Many businesses have recently been impacted by the Great Resignation: named for the high number of employees who left their companies in the wake of the pandemic, typically in search of higher pay and better benefits. This massive wave of resignations was even higher for women.
Working mothers faced significant challenges as schools, daycare centers and long-term eldercare facilities were shut down in 2020. Most mothers were helping their children navigate virtual school on top of their full-time jobs — some with the additional challenge of caring for aging or ailing parents. This list of responsibilities became overwhelming for millions of women who took paid or unpaid leave, or left the workforce altogether.
Unfortunately, this trend hasn’t stopped. According to the McKinsey & Company 2021 Women in the Workplace Report, one in three women have recently considered leaving the workforce or downshifting their career for more flexibility. Additionally, 40% of women are considering switching jobs, likely for better hours and benefits suited to their needs.
Organizations can end the mass exodus of women from the workforce by offering support, flexibility and useful resources.
Empower Working Mothers Through Benefits
If working through a pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that the challenges we face in life don’t stop during the work day. Employers have a responsibility to recognize their employees as humans first. Addressing major issues like mental health and childcare through useful benefits helps employees manage their heavy “life-load” and focus on work, at work.
This is especially the case for working mothers, who often bear the brunt of child-rearing in comparison to men, but rarely receive additional support from their workplace. Employers can level the playing field by providing benefits that empower women, specifically working moms, to participate in the workforce if they so choose.
The Women in the Workforce report found that since 2020, many companies have added or expanded certain benefits to support their workforce, including:
- 38% for paid leave
- 60% for mental health resources
- 42% for support for parents
- 61% for flexible hours
These organizations have listened to their employees’ needs and provided a tangible solution, most likely improving employee productivity and reducing burnout. Companies can do the same with moms in the workforce by considering flexible work schedules, paid parental leave, eldercare referrals, and either childcare subsidies or backup childcare support.
Extending Support to Relocation
Additional resources for women should also be considered during the relocation process. Often, relocation is involved when a top-tier candidate is scouted from another location or a promotion requires moving to a new office. Working mothers should not be held back from either of these opportunities. By considering additional support to make the transition easier, companies can use their relocation program to help women level up their careers.
Here are a few considerations to support working mothers through relocation:
Offer Flexibility with Timing
If an employee has kids in school, she might not even consider moving until the semester or school year is complete. Be understanding and flexible with the time she needs to make the transition, helping her to travel between home and the new office or establishing temporary housing before her family moves.
Sponsor Site Visits
The transition from one city or state to another involves more than just a changing job, especially when a spouse and kids are involved. Pay for the employee (and potentially their spouse) to visit the new area for a couple days to explore different neighborhoods, enroll kids in school and check out the new office.
Assist Throughout the Full Move
Moving can be a stressful and time-consuming process. When you partner with a comprehensive relocation provider, your organization can provide employees with assistance packing, moving items into storage, buying and selling houses and making the move across town or across the country. They can also manage the compensation aspect, handling anything from lump sum accounts to established packages. This support takes a load off the employee’s plate, so she can focus on her family and her new job.
Allied makes relocating easy for everyone. We have a large national network of moving agents to assist your employees locally, with the central management to provide a consistent, seamless process for your organization. Our team is here to support your goals, including providing working mothers the resources they need to feel empowered through every move.
ABOUT HAZELWOOD ALLIED
Established in Santa Barbara in 1918, Hazelwood Allied is a full service relocation company providing national relocation and international moves for residential and commercial clients. Known as “The Careful Movers,” Hazelwood Allied is a Santa Barbara moving company with a strong track record for thorough and careful approaches to residential moves and commercial moves. Follow the Facebook page for exclusive offers and moving tips. Call 800-541-5958 for a free moving estimate.
