Report urges firms to support childcare needs

Workers in companies who support their childcare needs are likely to be more motivated and less absent, according to a new report.

The Supporting Employers Supporting Childcarereport was commissioned by the four Dublin County Childcare Committees (DCCCs); Dublin City, South Dublin, Fingal and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown.

The report says "a greater balance and quality of home and work life" makes employees more committed to their organisation and more focused and less stressed when they are at work.

It also said that employers that offer support for staff with childcare responsibilities have a wider pool to draw from at recruitment and these employers are also more likely to retain valued staff when they become parents.

"Flexible work arrangements are attractive measures for staff to phase back into work after maternity leave and to continue in work, while at the same time be good parents," it said.

The reports lists a number of options applicable "to all sizes of organisations" including part-time working, flexi-time, job sharing and job splitting, home working / teleworking, term time or school hours working as well as compressed hours (like 4.5 day week or nine day fortnight) and career breaks.

Female participation in the Irish labour force is currently at the EU average of 56 per cent while in the 25-29 age group it is 80 per cent.

The expected growth in female participation in the labour force by 2011 is 218,000, according to employers' group Ibec.

Consequently the number of children in childcare will increase by 27 per cent over the same period from today's level of 146,000.

Speaking at the launch, Minister for Children Brian Lenihan said: "Given the large Government investment in childcare, the 4 DCCCs recognised the need for more action by all the stakeholders including employers, to advance the provision of childcare facilities and support services.

Mr Lenihan congratulated them on having "the vision to commission this timely publication, which outlines many options available to employers to support parents and which will prove to be an invaluable resource to employers and employees alike."

The report concluded that "employers need to be very aware of and follow legislation and procedures affecting maternity not only in respect of leave entitlements but to health and safety matters, unfair dismissal and legislation related to flexible work arrangements."