Starting a family
Employers support
Employers can support the childcare needs of their staff in many ways. Supporting staff with childcare needs is good for both employers and employees. It can:
- create a more motivated workforce
- help with staff recruitment and retention
- reduce staff absence.
Some of the ways employers may achieve these benefits are:
Childcare information
Employers could link to our Childcare finder on their company intranet. They can also signpost parents to our Childcare web pages, which have information on choosing and paying for childcare.
Flexible working options
The law provides some employees with the right to request a flexible working pattern. If you have worked for the same employer for 26 weeks, you have a legal right to request a flexible working pattern. But you can only apply once a year, so you should think carefully about which hours would suit you best.
Employers have a legal duty to consider the request. They can only reject it if there are good business reasons for doing so.
Working Families is the UK's national charity for working parents and carers. They can help working parents understand their rights and give employers the tools to support parents and carers.
Financial support
Working parents can check whether they may be eligible for help with childcare costs:
Find more details about help with childcare costs on our Paying for childcare web page.
Maternity, paternity and adoption rights
Gov.uk has helpful information about rights for parents in the workplace, including:
Workplace nurseries
Workplace nurseries (and/or playschemes run during school holidays) offer childcare for employees. Employers can also develop a contract with an existing local nursery. In this instance the employer is wholly or partly responsible for financing and managing the provision.
Payments towards the workplace nursery on behalf of employees (possibly as part of a salary sacrifice) are exempt from tax and National Insurance payments. This making a saving for the employee and the employer. Employers can receive support to set up a nursery through Surrey's Early Years and Childcare Commissioning Team.
Gov.uk has more general information for employers on the expenses and benefits of providing workplace childcare.
