Oliver Black is one of the UK’s better known childcare entrepreneurs – the founder of My Family Care and a non-executive director at Tinies and Conviviality. My Family Care was founded in 2006 with support from IBM’s work / life balance fund and has established itself as the leading provider of work and family solutions for many of the UK’s best-known employers including IBM, Pfizer, Shell, P&G, Freshfields, UBS, Barclays, Baker & McKenzie, Bank of America, McKinsey, Deloitte, Citi, KPMG, Rolls-Royce and Santander. In his spare time Oliver is a proud father of three young children, which some describe as “living the brand” and is a fan of endurance races and sport.
“…Family friendly working practices are not simply an employee benefit. They represent the most commercially sound way of harnessing the potential of a generation of talented people whose working lives need to dovetail with many other roles and responsibilities…”
Cityfathers – it’s about time!
At the end of April, Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg announced the launch of Cityfathers – a group which supports Dads working in the city. All I can say is, it’s about time!
The networking group was set up to provide peer support to dads balancing careers and children, and to help members achieve flexibility in the workplace whilst continuing with their career, providing fathers with a lifeline.
We know that UK fathers carry out 25% of all childcare related activities, making them eight times more involved than their fathers were 30 years ago. I’m excited to see the launch of Cityfathers because we often focus on working mums, so it’s nice to see fathers in the spotlight for a change.
Combining work and family isn’t just about mothers; it’s about families
The launch of Cityfathers – alongside Citymothers – highlights the fact that successfully combining work and family isn’t just about mothers; it’s about families. Working mothers and fathers have so much in common, so it’s great to see we finally have a voice.
Through my day job at My Family Care, I am lucky to be able to work with forward-thinking companies like Citi, Deloitte, UBS, Shell, P&G and IBM, providing solutions that support parents and carers who are managing work and family. As a working parent myself, I know the difficulties that arise when I have a meeting and a school run to do at the same time, but I also know how rewarding it feels when I almost get the balance right!
Why so long?
While I am happy to see the launch of Cityfathers, I have to question why it has taken so long – a full two years after the launch of Citymothers – and what value did the Deputy Prime Minister add to the launch? Having mulled that over a bit I have to admit there are several reasons – even if they are antiquated.
- There’s the whole stigma that dads are expected to be the breadwinners whilst mum stays at home. While this works for some families, this is no longer the only acceptable option. Things have changed a lot in the past 30 years – in fact the progress is incredible, but we still have a long way to go.
- Employers are finally waking up to the fact that – male or female – it is about talent retention. If you help someone combine work life and family, then people are going to be more engaged, more productive and more loyal.
- Many workplaces have introduced family-friendly work practices, but a lack of male role models that openly balance work and family means that fathers are often reluctant to stand up and be counted. Over the past few years we’ve seen such a shift in mind sets that we’ve developed Being a Dad – a resource specifically for fathers to help them stay engaged, while dealing with the joys and challenges of family life.
- As stated, we need high profile role models if we want to recognise the important part working fathers play in the bigger picture, whether they come in the form of the CEO or a high profile individual like Nick Clegg. I suppose helping run the country and a family takes a bit of juggling!
Work and family responsibilities impact on the morale and productivity of your business
For working parents and carers the competing demands of work and family responsibilities have a huge impact on their job and happiness at work. Personal performance, job focus and attendance are all affected, ultimately impacting on the morale and productivity of your business.
Harnessing the potential of a generation of talented people
Family friendly working practices are not simply an employee benefit. They represent the most commercially sound way of harnessing the potential of a generation of talented people whose working lives need to dovetail with many other roles and responsibilities.
Employers, big and small, who respond to the needs of working parents and carers are shaping a workplace fit for an evolving workforce. Get it right and the employees who are helped to combine career and family successfully can be the most engaged, productive and loyal members of your team. You win. They win.
Here’s my advice on where to start:
- Let your staff work flexibly; thanks to technology we can work anywhere and everywhere. Outputs are more important than presenteeism.
- Sign up to schemes that assist the working parents in the office. For example, Emergency Childcare that can step in at the last minute if a parent – due to take part in an important meeting – has a childcare crisis.
- Provide lunchtime seminars for staff who are struggling with work and family. Networking events like this help build morale, allow individuals to share their stories and provides an opportunity for company role models to offer their advice on how to make it work!
- While they are still on the table, take advantage of Childcare Vouchers and government schemes to help cover the costs of employees’ childcare. Although vouchers are being phased out in 2015, you still have a chance to choose the voucher scheme that is right for you and your staff.
- For staff on maternity leave, make sure that there is a proper process in place where they can keep up-to-date via KIT days (Keep In Touch). Don’t leave it to chance – as an employer you can make the transitions a lot easier for both of you.
With the introduction of Shared Parental Leave in April 2015 the debates around working parents are only just beginning. Allowing couples to share the 12 months of leave after the birth of a child may sound like a challenge for employers but in a survey we recently undertook, with law firm Hogan Lovells, it’s uplifting to see that the majority (59%) perceive the new SPL policies as an opportunity to enhance their family-friendly policies while a third (33%) say that it fits in well with their aims of being more gender neutral about parenting.
It’s great for all of us to be reminded that it’s not just women who face the difficulties – and the pleasures – of being a working parent!
https://www.myfamilycare.co.uk/
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