As businesses have begun the process of returning from the virtual world of work, we continue to grapple with the ‘new normal.’ Employees have become accustomed to a flexible work schedule. Employers have realized the potential cost savings of offering remote work options. And these realizations have led to an unintended result--a more family-friendly work environment!
Why should that matter to you? Parental stress is a contributing factor to child abuse or neglect. A mom or dad, who has the flexibility to balance work in their employment with their work as a parent, mitigates stress levels in a family. Strong families build strong businesses. As we teach and support our children, there ability to manage stress increases significantly building a better workforce for Kansans. Children who have less than three Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have fewer job problems, financial difficulties and absenteeism as they enter the workforce. But there is also the immediate benefit to employers including higher retention rates, increased employee satisfaction, increased productivity and performance to name a few. I’m proud to say the work we do at KCSL continues to help families succeed now to be better parents and better employees. We are a part of the solution to create a stronger, more resilient workforce for the future of Kansas.
As for KCSL’s work environment, we recently joined several businesses across the state to participate in the Kids Are Good Business, Family-Friendly Workplace survey. The survey was easy to administer to our employees, and the report was easy to understand. The results…KCSL is doing well in our continuous work to support our employees including those who are parents! If you are interested in learning more about the Kids are Good Business Survey, please contact Vicky Roper at vroper@kcsl.org.
