Employers have dramatically increased their strategic focus on the wellbeing of working parents as this group of employees face high childcare costs.
Research by Gallagher found that 81 percent of UK organisations now have a wellbeing strategy to support working parents, representing a huge increase from just 15 percent in 2022.
The findings, detailed in Gallagher’s Organisational and Career Wellbeing Strategy report, revealed a number of changes to workplace trends in 2023.
In addition to a greater level of wellbeing support, the report said that 97 percent of employers also offer flexible working policies to support parents looking after children alongside work.
More than a fifth (22 percent) of employers provide access to tools and benefits to support the early stages of motherhood, 88 percent of organisations offer enhanced pay during parental leave, and two fifths offer extended parental leave, representing a 10 percent increase since 2022.
The report said: “It is clear from this year’s findings that culture and environment are taking on a larger role in organisational wellbeing. The workplace — and what we expect from it — has changed, and employee benefits and engagement are becoming increasingly critical to attracting and retaining talent.
“More than ever, employees expect a reasonable level of work flexibility. This is not only essential to wellbeing, but it also contributes to a more productive work environment and, ultimately, organisational success.”
Gallagher said that employers recognised the importance of having a good connection with their employees for organisational success. However, employers reported that they are not finding this easy to achieve.
Half of organisations are facing challenges across multiple areas of staff engagement, in particular around ‘bringing the business strategy and direction to life through storytelling and inspirational leadership’, the report said.
“We already know that an engaged workforce is happier and more productive. So, having your employees brought into an organisation’s strategy can only increase loyalty and improve the bottom line. This will remain a key focus moving forward,” Gallagher said.
The report said that businesses can go further in their support for working parents, for example, by enhancing pay and time off during parental leave, encouraging applications for shared parental leave and allowing for customised working schedules.
