What is the next step on a family-friendly organizational journey?

During the year, there are two days when there is a special focus on women: International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day. Both are fantastic opportunities to celebrate those individuals and acknowledge their contribution to organizational growth and success. Mother’s Day dates vary between countries, so we are sharing this in early May to accommodate most of the celebrations!

Nowadays, it’s obvious that the structure of the work culture and spaces is not supportive of mothers (fathers face different challenges, but we’ll have to address that another time ;) ). In recent years, many ideas and solutions on how to address this issue have been introduced on how to make work more accessible, easier and fair for mothers. Here are some of the well-known examples: parental leave policies, childcare support, flexible working hours, home offices, family-friendly meeting hours policies, paid leave days for sick kids, etc. Some have been implemented and executed in a few localizations, some only partially, and some stuck to nothing more than what is legally required. All of these measures mentioned here have had a substantial impact, and it is important to continue.

Celebrating Mothers Worldwide: Key Statistics on Supporting Employed Mothers

As we are celebrating Mothers all over the world, we researched a few key statistics highlighting the benefits of supporting employed mothers:

1. Improved Retention and Productivity:
   Companies with strong maternity leave policies experience 93% retention of female talent, compared to 67% for those with weak policies. (Source: Harvard Business Review)

2. Enhanced Employee Engagement:
   Organizations with supportive work-life balance policies report 20% higher levels of employee engagement. (Source: Gallup)
   

3. Increased Loyalty and Commitment:
   Companies offering family-friendly policies like flexible hours, telecommuting, and parental leave tend to retain employed mothers better. These policies foster a supportive work culture that values work-life balance, boosting loyalty. (Source: Working Mother Research Institute)

4. Positive Impact on Performance:
   Companies with more women in leadership positions have been shown to outperform their peers, with a 35% higher return on equity. (Source: Peterson Institute for International Economics)
   

5. Reduced Turnover Costs:
   The cost of turnover for replacing an employee can range from 30% to 150% of the annual salary, making retention efforts crucial for cost savings. (Source: Work Institute)
   

6. Attracting Top Talent:
   Nearly 80% of job seekers consider a company's policies on diversity, maternity leave, and flexible working arrangements before deciding to accept a job offer. (Source: Indeed)
   

7. Boosted Innovation and Creativity:

   Diverse teams, including those with gender diversity, are more innovative and creative, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making. (Source: Boston Consulting Group)
   

8. Positive Brand Image:
   Organizations that prioritize gender equality and support for working mothers tend to have a stronger employer brand, attracting both customers and top talent. (Source: Deloitte)

Navigating the Path to a Family-Friendly Organization: Beyond Policies towards Cultural Change

Family-friendly policies and flexibility are quickly moving beyond a nice perk toward becoming the standard. Organizations actively moving in that direction will lose less talent and have access to better candidates for new searches. Also worth noting is that policy creation is a great start but only the first step. Execution will be what separates the talkers from the walkers, determining who comes out on top of the most attractive family-friendly organizations.

No change happens overnight, and sadly, it is not by simply creating a new policy. Cultural and behavioral changes happen over time, and to be successful requires more. In Margaret Wheatley’s book Leadership and the New Science, she points out four of those ground conditions for a successful change:

1. New information must enter the system (who, what, where, when): Why the change is needed.

2. A sense of shared purpose: How is this going to be meaningful for me and us?

3. Input on how the change will occur. This provides buy-in and understanding.

4. Everyone understands how input will be used and how decisions are made.

Organizations often leave cultural change for a few workshops and get-togethers, hoping that it will steer itself in the right direction. They forget that cultural change should be navigated as any other organizational change—with strategy and conscious execution.

With this awareness and knowledge, how do we move forward?

Our advice: Focus on allyship. Help non-parents understand parents' realities and challenges. A simple conversation can move mountains! (Or check our Allyship Program.)

In a nutshell

Here, we discussed the evolving landscape of family-friendly policies in organizations, emphasizing the importance of cultural change alongside policy implementation. We highlighted key statistics on the benefits of supporting employed mothers, underscoring their economic and social contributions. We emphasized the need for organizations to move beyond policies and focus on creating a culture that supports work-life balance for all employees. We outlined four crucial conditions for successful cultural change and suggested fostering allyship to facilitate understanding and support among employees.

Are you on this path and looking for support with implementation in part or across your organization? We can help. Schedule a time to speak with us today and reap all the benefits of an engaged and enthusiastic workforce!