The workplace is a source of stress and anger for many people. This frustration often spills over at home and the kids are the ones who suffer. For some people, this anger can become abusive and family preservation services may become necessary. For others, they simply need better support on a regular basis to ensure they are able to give their best at home. There are many ways to support your employees to help their families. Here are some of the workplace services you can offer to improve parenting and mental health.
Create a Family Friendly Environment
Some workplaces are better than others at this. You can make your workplace more family friendly by providing on site childcare services, allowing flexible remote work options, and letting parents bring kids to work when appropriate. Supporting your employees as parents will make them happier and healthier. They’ll work better, and also have the flexibility they need to attend kids’ activities and be present in their lives. People love to work for companies that offer family-friendly perks.
Offer Family Counseling
When parents are struggling at home, they often take those issues with them into work. Family counseling can help them overcome what’s going on. This can help them at home and in the workplace. When someone is dealing with family struggles it can make them less attentive at work, more prone to getting angry with co-workers, and more overwhelmed. Family counselling is the solution if they need it to get through a rough patch. And not needing to pay for it themselves can be a huge perk and can improve employee mental health in powerful ways.
Help Workers Learn Healthy Ways to Deal With Stress
You can offer seminars, online learning, and workplace mental health programs to help your staff manage their stress levels. Employee mental health is important to focus on. Giving them tools to manage their stress can help them at work, at home with their kids, and in all other areas of their lives. As an employer, you are in a unique position to help your staff learn healthy coping mechanisms.
Make Sure Employees Use Their PTO
You shouldn’t have employees racking up months of PTO without ever using it. If you notice that employees’ PTO buckets are getting too full, you can do something about it. Instead of requiring them to figure out how to get the work done when they are out of the office, you can take on the responsibility of finding coverage in their area. Removing this stressor can give them the freedom your employees need to take time out of work to be with their families.
Offer Paid Parental Leave
Moms and dads need time with their newborns after they arrive. Sleepless nights, adjusting to new schedules and more can all impact new parents. By offering paid leave you take away one of the biggest stressors that people experience when they add a new child to their family. Money problems can impact a lot of families. When parents feel scared about their financial futures, they tend to take out their frustration on their kids and each other. By giving paid parental leave, you are supporting the family in tangible ways.
Provide Remote Work Environments
Parents who can work from home have more flexibility. Whether they want to oversee remote schooling, take care of a sick kiddo while they work, not need to worry about childcare on kids’ days off, or be home as soon as the workday is over to go get kids from school or daycare, remote work offers the flexibility that parents need. You can provide a hybrid environment where staff are in the office a few days a week, or implement a full-time remote team who can be trusted to get the job done all the time. Happy employees are good employees and by supporting them as parents, you’ll go a long way toward keeping qualified employees in your doors. When you provide benefits that impact mental health in a positive way and you create a welcoming and family-friendly environment, you’ll make an impact not just with your business but also in the lives of the people who work for you. Employees are the heart of a company and families are the heart of a home. Try out these workplace ideas to benefit your company and the people who work for it.
