Energy company call centre employee
Management consulting firm employee
Investment bank employee
Herbert Smith employee and mother
Emergency Care at Herbert Smith
Kate Godwin looks at how law firm Herbert Smith helps its employees
Finding reliable emergency cover when they have been let down over childcare is a real problem for working parents.
In September 2011, Kate Godwin of Equal Opportunities Review talked to Herbert Smith about they help their employees with Backup Care.
Key points
- Herbert Smith is able to offer employees childcare or eldercare with as little as 30 minutes' notice, but has the flexibility to allow them to book care up to three months in advance
- By providing emergency cover at short notice, employees are able to meet their commitments to clients. In particular, where an employee has a client meeting scheduled, it makes business sense to the firm to provide emergency care to enable the employee to attend. Used mainly by partners, and in a fee-paying business, the service is considered to be self-funding.
One of the most stressful events for a working parent is for their childcare to be suddenly unavailable when faced with an urgent work commitment.
Such childcare breakdowns are an occupational hazard for all working parents and can cause absence.
Emergency Childcare helps staff access alternative provision when their usual arrangements fail.
The firm discovered that finding last-minute childcare was a significant source of stress to a number of staff...
Download the full article on Herbert Smith's emergency care
The original article appeared in Equal Opportunities Review, Issue 216, September 2011, and is reproduced with permission of the publishers.
Join the growing family of companies...
That help their employees through working with My Family Care.
Get in touch to find out how we can make work+family work for you.
All of our Case Studies, Employer Guides, and White Papers can be downloaded throughout the site.
Build Your Pack and you can be sent them as one handy PDF.
