Childcare & carers
Offering child care in the workplace forms an important part of a family friendly policy for many employers. Childcare vouchers offered through salary sacrifice (to make the most of the tax break) is a benefit commonly offered to working parents. Beside child care voucher services, some companies also run child care services such as the onsite nursery, while emergency childcare provision is becoming increasingly popular among staff. The Work and Families Act 2006 came into force in April 2007 extending maternity leave and adoption leave for parents. It also extended the rights of carers of adults to request flexible working.
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News
National Express improves parental policies
National Express has improved its parental policies in a bid to offer more than the statutory level of leave to its employees.
14 May Government to extend right to request flexible working
06 May New family training plan
25 Feb Childcare Choice and HR4UK form strategic alliance
04 Feb Herbert Smith provides care
Analysis
Providing on-site nursey facilities
Providing an on-site nursery can ease employees' concerns about their child's welfare, although this can come with a hefty price tag, says Alison Coleman
02 Apr Gaining a return on inventment on childcare perks
02 Apr New proposals for parental leave
02 Apr A guide to childcare benefits
05 Mar How to manage working parents
05 Mar What could extended flexible hours mean for employers?
Case Studies
Childcare vouchers at PWC impact post-maternity leave retention rates
The introduction of childcare vouchers at PricewaterhouseCoopers has had an impact on post-maternity leave retention rates, which soared from 40% in the mid-90s to 92% in 1998 when the scheme was launched, before falling to 89% in 2005.
08 Jan PricewaterhouseCoopers has introduced a pilot emergency childcare system
04 Dec John Lewis Partnership offers childcare to staff
05 Oct Qinetiq chooses own providers in outsourced scheme
05 Oct BSkyB opts for outsourced admin
01 Jun Banco Santander Central offers local benefits to local employees
Research
Mothers embrace flexible working arrangements
Flexible working is considered the benefit most likely to aid working mothers, according to a survey of HR and finance managers. More than two-thirds of respondents to the Workplace survey by Robert Half International favoured this method.
29 Jan Childcare costs continue to rise
09 Oct Tax break has boosted client numbers for some childcare providers
08 Mar Childcare and flexible working fail to retain female managers
28 Feb Lack of flexible working disadvantages mothers
