We would all love to be able to stay home and take care of the kids without having to worry about going to work. But, for most of us, this just isn’t financially feasible. Raising kids is expensive, and even for those who have full-time employment, it can still be a struggle. Child care is a huge expense, and it involves a lot more than paying a sitter or a daycare center. Thank goodness for employee benefits, and there are many that are ideal for working parents. Let’s take a look at eight of the best employee benefits for working parents.
1. Flexible Schedules
If you have school-age kids, you may want to find out if your company offers flexible schedules that allow you to be home in the mornings before school, as well as after school. This is going to save you a lot of money, because chances are that the cost of child care for these hours is going to be more than you would earn, unless you have a really high paying job.
2. Backup Child Care
Many companies offer access to backup child care assistance. If your company offers this, you won’t have to worry if something happens that your regular caregiver isn’t available. You will be able to find a qualified caregiver, and not have to miss any time from work because you had to be home with the kids.
3. Onsite Child Care
More and more companies are opting to have on-site child care for their employees. This is great for parents of kids who are not old enough to attend school. They don’t have to worry about finding a sitter or paying for child care, because they can simply drop their kids off at the on-site center, and pick them up when they are ready to leave.
4. Family Care Time
Here is a great benefit that allows parents to stay at home with a sick kid without having to worry about using up their vacation time or regular sick days. Many companies will offer a few paid days off per year for parents, and you don’t even have to worry about getting a doctor’s note.
5. Paid Parental Leave
Employers are recognizing that their employees need more than the usual 6-12 weeks of paid parental leave when they have babies. The great thing about parental leave is that it is not just for mothers. Fathers can also take advantage of this benefit, and some companies offer up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave.
6. Family Medical Plan
According to KidsBestDentistNYC many companies offer a full health care package for families, and not just for the employees themselves. This can come in pretty handy when you need to take the kids for checkups, to get medications for them, etc. Ask if your company provides bonus health assistance for children.
7. Unlimited Vacation Time
A newer benefit that is becoming increasingly popular is unlimited vacation time. Of course, this is not paid vacation, but it does give you the flexibility to be able to take days off when you need to. This is a benefit that is on top of your regular paid vacation, and it will not interfere with your paid sick days.
8. Flexible Spending Accounts
This benefit lets employees save pre-tax money to pay for both health care expenses and day care expenses that are related to their jobs. This can include, but is not limited to, before and after school care programs for kids, as well as summer day camp and even preschool. This can help you save as much as $2,000 per year.
