Operating Shifts that Keep Parents in the Workforce Improve Work Life for All

The first wave of approximately 56 million children have started school and for many, remote learning is a part of the lesson plan. That means a third of the U.S. workforce faces a historic work and life reckoning. How can parents continue to work, either remotely or on site without a foundation of consistent, reliable childcare and in-school learning? Unless they receive an extra level of support and flexibility, for many, the answer may be, they can’t.

According to a recent online survey of 1,000 parents with children under the age of 15, nearly three quarters of parents say they plan to make major changes to their professional lives to accommodate the lack of childcare. About 15 percent of them are considering leaving the workforce altogether.

Yet employers seem to be complacent about how to address this looming disaster with most planning to tackle the particular challenges facing working parents on a case by case basis. According to a recent study, only 32 percent of U.S. employers with a return to office date have a plan in place for parents with childcare responsibilities. That means 68 percent don’t.

Unfortunately, this unprecedented challenge for workers and employers comes as businesses are under extreme operating pressure. Even if an organization needs…