How to Support Working Parents Amid Back-to-School Season

Back-to-school season is in full swing, with its shopping trips, hectic schedules—and complications for working parents.

“Back-to-school season can really feel like a one-two punch for parents,” said Wes Burke, CHRO of caregiving platform Care.com. “Just when they’ve wrapped their heads around the chaos of summer break by finding care and activities for their kids, they’re suddenly thrown into the challenge of setting up a whole new routine for the family a few short months later.”

Not only can this time of year have an impact on working parents, but also on organizations at large, Burke said, often resulting in increased absenteeism and a dip in productivity—two blows to a company’s bottom line.

For many employers, that presents an opportunity—and a mandate—to help. It means now’s the time to tout available benefits offerings, from flexibility to after-school care and other child care benefits.

“A lot of parents want to work, but they also need their employers to work with them,” said Maria Amato, senior client partner at consulting firm Korn Ferry.

Flexibility ‘Can Be a Lifesaver’

Flexibility is key to helping working parents, industry experts said, so they can have time for school drop-offs and pickups, extracurricular activities, school meetings, and more.

“It’s important for employers to help parents successfully strike a balance between the demands of work and their parental duties,” Amato said. “A starting point is allowing parents to work flexible hours so that they can meet their kids’ needs while still completing day-to-day tasks. If [they do] not [offer] remote work, even offering hybrid arrangements where parents come to the office on certain days can help them juggle everything on their plate.”

Creating a culture of flexibility for all employees is an important opportunity, she noted, but it’s especially relevant during the back-to-school season.

Burke agreed, saying employers should let workers know now that they are open to flexible work schedules.

“This way, parents can breathe a little easier, knowing you’ve got their back as they juggle the demands of a new school year,” he explained. “Offering things like flexible hours or hybrid work can be a lifesaver; no one wants to feel like they’re springing from drop-off to the office, then back again. My experience is that employees appreciate the effort, and as a result are often flexible with their working hours so that productivity doesn’t miss a beat.”

Child Care Benefits Are Crucial

While flexibility goes a long way, the after-school gap is still often a major headache for many parents.

Data from the nonprofit organization Afterschool Alliance found that due to lapses in after-school care, parents can lose up to eight days of work and businesses can lose upward of $300 billion a year.

“For parents who can’t cut their day short, offering child care support is a real game changer,” Burke said. “Whether it’s access to platforms for finding sitters or tutors, child care stipends, or backup care for those last-minute late workdays, it can make a huge difference.”

PwC offers a host of family-specific child care benefits and resources for its roughly 75,000 U.S. employees, including a backup care reimbursement program of up to $2,000 a year, discounted before- and after-school care, virtual tutoring, child care center discounts, and up to 12 days of paid backup child/family care each year in employees’ homes or at a participating center at subsidized rates.

The professional services firm regularly communicates with its employees about the child care and other family benefits it provides to support working parents—especially during the back-to-school season—through its networks and regular firmwide communications channels, said Kim Jones, talent strategy and people experience leader at PwC.

Those benefits have been critical to enhancing employees’ well-being, but they are a boon for the firm as well, she said.

“When our people are cared for in ways that matter to them, they are more engaged, fulfilled, and motivated, and our clients can feel that in the work we do and see it in the solutions we deliver,” Jones said.

Burke added that providing child care benefits is simply good business.

“When you invest in your employees as people, you’re also investing in the bottom line,” he said. A 2024 report from Care.com found that 82% of employers reported that child care support has a positive impact on productivity, and 80% see a correlation with talent retention.

“There’s a real return on these investments,” Burke said.

Communication Matters Year-Round

Clearly communicating the voluntary benefits available to parents is an “important part of this process,” Amato said, “particularly as new parents may not fully understand their options.”

“Regardless of the benefits available, employers should make sure that all relevant information is readily available to parents as they prepare for the school year,” she added.

Burke agreed, saying the start of the school year is an opportune time for employers to remind their teams about how they support working families.

“Back-to-school season is chaotic, with routines turned upside down, but these challenges aren’t just a one-time thing—they’ll pop up all year long, from half days to school holidays to parent-teacher conferences,” he said. “It really helps for parents to know ahead of time that your workplace gets it and will respect their family needs.”