With Irish childcare costs rising by €770 a year across Ireland, parents returning to work face more pressure than ever.

This is reflected in “working parent guilt”, experienced by 66% of men and 60% of women.

Regardless of gender or reason for parental absence, all working parents should feel adequately supported by their workplaces when returning to work.
 
Why is it Important to Support Working Parents as they Return to Work?
Returning to work after a prolonged period of time, for example maternity or paternity leave, can be exciting but daunting.

Employees come and go, while working tasks change over time. Returning parents have to learn new names and faces, while getting to grips with new tasks and managing their new work-life balance.

It is crucial workplaces support returning working parents as they navigate this new territory. Such support will prevent feelings of resentment creeping in, while large staff turnovers can be avoided, retaining returning talent and using this experience to develop new staff and improve the workplace.
 
How Can Businesses Support Working Parents when they Return to Work?
Returning to work can be a challenge, particularly for new parents, as they acclimatise to the responsibility of juggling a new baby alongside their existing workloads. Working parents with multiple children will also face new challenges.

A study has revealed just 14% of male working parents had never had a request for leave turned down. Clearly there needs to be more flexibility from employers for all working parents, men and women.
 
Flexible Arrangements
With a Eurobarometer study revealing only 1 in 4 Irish workers receive flexible arrangements, it is crucial Irish businesses improve to allow working parents the satisfaction of a positive work-life balance.

Whether it’s a dental appointment, or a sports day, allowing working parents the breathing space to balance their work more flexibly can only be positive for a working environment.  

Flexible arrangements can include:

·         Flexi-Time
·         Work from home days
·         Temporary or permanent part-time arrangements
·         Job shares

Such arrangements can enhance employee wellbeing, and prevent large staff turnover, allowing a business to retain their talent and their capacity for superior performance.
 
Upskilling Others
Employees seeking to ‘up their game’ and take on new tasks could also be utilised by a business to take the pressure of returning working parents. While not replacing the returning employee, by having an extra pair of hands on a task, businesses can improve a working environment while ensuring that their performance does not suffer.
 
Inclusive Culture
An inclusive working environment is crucial for returning staff. Not only will they need to acquaint themselves with new staff but begin to learn new tasks and remember old ones.

An inclusive culture where all staff feel that they can interact with each-other frequently and cohesively can only benefit an organisation. By fostering an inclusive culture, new or childless staff and returning staff can be provided the space to get to know each other, and to develop positive dynamics for the workplace.

Developing such relationships between staff will prevent resentment towards workloads from either staff group, while growing understanding between colleagues and the professional and personal challenges they may face.

​In the final article of this series, the importance of a parent-friendly culture and its positive impact on the workplace will be explored more in-depth.

Within the majority of my articles, I discuss how important the relationship is between employer and employee, and nothing is further from the truth. Sometimes, however, it can be easy for managers to be slightly alienated from their teams, due to not wanting to seem too familiar or to ensure the managerial role is respected. In larger companies, the divide between the roles can be even bigger and can often lead to problems in an organisation and its ability to execute strategies productively.

Gone are the days when a company could simply have one or two staff events a year for employees at every level to mingle. Instead, for businesses to benefit from effective leadership, they need to work towards a more inclusive approach, valuing all levels of contributions from staff members, irrespective of their role in the company.

Ultimately, ensuring the divide is being lessened comes down to the manager and how they work with their team to engage them in business strategies that affect customers and client interaction. The majority of manager training focuses on compliance and safety, as well as HR policies and procedures, however it is important for companies to ensure managers have training in leadership skills to ensure all teams are managed correctly.

No matter which industry one is in, a concept known as the “Service-Profit Chain” proves that managers who drive employee engagement make a positive impact on company growth and profitability.

So how does a manager break down the “them and us” attitude?

There are a number of factors involved in narrowing the gap; however managers need to understand the following three things before approaching the other factors:

1. Managers have to understand their role in the company, which more often than not is about ensuring their team meet their targets and deliver results.
   
2. Managers must inspire their team to work to their full potential whilst ensuring the employees understand the corporate vision and their role in the company.
   
3. Managers have to communicate with their team members, ensuring that team spirit and joint accountability is at the forefront of any task presented to them.

Communication is Key

There are two types of leadership when addressing communication: visible and communicative.

Visible leadership occurs when employees have the opportunity to speak to managers face to face, allowing both parties to form an attachment whilst reassuring team members that senior management are interested in their opinions.

Communicative leadership allows for employees to be a part of company strategies and be aware of high level decisions that may affect them in their job. Two way communication can be achieved through one to one meetings, team meetings, focus groups and employee forums where staff members can engage with each other, as well as senior management on innovative ideas, thoughts and concerns they may have.

Get Involved

Managers should attempt to spend time in different parts of the business throughout the year to gain an understanding of potential business issues from the perspective of their team. Employees are much more willing to work harder if management get involved in completing projects or hitting targets for the good of the team. Leading by example ensures that employees know the manager isn’t asking them to do something they wouldn’t be willing to do themselves.

Reward and Recognise Success

A lot of research has been done into positive reinforcement and the benefit it has for motivating and improving skills. Managers need to be aware of recognising and acknowledging individual team members success when it is deserved and offering constructive criticism instead of negative reinforcement which could lead to resentment.

Do Not Micromanage

Putting team members in a position where they have to make their own decisions and deal with the consequences leads to a stronger and more versatile work environment. Through management allowing their team to solve problems, staff members will gain confidence and be more likely to work independently in future tasks. If management don’t allow this to happen and constantly micromanage, employees will feel they are unable to do the job thy have been hired for and will constantly seek reassurance.

Encourage Offsite Activities

There are numerous team building days across Ireland that specialise in allowing all employees at every level in the company to share one space without potentially feeling intimidated by someone’s job title. Managers should engage in such activities once or twice a year to ensure all employees realise that the company has their best interests at heart whilst motivating and inspiring them outside the work place.

Be on First Name Terms

This may seem either obvious or rather old fashioned but there are still some companies who insist upper management are addressed by their surname. Unfortunately this leads to a level of intimidation from junior staff members. Addressing everyone by their first name removes any sense of hierarchy and brings openness and approachability between every employee in the company.

Trust is a Two Way Street

Last but definitely not least, trust and respect is the foundation of building a successful employee-manager relationship. Whilst managers find it important to trust their team members to do their job, employees also have to trust that their manager has their best interests at heart. Trust can come in the form of managers being open and honest about future plans or concerns, representing their team to employees high up the chain as well as protecting them from potential negative influences.

Managers hold the key to unlocking employee talent, keeping clients happy and ultimately driving growth within the company. Therefore it’s of utmost importance that companies give managers the tools and vision to help their teams succeed!



The contents of this article are necessarily expressed in broad terms and limited to general information rather than detailed analyses or legal advice. Specialist professional advice should always be obtained to address legal and other issues arising in specific contexts.