If you see a 6 year old at your work tomorrow - blame it on Covid-19. Daycare is increasingly hard to find now. Business strategist Sherry Perry of TMC says, "Some Day-Cares have had to cut back on the amount of children and workers they can have at one time, and some have closed their businesses all together. So, it is a challenge for people who must continue to work outside of their home to balance their work and home." Some firms are even starting to step up to assist overwhelmed parents on their staffs. Perry owns one of those firms. "When you have really great people who find themselves in a most unusual circumstance, business owners have to get creative. I want my team members to know we care about them and not just about the work they do for the company."
Working from Home - More Expensive?
"We've got 27 staff members. I decided to query my staff and found that the 'single mamas' here don't have many options. Now we have TMC Classroom for their kids. We have specific rules about conduct. It's not something that we would have ever considered." Perry says it's not for all companies, but it's working for them. She says this is not a "one size fits all" solution and other firms are afraid of the distractions the kids could cause.
Some other companies are partnering with non-profits and offering lower-cost child care for their employees. Others are working to allow more workers the ability to work from home.