Family structures have significantly evolved, yet many workplace policies and procedures remain rooted in outdated models.
The traditional notion of what a family looks like has changed. From unmarried couples, those with one child, same-sex parent families, parents living apart, single parents, extended family members and blended families, modern families require more inclusive workplace support.
Additionally, the ageing population and economic pressures have increased intergenerational support within families. For instance:
- Parents supporting adult children: With the cost-of-living crisis, parents often financially support their children well into adulthood.
- Mutual caregiving: Grandparents help raise grandchildren, while middle-aged adults juggle caring for both children and elderly parents alongside work.
This underscores the importance of workplace policies that recognise and support dynamic family structures and intergenerational dynamics.
The impact of non-inclusive policies
Many workplace policies still adhere to the ‘2.4 children’ model, offering statutory leave, inflexible working hours and rigid routines that fail to meet the needs of modern families. While some organisations offer ‘family-friendly’ policies, it can inadvertently create barriers and disadvantage non-traditional families.
There is also a tendency to focus on the issue of balancing work with parenting young children, neglecting the needs of employees who are single, child-free, currently undergoing fertility treatments such as IVF or navigating surrogacy and adoption.
There must also be adequate support for people in the LGBTQIA+ community who are taking the path to parenthood and for pregnant employees who experience mental health problems during pregnancy or after birth or the loss of a child.
Employer’s responsibility
It is crucial to build a supportive and inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued, respected and included. This involves getting creative and rethinking policies to reflect modern family structures and support all genders equally.
Whether it’s changing the standards for working Mums and Dads, offering flexible work schedules for fertility treatments, providing financial assistance for adoption or ensuring non-discriminatory benefits for LGBTQIA+ employees, employers have a crucial role in ensuring their culture is inclusive.
Here are some suggested strategies:
- Diverse family policies
- Implement gender-neutral policies that offer equal leave opportunities for all family structures and enhance paternity, adoption, parental and shared parental leave alongside maternity leave.
- Ensure policies support a range of family dynamics, including adoptive parents, same-sex parents and non-parental guardians or caregivers, for example by offering grandparental leave and integrating fertility considerations into your policies.
- Inclusive language
- Use inclusive language in your policies, communications and training programmes.
- Avoid the notion that family concerns are solely a ‘woman’s issue’ and include men in discussions around pregnancy loss. Otherwise, this can inadvertently create ridicule for men who act against gender norms and hinder progression and pay for women.
- Promote gender-neutral leave and communicate regularly, to break down stereotypes and some of the common gender disparities in the workplace.
- Dynamic flexible working
- Create a flexible working culture for various dynamics, including elder care, those caring for grandchildren and those with non-standard school schedules.
- Promote work-life inclusion, not just work-life balance, and ensure your flexible working offering is not exclusively for those with childcare responsibilities.
- DEI training:
- Provide regular diversity and inclusion training to raise awareness of modern family structures.
- Embed a culture of understanding and support within the workplace.
Creating an inclusive and supportive environment goes beyond making policy changes. Use pulse surveys and focus groups and engage with your Employee Resource Groups to gain valuable insights to ensure your policies remain inclusive and relevant. Taking a regular pulse check could help you anticipate how modern family structures will continue to evolve and change, so you can adapt and evolve too.
Inclusive workplace policies that reflect modern family structures will boost employee engagement and help build a culture of respect. By implementing strategies such as gender-neutral policies, inclusive language, flexible working and DEI training, employers can ensure all of their employees feel supported and welcomed.
At Tell Jane, we can help you create policies and practices that support modern family dynamics and go towards building an inclusive and supportive workplace culture. Our training workshops help dismantle bias and challenge stereotypes.
Email hello@telljane.co.uk to discover more – we’d love to chat.
