For a working mom, it is a daily challenge to balance work and family obligations, yet so many talented professionals manage to do it exceptionally well. What we find when we talk with many of them is that an employer that values their production enough to make reasonable accommodations enables them to succeed both at work and at home. That’s why working moms in today’s job market are highly selective about employers, often making decisions based on the number and quality of work/life balance benefits that are offered to them.

Smart companies have diverse workforces, in which working moms are well-represented and accommodated. If your company is interested in attracting and retaining top female talent, it is important to offer family-friendly benefits. We are seeing many DFW employers begin to offer some of the following benefits and improve others:

Health Insurance: Working mothers tend to do a thorough job of investigating health insurance plans, making sure their preferred doctors are included, checking to see that women’s health services are provided, and comparing costs of deductions and copays. Some mothers have children with special needs or infants who need coverage for prescription formula. Expecting and new mothers never know what coverages they may need, so the most comprehensive plans provide the peace of mind they need to focus on work.

Maternity Leave: According to the Maternity Leave Policy in Texas, the Family and Medical Leave Act offers eligible employees the right to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leaves in one year for health requirements. This includes leave for pregnancy and childbirth, as well as prenatal and postnatal care.  An employer has to abide by the laws of the FMLA if it comprises of 50 employees for 20 weeks of the calendar year.

Though the state law doesn’t provide for any paid maternity leave, some companies in DFW do offer this as a benefit to working mothers. In addition to making life easier for new mothers, a paid leave policy also sends a particularly strong signal of employer empathy for the challenges working mothers face. Interestingly, the United States is the only industrialized nation that doesn’t yet offer mandated paid maternity leave.

Ramp-Back or Phase-Back Hours: Some larger companies like Amazon have pioneered programs that enable working mothers to return to work from maternity leave on a shorter or more flexible work schedule. Some offer new moms full-time pay for temporary part-time work during this period as they ramp back up to full-time work.

Parental Leave Onboarding Materials:  Given the complexities that expecting and new mothers have to contend with, it helps to have clear policies and timelines in writing. Onboarding materials may also include hotlines or counseling options, as well as forums for moms to provide advice to one another. These materials give women the tools they need to manage a challenging time with confidence, and transition back to work as easily as possible.

Flexible Spending for Child Care Expenses: Many employers offer a flexible child care account, which enables working parents to pay for child care related costs (up to $5,000 per year) on a pre-tax basis. Some flexible plans allow moms to pay for regular daycare, as well as back-up care, emergency care, nannies, and babysitters.

Child Daycare Benefits: Companies offer a variety of benefits and policies to help new mothers with the tasks or expenses of childcare. Some companies offer services to help find alternative care when the regularly caregiver is unavailable. Some offer subsidies for child care. One of the most attractive benefits is on-site daycare, which enables moms to get to work on time more easily since both mom and child are headed to the same place. This also allows moms to check in on their children during the day. Moms can focus more attentively on work when they know their children are being properly fed and cared for by professionals.

Unlimited PTO or Flexible Sick Leave: Some employers merge sick, vacation, and all other PTO into one bucket. This allows working moms to allocate more PTO benefits to the temporary needs of younger children, including time for medical appointments and the inevitable colds and ear infections that keep children out of daycare.

Telecommuting Options: For many employers, telecommuting options are a cost-effective alternative to offering more PTO to working moms. The choice to work from home when necessary is one of the first benefits many of the working mothers we know cite as essential to balancing work with parenting. Of course, some positions require more facetime than others, so many companies can’t offer this as a standard benefit.

College Savings Plans: The skyrocketing costs of higher education are a looming concern for parents. Many working moms appreciate the planning and tax advantages that come with employer-sponsored college savings plans. We are seeing more local employers enable workers to direct a portion of income into these accounts, just as they do with retirement accounts. Matching isn’t necessary.

Fitness Centers: It’s difficult for most people to find the time for exercise, let alone working mothers. An on-site fitness center benefits all employees, and it’s a benefit that many working mothers prioritize. Just don’t laugh when you see a working mom running on a treadmill while eating a sandwich and talking on the phone with her child’s physician.

Eliminate Waiting Periods: Many employers have a waiting period before employees are eligible for benefits. Though this is rarely a consideration for most employees, working mothers often need continuous coverage, and will not take positions with companies that don’t offer benefits beginning on day one.

Flexibility is the key to attracting talented working moms. Providing the tools and choices they need to overcome the inevitable challenges of balancing work and parenting shows your company’s commitment to making working moms’ lives easier. It also sends a signal to all employees that your policies are empathetic, fair, and family-friendly.

THE SURVEY SAYS…

The Survey Says…

Most Desired Benefits

A SurveyMonkey study of working moms, as reported by Inc., says these benefits matter most:

• Affordable health insurance with dental coverage
• Flexible work schedules
• Paid sick leave
• Ability to leave when a child is sick
• Paid vacation time

 Child Care Benefits

A Care.com Cost of Care Survey reveals the following findings on working parents:

• 85 percent wish their employer offered child care benefits
• 63 percent say that child care costs have influenced their career decisions
  • 33 percent changed jobs
  • 27 percent asked for a more flexible work schedule
  • 23 percent downshifted to a part-time schedule or became a stay at home parent, to save money on child care

 Career Gaps Due to Motherhood

Journalist Lisen Stromberg, in her new book, Work PAUSE Thrive, surveyed 1,476 college educated women and found that career gaps were common:

• 11 percent planned on pausing their careers for motherhood.
• 72 percent ended up pausing their careers, despite not planning for this.
• 28 percent never paused, and the majority of these women cited supportive work environments that made it possible to balance work with motherhood.