The top 10 family-friendly policies
Proven policies, research-backed results
Our top 10 research-backed family-friendly policies are relevant to businesses of every size and industry, and include low- or no-cost options that are proven to boost employee attraction, retention, loyalty, productivity, and engagement. The Best Place for Working Parents® is supported by national research that demonstrates the power of these practices in impacting working parents and their families, and for the businesses that implement them.
Employee & Dependent Healthcare
Health, dental, and vision insurance offered and fully or partially paid for by the employer. Important aspects that influence the overall impact of this policy include the level of availability and affordability, as well as the offering of supplemental healthcare programs.
Paid Time Off
Paid holidays, paid vacation, paid sick days, and personal days.
Measurable Business ROI
Unlimited vacation time eliminates vacation liability for companies an average of $1,898 per employee.
Source: FRACTL
Parental Leave
Paid time taken by a mother during and after pregnancy to recuperate physically from having a baby and time taken by a parent (male and female) to bond with a new baby. Key aspects of this policy include employee support, company financial support, and supplemental healthcare programs.
Measurable Business ROI
First-time mothers who use some form of paid leave are 32% less likely to quit their jobs before or after childbirth and are 19% more likely to return to the same employer after leave. Employers report that paid family leave either maintained or increased employee productivity (89%), profitability/performance (91%), turnover (96%) and employee morale (99%).
Source: Impaq International and Institute for Women’s Policy Research and Scientific American
Nursing Benefits
Policies that give mothers privacy during milk expression by designating a private space with all the necessary things provided and other supports. Additional supports include refrigerator for milk storage and transportation services during travel.
Measurable Business ROI
Employers who support women who choose to breastfeed have more satisfied and loyal employees, which can also result in higher productivity.
Source: Science Direct
Best Place Designation
Competitive designations and/or awards from independent, 3rd parties that convey certain workplace and employer values such as trust, transparency, culture, and supportiveness to current and future employees, specifically defined as: a) a survey of its employees on organizational culture that indicates 80% or higher score on employee satisfaction, b) an external “Best Place to Work” designation, and/or c) an independent research study citing a healthy organizational culture.
Measurable Business ROI
Compared to their competitors, great workplaces win when it comes to revenue growth, employee retention, productivity, innovation, resilience, agility, customer service, and employee engagement.
Source: Fortune
Onsite Child Care
Companies that offer onsite child care to employees as a convenient and affordable care option.
Measurable Business ROI
When businesses provide childcare for employees, employee absences decrease by 30% and job turnover declines by as much as 60%.
Child Care Assistance
Programs or initiatives that help to reduce the demands of being a child caregiver. Common types of employer childcare assistance include offering Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), partnering with local/nearby child care centers, providing resource and referral services, and subsidizing child care.
Measurable Business ROI
Companies obtain a positive return on investment (ROI) — from 90% to as high as 425% through employer sponsored child care benefits. ROI gains exist across both salary and hourly workers. Additionally, employees receiving child care assistance are 9x more motivated.
Source: BCG and Making the Connection Report
Backup Child Care
Providing alternative care options for parents in emergency situations or for last-minute care if their regular child care falls through.
Measurable Business ROI
20 annual hours, half of a work-week, is what businesses gain back (or don’t lose) when providing back-up care to cover caregiving emergencies.
Source: Care.com
Flexible Hours
Allowing for an alternative to “normal” working hours.
Measurable Business ROI
Multi-Year Retention
66% of women who have access to flexibility plan to stay at their jobs for more than 3 years, compared with 19% of women who have no flexibility
Source: Deloitte
Remote Work
Ability for an employee to have a flexible work location, outside of the organizational office.
Measurable Business ROI
Employees with remote benefits are 75% more likely to be often or always engaged and 30% less likely to look for another job in the next year.
Source: Catalyst
- CASE STUDIES
Policies in action
Learn how companies are implementing our top 10 family-friendly policies through insightful case studies showcasing stories of success from across the network.
