What About The Children?

Unless you live under a rock without technology, you are probably familiar with the fact that we are going through a childcare crisis.

If you are like me, or The Spark Mill, you are really, really familiar. All five of our full-time staff members have kids, and to say it’s been a struggle to navigate our work and our kids would be an understatement. While March felt like this new-world was temporary, we’ve all settled into the reality that this is going to impact us for months to come. While the reality of our lives looks different, our work hasn’t stopped, in fact, we are quite busy doing the work we love—and we, like you, have found ourselves wondering WHAT DO WE DO? 

“We may not know exactly what tomorrow may bring, but we know enough to settle into some longer-term planning.”

The “wait and see” method of decision making was necessary for a while, but that is no longer the case. Now we have more information about what schools are going to look like in the Fall, that for many of our staff members life is going to be/remain different, that the way we work together is not going back to “normal” anytime soon, and it is time to make some decisions that will last longer than a few weeks. The reality of what that means and looks like for your organization needs to be shared transparently with your staff. When families know they won’t be expected to work in the office until 2021or that they will be expected to work in the office starting in September or October they are able to make long term plans for how to care for their kids that benefit them and ultimately you as their employer. 

In addition to this, there are benefits employers can offer to staff to lessen the burden—examples include childcare stipends, a reduced workweek, flexible hours, or allowing staff to take a leave of absence or reduce hours while still holding their position. Make sure you have a solid understanding of what the Families First Coronavirus Response Act is and if your employees are eligible. 

Whatever you’re offering, make sure your written policies and work culture clearly layout what everyone can expect from one another. Be mindful that evaluations and decisions about promotions or merit-based raises will not punish or hold someone back, even if they do in fact produce less than someone else in their position. Otherwise, you will have a mess on your hands and built up distrust. Since child care disproportionately impacts women in the workplace, it’s especially important to be extra vigilant about this from the beginning.

So, make some decisions with a team of your staff, share them with your entire workforce, and then schedule an individual check-in with everyone (folks with kids and those without) to review their individual plans and see how you can support them, while also developing shared and transparent expectations. We may not know exactly what tomorrow may bring, but we know enough to settle into some longer-term planning.