Supporting Your Employees with School-Age Children: Balancing Work and Parental Responsibilities

As an employer, what steps can you take to support your team members who might struggle to balance their jobs and parental or guardian responsibilities? 

Depending on the size of your organization, you may have to provide additional unpaid time off to your employees who have school-age children (K–12). You may already be aware that your eligible employees can take time off for sick leave or FMLA/CFRA to care for their children in times of need; however, there are a few other leave options that are a little less well-known but are necessary for California companies. 

School Disciplinary Action Leave – If you employ more than one person, you must provide unpaid time off to employees who are asked to appear by their child's school concerning a suspension. 

Unpaid Family School Partnership Leave – If you employ 25 or more employees in a single location, you must encourage your employees to participate in their children’s education. Employees who are responsible for school-age children are entitled to up to forty (40) hours of unpaid leave per year, with a maximum of eight (8) hours in each calendar month, to be used for their children's school-related activities. Additionally, your employees may use this type of leave to locate, register, or re-register their children in schools, with licensed childcare providers, or to handle school emergencies.

Beyond leave law requirements, alternative strategies exist to help support employees with school-aged children. For example, consider offering flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting or make-up time, to accommodate your employees’ parental responsibilities and their children’s school schedules. Additionally, try encouraging your employees to utilize your employee assistance program (EAP). EAPs are useful tools that can assist employees in finding affordable childcare and counseling services. They can also provide referrals for summer camps, after-school care, or tutors.

It can be challenging to toggle between work and raising children; you can show your employees that you value their well-being and are committed to helping them successfully balance work and parental duties. Contact our consulting team for more information or advice on how to best support your employees!