and they’ll likely say school schedules. Working and school schedules are incompatible. Whether parents work 9-5, or one of three rotating shifts, there rarely is a profession that aligns with the typical school schedule and holidays. With holiday breaks, teacher training days, and early dismissals, parents are frequently scrambling to find care or take unplanned PTO.
To better align your holidays with your employees’ school district schedules:
- Audit school calendars in major employee hubs and consider flexible work days or additional holidays for the company.
- Offer “floating holidays” that allow parents to take time off when their children are out of school without tapping into sick leave or PTO. This is a great option if you have a dispersed workforce with varying school schedules.
This small shift signals to parents: We see you. We get it. And we’re committed to making it easier for you to manage it all.
3. Implement “no meeting” boundaries
For parents, chaos begins with school or daycare drop-off, and ends with the school, daycare, or extracurricular pickups. Early morning and late afternoon meetings mean multi-tasking and increased stress for everyone involved. When important meetings are scheduled before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m., working parents are often left with a no-win situation.
Here’s how you can help:
- Establish company-wide no-meeting blocks during peak hours that often cause employees stress.
- Embrace asynchronous collaboration – not everything needs a meeting, especially if decisions can be made via email, chat, or shared documents. Train your managers to spot opportunities for email or chat collaboration.
- Be mindful of scheduling practices – if a late-day meeting is unavoidable, record it or offer flexible attendance options
When leaders set the tone for respecting employees’ time, it signals that caregiving responsibilities aren’t a burden – they’re a reality that workplaces should accommodate.
Too often, workplace culture is designed around outdated thinking where employees are always available, can attend every event, and never have to step away for personal responsibilities. That’s not reality! By making small but meaningful shifts, employers can create a workplace where caregivers feel more supported, which ultimately builds a stronger, more engaged workforce for everyone.
