Below is recent news from My Family Care. Read past press coverage now.
Top Employers for Working Families Awards 2010
My Family Care is a proud sponsor of the Top Employers for Working Families Awards, the definitive guide to who leads the "family friendly" agenda.
Register your interest in entering the 2010 Awards now
Eldercare vouchers back on the agenda
We attended the Employers for Carers event hosted by BT last month. MP Jonathan Shaw, in charge of the Department for Work and Pensions, was the guest speaker. He discussed the frightening figure that currently there are 4 people in employment for every retired person. This ratio is likely to reduce to 2:1 by 2050. When you consider that nearly half the country works for the Public Sector, the numbers start to get worrying. Employers know they need to find cost effective ways to support their employees with eldercare needs, the question is how?
Dependent care in the UK seems fundamentally broken. The line between Social Services (horribly under funded) and the NHS (relatively well funded) is almost impossible to navigate. The Government's obsession with complicated and measurable supply side benefits adds massively to the confusion. When challenged, Jonathan Shaw said that reducing the 25 benefits currently available was a high priority! If the system is broken and under-funded now the future doesn't bear thinking about.
Unfortunately it's the role of HR departments to plan for the future. So what will you do? The priority for every employer must be the sharing of knowledge. Employees with care issues should not be alone, struggling to understand the potential solutions. We'd like to see a financial incentive for companies to support their working carers. Is it likely? Well, possibly... further cuts are needed whatever the outcome of the election.
Finally there seems to have been an acceptance that the money spent on Childcare Vouchers has had a direct and beneficial impact on the childcare market. From there it's an easy jump to realise employer/ dependent care tax breaks, which could make a real difference to the dependent care market. If you want to know more about the campaign for Eldercare Vouchers or want to look at the dependent care needs of your staff, speak to either us or the team at EmployersforCarers.
Are high salaries enough for the best talent?
While the UK may officially be out of recession, employers are still looking long and hard at their cost base. Workforces are continually being trimmed; and if most FD's had their way, organisations would be left with all but a few, incredibly talented and equally overworked employees!
How to retain talented employees
Talented employees are facing increased workloads; shrinking budgets; and more demanding targets to keep the business productive and profitable. In this kind of cost-cutting and highly pressured environment you can understand why employers are looking for ways to attract, retain and engage the best talent.
The priority for HR professionals is to work out just what employees want and need to remain loyal and engaged. The good news is that financial incentives and higher salaries are often not top of the employees' wish lists.
So if it's not just money – what do employees want?
Many companies have introduced talent management strategies, well-being initiatives and family friendly employee benefit packages to appear more attractive to applicants. Employers are going that extra mile by demonstrating a holistic approach to human resources because they understand that by supporting work-life balance it will increase staff loyalty, staff engagement and thus productivity and profitability in the long term.
Employers are also taking advantage of the competitive edge that marketing and branding can provide. Marketing has been described as the ability to promote the right product or offering to the right person at the right time. Recruitment teams face the same issues: they need to have the right jobs for the right people at the right time.
Benefits of promoting the employer brand
Employer brand is a term many HR professionals have come to hear more regularly. Awards like The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies and Top Employers for Working Families are giving organisations the opportunity to build their employer brands, promote their initiatives and be recognised for the extra benefits they provide.
It is no different to the "hidden powers" that convince us that Coca-Cola or Pepsi is better than a basic brand cola. Employer culture, values and work ethics will impact the type of talent an organisation attracts and retains. It will also affect the level of motivation, engagement and productivity.
Supporting employees' care needs
The workforce is changing - 46% is female and is getting older. That means that more and more valuable employees also have care commitments - whether it's their children, parents or other dependents. Whilst flexible working has made a massive difference to the lives of SOME working parents and carers, other employers have a long way to go.
In the fight to keep the best talent, employers are increasingly offering childcare, eldercare and maternity support. Working parents and carer strategies are usually a mix of practical solutions like Childcare Vouchers and some sort of backup care programme, teamed up with training, workshops and KIT days. Top employees will also be offered high level coaching, and a consultant to help with the maternity journey.
These schemes have seen return to work rates rocket and childcare related absenteeism plummet. Having the right working parent strategies in place has seen smoother transitions from working woman to working mum, making the whole process less stressful for the employee and less disruptive for the employer. If you'd like to discuss in further detail, please Contact Us.
McGraw-Hill introduces Backup Childcare
We're really pleased to announce that McGraw-Hill, publications leader and owner of Standard & Poors, became the latest employer to offer its staff access to My Family Care's unique backup childcare service.
McGraw-Hill has launched backup childcare for its 1500 employees. The Canary Wharf employer has purchased the benefit, which will be available for all staff. My Family Care's backup childcare service allows employees to access nannies, childminders, nurseries and holiday clubs all over the UK at short notice or 3 months in advance. The successful service has been predominantly driven by parent recommendations.
McGraw-Hill are not only paying for the annual £50 registration fee but also offering their employees 3 free sessions of backup childcare per year. To read more about what we offer visit our services for more information.
Reducing absenteeism in 2010
Absenteeism isn't always due to illness. Many working parents find themselves unable to work because their usual childcare arrangements break down, for example, the nanny fails to turn up or because a school has closed for the day. Research shows that care breakdowns happen on average 9 times a year. There is a solution!
We hear all too regularly from employers about the problem of childcare related absenteeism, especially during the school holidays. Whilst sometimes a family member or friend can help, there are still times where an employee has no option but to stay at home.
The unplanned costs caused by absenteeism could be avoided by using simple backup care solutions. Emergency Childcare and Out of School Care are solutions being used by both large and small organisations. A backup nanny, nursery or childminder can be arranged with as little as 30 minutes notice. Currently over 350,000 working parents have access to these services.
To find out more please contact us on corporate@myfamilycare.co.uk or 0845 676 7680.
Making diversity count and helping mothers back to work
Diversity isn't just a box to be ticked, it's a chance for companies to access the best available talent. Working mothers are some of the most loyal, organised and productive employees. Flexible working has made a massive difference to the ability of employers to accommodate parents and carers, but on its own it isn't enough.
To maximise engagement and productivity of all your working parents and carers it's not only the hours and the culture that need to be right. The reason women often fail to make a successful transition back to work and their careers is because the practical and emotional hurdles of combining work and family are too great. The right advice and support can make all the difference.
To find out how you can manage maternity for the benefit of all parties and support your working mothers please contact us on corporate@myfamilycare.co.uk or 020 7384 8361.
Year-end review on working parents and carers
2009 was a busy year for the employee benefits market, especially where child and eldercare benefits are concerned. Childcare Vouchers were almost abolished, flexible working has been on the increase and employers are now acknowledging that employees may face care responsibilities other than childcare.
My Family Care's annual review highlights events in 2009 that affected the child and eldercare industry. We also identify the trends and issues for 2010 and take the opportunity to tell you what's driving us. The report is personal and occasionally provocative; we'd love to hear your thoughts.
Download My Family Care Annual Review now
My Family Care wins BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur Competition
We're pleased to announce that My Family Care is one of the winners of the BT Business Essence of the Entrepreneur competition 2009. The competition looks to recognise and reward entrepreneurs who have been innovative, and particularly successful with the help of technology. As part of the campaign Ben Black had his portrait taken by Rankin and this will be on display at gallery@oxo on London's Southbank along with the other winners. The exhibition runs from 28th January – 28th February 2010, please see www.bt.com/entrepreneur for more details.
UK councils cut help for the elderly
In the news this week, figures from the Local Government Association indicate that the number of UK councils offering free home help to elderly people with 'moderate' needs will fall by half by next year. In 2006 31% of UK councils offered free home help to people with moderate needs, by 2009 this had fallen to 27% and by next spring it will fall to just 14%. This means an estimated 600,000 people will have lost their right to home care and triggered fears that many older people will not know where to turn to for the support they need. Source, Smart Care UK.
Working parents survey results - Request a free copy
My Family Care conducted a survey to over 5000 working parents in September.
The biggest survey in 2009 covering Childcare, Eldercare and Flexible Working issues. The results were released October 26th. Request free survey results now
Gordon Brown announces the
end of Childcare Vouchers
Voucher providers, employers and employees are left wondering what this means for the future. My Family Care Founder, Ben Black, looks at today's UK childcare market and outlines his thoughts on the future. Request full article
Size doesn't matter when it comes to supporting working parents
My Family Care have launched affordable childcare and eldercare employee benefits now available for small and medium sized businesses.
The services available include Emergency Childcare, Eldercare, Search & Guidance for mothers returning to work and relocating workers, Childcare and Eldercare Helplines and Childcare Vouchers. Request service information now
