8 Things Working Parents Wish Their Boss Would Say

8 Things Working Parents Wish Their Boss Would Say Do you landseem to spend your entire day juggling the demands of your family with those of your job? Youre elend alone. The majority of todays workforce is made up of parents. Forward-thinking employers realize this fact and are providing these working parents with the flexibility they need to thrive on the job and at home.If your boss hasnt boarded the family-friendly bandwagon yet, maybe this working parents wish list will enlighten your employer.1. Youre getting paid maternity/paternity leave.Taking time off for a new child poses a dilemma for many employees. The United States is the only industrialized country that doesnt require employers to give paid maternity leave for the birth or adoption of a child. The Department of Labors Family and Medical Leave Act allows for 12 unpaid weeks of leave during a one-year period to care for a newborn or seriously ill family member. However, the act doesnt cover part-time workers and those a t companies with less than 50 employees.Unfortunately, elend all bosses are as understanding as Jessica Petersons, author of the blog, Jes Delights. Peterson says she had an awesome maternity leave by U.S. standards and she crafted a gradual return to work with zu sich boss support. I wish that paid leave was mandatory in the United States and extended beyond 12 weeks, she says. This would bedrngnis only give parents more options, but also help improve the health and well-being of motzu sich and baby, and ease the transition back to work.2. Were providing child care options.Most parents say that their No. 1 priority is making sure theres a safe and convenient place to leave their child while theyre working. Family-oriented companies are providing free or affordable child care options as an employee benefit, including access to resources for finding nannies and day cares.3. Well help you care for a sick child.Employers arent always sympathetic when parents take unexpected time off be cause their child is sick. Having the option to work from home can help, as can having access to backup child care through programs like CareWork.If these arent available options, allowing employees to make up lost hours or use their own sick days can offset the financial burden.Sara Dixon, author of the Super Punk Rock Mom blog, works 40 hours a week as an EMT while managing her family of four. She says her boss shares her family first philosophy and has been extremely supportive My employer allows me to make up hours on nights or weekends that I miss during the week due to emergencies or illnesses. This flexibility keeps productivity up, because Im still able to get 40 hours of work completed.4. You can work around your childs schedule.Working hours are usually not in sync with school hours, and most organizations dont recognize the same holidays as schools.I think one of the biggest challenges I have had with juggling work and the kids is the conflicting schedules, Dixon says. Sc hools make it nearly impossible for parents to work steady eight-hour days, especially considering our district has an early release day once a week.Dixon relies on family to help out and her employer allows her to come in earlier so she can leave in time to pick her daughter up from school. Employers sometimes have room to be more flexible with their employees schedules without compromising productivity. Allowing employees to work weekends, swap hours or get an earlier start are just some of the ways bosses can help parents meet their obligations.5. Take a day off if you need to.If you wish you could take an extra day off now and then to spend more time with your family or get household chores done, see if your boss will let you work four 10-hour days instead of five 8-hour ones. Many companies allow compressed working schedules, even those specializing in customer service.6. Would you like to work from home?For many workers, the advent of the Internet has made working from home a viable option. Employees who telecommute tend to be more productive and work more hours when they are doing it on their own schedules. If your job doesnt require face-to-face interaction with clients, then telecommuting, at least part of the time, may be a good fit.7. Were offering a college savings plan.Having a 401K is a great incentive to prepare for your future. More companies are realizing that working parents also need to prepare for their childs future, and they have started offering 529 college savings plans. With a company-sponsored plan, employers match your contribution up to a certain percent or dollar amount per year.8. Were offering family fitness memberships.Staying healthy and stress-free is as important to the company as it is to you and your family. Many companies realize that staying active promotes a healthy lifestyle, and are providing their employees either with fitness facilities on-site, or memberships to fitness centers. In return, these companies experience less absenteeism, lower health care costs and happier employees. And while gym memberships for individual employees are great, some companies even open them up to the whole family.When it comes to what working parents want from their employers, its not always about the money. Parents wish their bosses would be flexible and more supportive of their familys needs. These intangible benefits go a long way toward ensuring a happy, productive employee, which pays off for the company.--This article originally appeared on Care.com.