In your opinion, what makes parent-friendly workplaces the wave of the future?

As an early childhood educational institute, we can first hand confirm that children with present and proactive parents thrive and grow to be amazing individuals. Family plays a crucial role in development of children and growth of any organization. An working person, with a supportive and loving family thrives at workplace and vice-versa. When a workplace supports the employee as well as their family, the employee feels fulfilled, supported, valued and will be loyal to the organization.

For companies, to thrive, to grow and to maintain profitability, parent-friendly policies will be the key to success. Parent friendly policies lead to high employee engagement, well-being and satisfaction. It will help to attract talent and retain employees, boost productivity and provide gender equality in all sense to the workplace. Fathers and Mothers will have equal opportunity and responsibility to be involved parents and active members of family.

Please share ONE unique parent-friendly workplace initiative that your organization is particularly proud of and has made the biggest impact on your employees.

Our unique parent-friendly workplace initiative is Free Education to our employee’s children. Their entire early childhood education is supported by the nursery and we extend our school collaboration discounts to our employees. We understand that educational expense takes a big portion in a family’s finances and our policy offer financial relief to the employees.

Knowing that their child receives the high quality of education, of which the parent itself is part of, gives them security and satisfaction. Our employees feel relief knowing their child is well taken care of in a safe and engaging environment.

What are some of the business benefits (such as on retention, satisfaction, productivity. etc.) you have seen from being a parent-friendly workplace?

The positive impact of parent friendly policies is resonated in all business spheres. From attracting talent to high retention, it affects the talent and personnel department. The sense of security and care for the children, gives employees to be happily productive and loyal to the nursery. The access to workshops, tools and resources related to parenting, childcare, future planning supports the employee’s well-being and financial planning. Our employees speak for us and their positive responses has lead to our nursery’s overall growth. Our parents, whom we cater to, have given the constant feedback that they find our staff smiling, happy and welcoming at all times. That positively affects our company’s image and engagement as a business.

You support parents in special ways: mothers enjoy unlimited nursing breaks, and mothers AND fathers who experience multiple births and stillbirths get extended leaves. Please share real story(s) (anonymous if you prefer) where your employees have benefited from this support.

First: Our employee – Ms Aruni has benefitted from free education for her son, Yash. Her working hours gives her the support to be present and care for Yash when at the same time the father is also busy at his workplace.

Second: One of teacher, is enjoying the unlimited nursing hours to ensure that the child is well-fed and they get to bond more during this time.

Third – The sick leaves for staff extends to their children’s health. This provides a relief to our working parents who take leaves whenever their child is ill. This stands the same for – Raisa, Sruthimol, Zeenath, Roseanne, Asha, Aruni.

Fourth – Extended childcare for Ms Zeenath’s son – Liyaqath for after school hours at the nursery, supports her financially, knowing that she has free childcare at the nursery and the benefit of long maternity leave, which she is about to take for her second child’s birth.

Fifth – Free education for children of the following staff members – Sruthimol, Brenda, Zeenath, Hager, Asha, Raisa, Eman, Roseanne.