how to advocate for family-friendly benefits at your workplace
A version of this post originally appeared on the blog of our pals at Hello, Bundle
A few months ago I was introduced to a woman who had recently banded together with a few of her colleagues to advocate for onsite childcare at their workplace, Steamboat Springs, the ski resort in Colorado. There was one daycare center for the entire county. So the reality for the parents at the resort became, open a daycare center onsite at the ski resort or quit working so they could care for their children.
The group of Steamboat employees put together a presentation complete with research, data, and infographics, and presented it to their executive team who accepted the proposal. The Steamboat Childcare Center opened last year just in time for ski season. It was a win-win for the entire Steamboat community. Steamboat got to keep their employees, the employees got to continue working, and their kids had a safe space to play while their parents were working.
Taking a page from their playbook, here’s how you can advocate for more family-friendly benefits at your workplace.
1. Identify the family-friendly benefits you want to ask for
Consider your needs and those of your colleagues. Some you might consider include:
A flexible schedule
Back-up emergency childcare
Work from home Fridays
More nutritious or heartier snack options in the break room
An employee resource group (ERG) that supports working moms
Paid grievance leave for miscarriage
Paid parental leave
It’s important you identify exactly what you’re asking for so there is no confusion when you ask for it.
2. Identify the decision makers
We often assume we should go straight to HR if we are requesting a benefit or policy change, but generally HR is not the decision maker. They are the communicator and/or enforcer of most benefits and policies, but they aren’t deciding which benefits and policies to communicate and enforce.
Often, decision makers are the executive team, CEO, head of finance, or an ERG leader. Come prepared — leaders like to hear solutions, not problems. Depending on who the decision maker is, craft the solution you’re proposing accordingly. CFO? Show how parental leave affects a business’ bottom line. Head of People? Bring data connecting your proposed benefit(s) to employee retention.
3. position your ask as a win-win
To get your ask accepted you’re going to have to convince your employer of the benefits to them. In the case of Steamboat Springs, the group asking for childcare had sufficient evidence that Steamboat would lose a significant percentage of their employees if the resort didn’t find a childcare solution.
4. Research your competitors’ benefits
Do your research and find out what your employer’s competitors or similar organizations are providing in terms of family-friendly benefits. If your employer prides themselves on providing a progressive and innovative employee experience but they don’t offer the same or better benefits than a competitor does, their claim quickly loses credibility with top talent.
5. Collaborate with allies
It’s going to be a lot more effective if 10 or 20 employees raise a red flag than if one employee sends an angry email. Allies can be ERG leaders, executive sponsors, HR, or even other employees. Consider inviting other parents to a lunch or happy hour to discuss your benefits initiative, or bring up ideas in a parents’ ERG group if you have one.
6. Follow through and be consistent
Jess Feldt, a friend and leadership coach, shared a story about asking her boss for support because she felt like she was burnt out and was never going to catch up with all the work she was tasked with. Her manager said no because there wasn’t sufficient budget and Jess continued to suffer. Not long after, she quit. Her boss asked her why she quit and she said she felt overwhelmed by the amount of work she was required to do. He responded that because she only came to him once, he didn’t think it was that important to her. If it was important enough to quit over he felt she should have asked again.
Take this story as an example to remind yourself to ask again if the first answer is no. Maybe what they really mean is not yet.
You can do this! You’re a parent or parent-to-be—you’re brave, strong, smart, and a badass that can change your company culture for the better. Good luck!
TL;DR
Identify your ask and key decision makers.
Leverage other parents at your organization to both come up with the ask and show that there is strength in numbers.
Come prepared — research what your competitors offer and offer a solution that shows the win-win nature of your proposal.
What benefits or policies would you ask for if you could have anything you wanted at your workplace? We’d love to hear!