Policies critical for retaining working parents

Statewide survey results suggest there are a number of supportive policies employers could enact to recruit, support and retain working parents in Utah’s competitive labor market. The survey, released recently by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah in partnership with the Salt Lake Chamber, shows that while most are satisfied with their current work and childcare arrangement, many parents and guardians also think policies such as increased wages and salaries, paid family leave, flexible/stable hours and schedule,{mprestriction ids="1,3"} remote/hybrid work options, better part-time job opportunities and childcare assistance are important to achieving their ideal situation.

“With low unemployment and high labor force participation, Utah employers are competing to recruit and retain qualified employees,” said Samantha Ball, Gardner Institute senior research associate and lead author of the report. “This survey highlights working parents as an important labor resource and who believe there are several policies employers could offer that would support them in getting closer to their ideal balance between paid work and childcare.”

Key findings from the report include:

Supportive Employer Policies are Important. Many parents or guardians said they would work more or change their job if they had supportive policies at work.

Wages/Salary are Important, but Not the Whole Story. An increased wage or salary is ranked as important to achieving the ideal work and childcare arrangement by the greatest number of respondents (86 percent), but it comes in sixth (6 percent) in policies that would be most influential in choosing to change jobs, employer or industry, behind more remote work opportunities (33 percent), more flexible/predictable hours (25 percent), more part-time opportunities for career advancement (11 percent), greater assistance with childcare subsidies (10 percent) and on-site childcare (9 percent).

Demographics Matter. Respondents’ employer policy preferences differ significantly between respondents with different characteristics, such as age, gender, income, whether there are children under 6 in the household and level of satisfaction with current work and childcare arrangements.

The full report is now available online at https://gardner.utah.edu/wp-content/uploads/Family-Friendly-Sep2022.pdf.{/mprestriction}