Employers are offering backup child-care options to their employees this summer
to help keep the workers at the office instead of scrambling to locate emergency
care when their usual option falls through, the Christian Science Monitor reports.For a Limited Time receive a
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Download NowThe newspaper notes that a study found that on average parents miss work seven
days per year because of child-care issues.
Advocates of the backup child-care plans offered by corporations say they can
reduce absenteeism and help retain workers.
"The pitch is, 'We will save you three to four dollars for every dollar
you spend,'" says John Marvin, president and CEO of ChildrenFirst, which
specializes in corporate backup childcare.
Firms offering these services to employers vary in their approach, the newspaper
notes. ChildrenFirst, for example, operates 30 centers offering emergency care
to more than 260 companies. FamilyCare provides emergency referrals to its 50
clients.
The costs of such plans can be prohibitive for some employers, the newspaper
notes. Therefore, employers continue to rely on less expensive options, including
flexible schedules or subsidies for emergency care on an ad hoc basis, says
Judith Presser, a senior consultant for WFD Consulting, which specializes in
work and family issues.
KPMG LLP, a tax and accounting firm, tells the newspaper that the firm estimates
it saved about $2 million last year with its backup child-care plans.
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