5 Signs a Company is Parent Friendly

By Ahmed Wafi

Because family first.

A parent-friendly company offers its employees work-life balance. Because it’s tough enough trying to juggle your work but throw in little children to look after at the same time? Major juggling act!

How can you tell if a company is parent friendly without actually working there? Do your research online. If you’re planning on applying for a job at a company but want to know whether it will work for you as a parent (whether you are one now or planning ahead), then checking out its policies or articles on the company relating to the matter will help you make informed decisions.

What are some things to look out for?

Paid Parental Leave
Vital in every to-be-parent’s life, find out what the company has to offer in terms of parental leave. Maternity leave is legally sanctioned to 60 days (with plans to extend it to 98 days) whereas plans to have a minimum of three days of paternity leave are currently in discussion. Many firms offer more than the two-month minimum maternity leave – some even up to six months maternal and one month paternal!

Nursing Rooms
Some companies allocate rooms for nursing while others go the extra mile by providing parental support services such as parent support groups. ]. Find out if this is available at the company you are applying for or ask the recruiter what are some of the benefits and help given to pregnant women and parents.

On-site Childcare
Companies that offer daycare at the office reflect a willingness for companies to support their employees and an understanding on the challenges that parenthood can bring to working professionals.

Flexible Work Situations
Flexi-hours and the work-from-home culture are now common in today’s work dynamic. Check with your new employer to see what it has to offer in terms of work flexibility or renegotiate your working hours with your current employer to get it to be more conducive to raising a family.

Family-Friendly Work Dos
Does that company organise family events? It can be something as simple as a picnic where everyone is invited to bring their family to get to know one another or it can even be a ‘bring-your-kid to work’ day.

Another tip when sussing out if the company is ideal for parents: Ask your recruiter during the interview about support it gives to parents and families – some companies extend medical care to family members and even provide scholarships to children of employees! If you don’t want to outright ask the question, you can find out what a day-to-day is like at the company. If it seems like a lot will be demanded from you from AM to PM without much care about your personal time, maybe you should reconsider applying for the job. But if the company seems to have an understanding and supportive culture for your personal time, that’s a good sign!

Photo by Heike Mintel on Unsplash

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