Foster a Family-Friendly Workplace to Boost Engagement

This coming Thursday, April 25, employers nationwide will participate in 'Take Your Child to Work Day,' an event that can jump-start a family-friendly work culture and boost employee morale.

Most business leaders agree that employee engagement is not just a “nice to have” anymore—it’s necessary to keep up in today’s competitive labor market. Engaged employees contribute to a happy, healthy, and productive workplace, which boosts retention and recruitment efforts. Yet, the challenge many employers face is HOW exactly to engage employees. It seems to be a moving target, evolving with each new generation or cultural shift.  

Emphasizing a family-friendly work culture through events such as Take Your Child to Work Day can yield dramatic results when it comes to engagement. When spouses, children, partners, and even extended family and friends are considered in policy decisions and invited to attend events, they feel like part of the organization’s inner circle. This can help increase employee loyalty and commitment to their employer. And, when employees feel safe bringing their “whole selves” to work—including their roles as caretakers and parents—they feel understood and supported, resulting in more job satisfaction. In a 2020 UNICEF study of family-friendly policies’ impact on global businesses, employers reported that investing in family-friendly policies has directly impacted their bottom line. Luis Aguirre, President of Index Mexico, said in the study, "We are convinced that when our people are happy with their children and with their families, and are safe, productivity increases, and they are focused on the job, which is their second home, where they spend a majority of their time.”

Family-friendly policies also positively impact a significant percentage of the workforce. According to a 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey of U.S. employment characteristics of families, 72.9% of mothers and 92.9% of fathers with children under 18 currently work or are looking for a job. The report also shows that the U.S. has 83.8 million families, illustrating the prevalence of working parents.

Promoted by the nonprofit Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation, the day aimed at helping kids get a firsthand glimpse into their parent or mentor’s job has occurred on the fourth Thursday in April of every year since 1993. Of course, employers can host the day any time, but the purpose behind having it on a Thursday is that kids can return to school on Friday and share their experiences with teachers and classmates. The foundation provides resources on its website to help workplace coordinators facilitate the event, including activity ideas, branded swag, and even a form parents can use to get their child excused from school. 

According to the foundation, their programs help youth “maintain a positive and healthy self-image, help them raise their future aspiration, and help them overcome societal barriers in order to reach their full potential.” They spearhead other outreach efforts that are inclusive of historically disenfranchised students such as foster children, youth at risk of dropping out of school, or youth whose parent’s jobs won’t allow them to bring children to work.  

To ensure a fruitful event for kids, employers might coordinate a guided office tour, facilitate hands-on workshops, and, ideally, provide lunch to participants. However, the most important component of the day is for the child to spend time with their parent. “The first teacher that children learn from are their parents,” Jack E. Kosakowski, President and CEO of Junior Achievement USA, told USA Today. “It’s wonderful for them to be exposed to the careers that even their own parents do. Typically as parents, we don’t come home and talk to our children about what we do or how we manage our money, so the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Program creates a great opportunity.”

Kids who participate get the chance to expand their world of possibilities out of school books and into the real world. “It makes them appreciate things that they might not see when they’re stuck in a school building every day for five days a week,” said Brigantine, New Jersey superintendent Glenn Robbins, whose school participated in 2023. (From Article in Fast Company, Take Our Kids to Work Day Looks Way Different Than it Did 30 Years Ago)

Not all workplaces or kids will be able to participate in the event, possibly due to safety concerns or age restrictions. Even so, employers can still organize activities that make families feel included in the fun. “Out of the box” ideas include safety poster contests, hosting family/friend luncheons or picnics, or other non-work events where employees are encouraged to bring loved ones. Other employers promote a family-oriented workplace by subsidizing daycare expenses, providing flexible schedules to aid in childcare, and ensuring their insurance offerings include family coverage and dependent care FSAs. Many experts also stress the importance of encouraging employees to carve out boundaries so they can spend more time with family and friends.

Embracing a family-oriented work culture is a win-win…win solution: it makes good business sense for employers, is one arrow in the quiver to achieve employee engagement, and helps propel today’s youth into a successful future. If your workplace would like help incorporating family-friendly policies to engage employees, consider an Archbright membership. Members get access to our online platform, mozzo, where they can download resources such as a sample Children in the Workplace Policy and chat with Safety and HR Advisors for advice specific to their needs. For more information, contact info@archbright.com.