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Proposal for childcare facility

5 replies

MediumOrchid · 26/04/2010 15:40

Our company is having an initiative at the moment where they get employees to send in their ideas to improve the company, preferably by saving it money. It seems to be A Good Thing to submit an idea so I have been trying to think of one! I was wondering if anyone would be able to read what I have come up with and let me know what you think:

Many female employees who go on maternity leave to have children do not return to the company afterwards. This could be for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is because they are unable to afford to do so due to the high costs of childcare, making it cheaper to stay at home, or not worth working for the small net gain they would make. Another reason would be because they do not wish to be parted from their child for long periods. This loss of workers must cost Company X a lot, as they have had a lot invested into them by the company in terms of training etc. It will also cost Company X to recruit and train up a permanent replacement.

I propose that free/low cost childcare should be available on Company X sites. A crèche would be set up using an existing empty office (of which there are plenty in Company X?s main site at least). Parents would be able to visit their child throughout the day, while continuing to be productive in their job. This would enable women to return to work when otherwise they may not have done so, or perhaps sooner than they would have.

The cost to Company X to set this scheme up would not be too much. Some childcare workers would need to be employed, but overhead would not be a lot as existing office space could be using that the company is already paying for. I believe that the saving in having to recruit and train new staff, and in reducing the length of time maternity pay is paid, would outweigh the costs. The scheme would also produce happier workers.

What do you think? Will they laugh at me? In all honesty I don?t expect them to actually do this, but I?d like them at least to say ?it?s a good idea, we?ll look into it?.

Thanks!

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Haliborange · 26/04/2010 15:48

Tbh it really depends on the company. I proposed this at a law firm at which I worked to general hilarity (which I expected tbh, and who wants to schlep their child into the city each day anyway?), but my DH is currently working at a company which has a nursery. I expect that where there is such a facility many women may well return to work earlier than they otherwise might, especially if there is space in which to breastfeed their children.
Other advantages are that employees might work longer hours if they don't have to leave the site to pick up their children. Also easier recruitment - given the choice between a well-paid job with no childcare and a less well-paid job with a nursery on site (esp if it is subsidised) I might choose the latter.
In DH's experience it does lead to a culture where meetings etc are abruptly ended at 6 so that people can collect their children but I think that anything that cuts through the waffle may well be very good.

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trixymalixy · 26/04/2010 15:54

It sounds like a great idea to me. It would be great to have an on-site nursery.

There would be a little bit more to it than just using an empty office and hiring some people though. there are lots of regulations to comply with.

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MediumOrchid · 26/04/2010 16:08

Hi Haliborange, it's good to hear some companies do this, and it's true that there are lots of positives about the scheme. I might put a bit in about longer working days, that's a good point, thanks.

Thanks trixymalixy, yes I know there would be more to it than hiring the staff, but I'm trying to keep it fairly simple to start with. I guess the question is, would it actually save the company money, or would it just benefit the employees?

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DeirdreB · 26/04/2010 22:34

Other companies have done it successfully - if you needed examples - Pfizer, Sandwich, new in the last 5 years, and this one NPL

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DuelingFanjo · 26/04/2010 22:40

I would take out "Parents would be able to visit their child throughout the day"

we have an on-site creche and although I am sure they don't object to parents ( specifically breastfeeding mums) dropping in, I am also pretty sure that doing so is probably disruptive for the kids and so discouraged.

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