It's All About People

READ TIME - 3 minute read

Welcome back

This week’s It’s All About People covers:

 🏫 Back to school

💁Hoping you can help me (and a thank you for doing so)

🏅 Paralympics Excitement

📆 Events this month

As September fast approaches, this is a significant milestone in our household, and for me as a Mum. Our daughter enters her last year in full time education (at school anyway).

It has certainly been challenging at times, but it feels like the last 14 years of school have flown by. I also no longer need to organise the school run as she will now drive herself to school 🚗 

Today our son headed back to Uni for his 3rd year, so it is all change and wow will I miss him.

All this got me thinking about how challenging it can be for parents to manage school, especially the holidays, while working full time…hence today’s email.

🏫 Back to school

It is that time of year again, children are going back to school - or in some cases heading to school for the first time.

This can be an emotional time for parents and carers, and also from a practical point of view a real challenge.

For anyone who has navigated children starting school - the settling period can be difficult to manage - with half days and short sessions at school.

As an employer, supporting parents and carers at this time can make such a huge difference.

⌛️ How to Support Parents and Carers (and why)

Supporting parents in the workplace is not only a caring approach, but it also makes good business sense.

Organisations that actively promote a family-friendly culture often see higher employee satisfaction, increased retention rates, and improved productivity.

Statutory annual leave entitlement is 5.6 weeks a year, but school holidays are a minimum of 13 weeks a year.

The most common (still) work pattern is 9am to 5.30pm, but most schools are 8.30am-3.30pm.

So parents and carers have some juggling to do both in term time and holidays 🤹 

Options

• flexible working hours to allow for school runs and managing holidays

• enhanced parental leave policies and encouraging both parents to utilise it

• subsidised childcare (for all age ranges)

• family-friendly environment / culture

• time off for significant events e.g. first day at school, sports days, graduations

• parent support groups and mentoring

You can read some great case studies here from organisations that have won awards for their support for parents and carers.

💁Hoping you can help me

On 17th September our lunch and learn is on this exact topic, and I would love to include examples from the readers of this email.

Whether you were part of the team that implemented the support or as a parent/carer who benefitted from it - I’d love to hear from you. Please just respond to this email.

As a thank you, you can come along to the lunch and learn at no cost - just use the code IAAP when you book here.

🏅 Paralympics Excitement

Last night saw the opening ceremony for the Paralympics.

Some of you may have seen our team friend Jonathan Broom Edwards present at our events -and he is going for gold AGAIN this year.

We will all be watching on 6th September as he amazes us all again with his gravity defying high jump.

GOOD LUCK JONATHAN

That’s all for this week – have a great week all.

Emma 

P.S. For those of you reading this who are members of our HR Hub then we have resources to help you support parents and carers in the Hub.

 P.P.S.  If you are not a Hub member you can join here for only £45/month for all your HR needs.

P.P.P.S If we have not connected on LinkedIn yet, I would love to connect

Events to Join in the coming weeks (click on the links to join us)

Back to School - Supporting Parents & Carers in the Workplace Lunch and Learn (free to all our clients or book a place if not) - 17th September 12pm

Make Work Pay – Labour’s 100 Day Plan for HR & Leaders (Free Webinar) - 18th September 12-1pm

HR Clinic (free to all, come and ask your HR questions) - 24th September 12pm