Back in March, the government announced a £1.5 million fund, offering grants to projects which help people to return to work in the private sector.[1] The fund will support people, particularly women, back into work after time out looking after children and other relatives. Projects range from helping returners update their skills, providing additional training, or even supporting businesses to increase employment opportunities for returners.

To give a bit more background on the returners fund and why it has been established, it’s important to recognise the changing nature of the conventional family dynamic. The returns fund is only part of a much bigger picture – the need to revisit the approach to understanding your employees and their home circumstances, in order to hire and retain the best talent.

What other home demands should HR Directors consider their workforce might be facing?

One rather important thing to note is the ratio of male to female employees taking time away from work to serve as carers to their relatives and loved ones. The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Labour Force Survey found that 89 per cent of those who take time out of paid work to care for family are women[2]; furthermore in 2017 it was estimated that 1.9 million women were economically inactive for caring reasons.[3] HR professionals must therefore be vigilant when it comes to supporting the needs of their female employees and make sure they have an appropriate level of services for childcare support, or remote working policies for working mothers.

However, this responsibility raising children impacts both men and women in the workplace, particularly considering shared parental leave. Any benefits should be readily available to all employees. The BBC even reported in 2017, that 200,000 children in the UK were being raised by a family member other than their parents.[4] Employers should consider that it is not only parents that require flexible working and pastoral care for their family demands. The government recently put plans to introduce grandparental leave on hold, until a review of shared parental leave was underway; nonetheless, HR Directors should consider the possibility that their workforce are juggling this style of personal demand.[5]

It’s important to also remember, it’s not just about children. With an aging population, more and more people are caring for older parents, and for longer periods of time. The UK has even seen a rise in sandwich carers –people caring for their children and parents simultaneously – with around 2.4 million people in this situation.[6] Your employee may be a fulltime or part time carer for older, disabled, or ill relatives of friends. Employers should ensure they have a policy on carers in place to demonstrate their support and set out the arrangements that are in place for workers with this responsibility.

Families have changed drastically over the last ten years and it’s about time HR took a positive stance towards responding to this change. I’m not suggesting we all need to offer “paw-ternity” leave for new pet parents,[7] but perhaps take the time to consider the unique responsibilities your workforce is facing at home.