Written by Kelly Bray, Associate Director, Best Workplaces for Commuters
Our workplaces are full of parents. There are nearly 6 million families in Canada with children, including 1.5 million families with children under the age of 6.
Life isn’t easy for working parents. Between appointments, extracurriculars and winter colds, parents are constantly balancing work life and home life, which can make it difficult to be fully engaged at work (or at home). Thankfully, there are some things employers can do to help.
Flexible work schedules
Offering a flexible work schedule (also known as flextime) is one of the easiest and best supports that an employer can offer working parents. The ability to set an earlier or later schedule helps parents to coordinate daycare drop offs, teacher meetings and extracurricular activities.
Young children in particular tend to go to bed early. It can be a real trial to get through the daycare pickup, dinnertime and bathtime before a 7:00pm bedtime. Even shifting from a 9-5 to 8-4 schedule can have a huge impact on how smoothly evenings go and lower working parents’ stress levels.
Hybrid and remote work
Nearly one-third of Canadian parents with young children have hybrid or fully remote work arrangements, compared to less than one-quarter of workers without young children. This speaks to the same issues as above – taking care of children’s daily needs takes time. Removing commuting to and from work leaves parents with more time to get things done, or to have more time with their kids.
Remote work can also give parents more time to work. Daycares are very strict about pick-up times, charging fees for every few minutes that a parent is late. When working remotely, parents who would otherwise have to rush out the door right at 5:00pm have the flexibility to spend a few extra minutes finishing things up, wrapping up a call or getting ready for the next day.
Secure bike parking
There are many great ways to cycle with children and many benefits for both parents and children. Spending the morning and evening commute being active outdoors keeps parents in shape, teaches children healthy habits, and can provide some valuable time together after being apart all day. E-bikes are making this an even more attractive option by providing the extra boost needed to bike up hills and quickly get around town.
Parents who cycle with their children often have expensive accessories, such as trailers and ride-along attachments, that can potentially be removed and stolen from their bicycle. Specialty bicycles such as cargo bikes and long-tail bikes can cost anywhere from $1,500 to upwards of $10,000 for electric versions (2024 pricing). Leaving this valuable equipment locked to a signpost can be stressful and risky.
When employers provide secure bicycle parking, employees can ride to work and know that their bicycle, trailer and any other component will be safe throughout the day. This should go beyond just installing a bike rack – secure options include a fenced-in area (“bike cage”), bike lockers or an indoor bike room. Bonus amenities such as lockers, showers or a repair stand provide further encouragement to employees looking to incorporate healthy exercise into their daily commutes.
Emergency Ride Home
An emergency ride home (ERH) program reimburses employees who commute to work sustainably and then unexpectedly need to take another mode home. The most common example would be if two people carpool to work together, but then the driver gets sick and goes home early. The ERH program will pay for their carpool partner to take a cab home at the end of their workday.
ERH coverage supports all employees who commute sustainably and has a real impact on the decision to use a sustainable mode of transportation. For parents, it gives them the peace of mind to carpool to work, knowing they can leave to pick up a sick child without worrying about being stuck without a vehicle or leaving their carpool partners stranded.
Best Workplaces for Commuters
In addition to supporting working parents, the items listed above have another thing in common – they all help an employer to qualify for the Best Workplaces for Commuters designation!
Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC) is a designation program that recognizes employers who provide outstanding commuter benefits to their employees. Employers are required to provide a certain number of commuter benefits, which can be selected from a list of popular options. Attaining the BWC Standard of Excellence is a great way to improve employee recruitment and retention, especially with parents, who value a workplace that is responsive to their needs.
