How Does Sponsoring Employee Childcare Benefit Employers?

At-will employment. It’s a two-way street, giving employers leverage and workers an out. When it comes to employee benefits, firms scrutinize everything. So why do employers sponsor childcare?

While some may like the conversation, there is something to gain with employee childcare benefits. Employers see reduced absenteeism, lower turnover, increased productivity, and more competitive recruitment. Working families feel supported with valuable care benefits.

Employer-sponsored childcare benefits programs are increasingly top of mind for organizations eager to retain and attract talent in a competitive labor market. Employees with children need to solve the childcare puzzle to ensure they’re available to work. Meanwhile, many workers will strongly consider an employer’s care benefits when weighing whether to move jobs.

Contact Upwards and we’ll help you make a convincing employee benefits case to prospects.

Childcare benefits provide a financial boost

Although momentum has been building for employee childcare benefits for some time, not every business is totally on board.

A segment of employers might not offer these care benefits because they think it will save them time, energy, and money. The economic reality, however, is that going with the status quo and opting not to offer employee childcare benefits is detrimental to the bottom line.

Without solid childcare benefits in place, working parents miss more days due to childcare issues. They are also less productive/focused at work, and may ultimately be forced to leave their job to care for their children. And these challenges disproportionately affect women in the U.S. workforce.

Organizations that support working families to address these significant childcare issues may do so for altruistic or business reasons. Either way, the results will be overwhelmingly positive and give these employers a leg up on their competition.

Why are employee childcare benefits important?

So what’s so special about childcare benefits for employees?

As it turns out, childcare is not just another benefit, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Some employers may start by offering the bare minimum of childcare benefits in some form, which may look like a more narrowly focused, rigid program.

While employee childcare benefits of any kind are certainly a good start, offering benefits that aren’t flexible does not work for the vast majority of employees. We discussed this recently in a post about how traditional employee childcare benefits fall short.

The optimal way to support working parents is by providing them with a comprehensive, flexible childcare benefits program. Employees need practical care benefits that they can actually use.

Childcare benefits lead to higher job satisfaction

The advantages of offering employee childcare benefits are varied. In addition to the well-documented rewards in productivity and retention, boosting employee morale is another tangible reason to invest in a childcare benefits program.

Employers offering flexible, affordable employee childcare benefits come out on top and consistently rank higher in job satisfaction surveys. Working families who feel supported are far more likely to:

• Thrive at the organization
• Feel excited to join and acclimate to the work culture
• Miss fewer days
• Produce better work
• Stay with their employer longer

Choose your childcare network wisely

Similar to vetting any new hire at the organization, it makes business sense to carefully scrutinize who could be fulfilling any new employee childcare benefits offerings.

Selecting the right childcare network is one of the biggest keys to implementing a successful employer-sponsored childcare benefits program that leads to happy employees. It should fit the unique needs of your workforce.

Upwards is the largest childcare network in the United States and a leading provider of employee childcare benefits. At the core of our childcare network are over 5,000 licensed in-home daycare providers, as well as 30,000+ nannies and babysitters. Our carefully vetted caregivers offer high-quality, affordable childcare that works for both employees and employers.

With more flexible schedules, small class sizes, and the ability to care for school-aged children, Upwards’ childcare providers can support the unique needs of your working families.

Upwards’ employee childcare benefits programs include everything from childcare assistance and stipends to backup childcare and guaranteed placement.

Our Childcare Assistance program helps families discover and access high-quality, affordable childcare. Upwards’ full and partial childcare stipends can be utilized by employers to assist employees with childcare costs. We also offer emergency/backup care to support working families when the unexpected occurs. As employers, you can mix-and-match these programs to create customized childcare benefits for your workforce.

Feel free to reach out at will to discuss any childcare benefits questions.

We are always here at benefits@upwards.com — let’s start the conversation.