Childcare as a company benefit or even a reward!?

[wfhmummy]

Totally fed up with juggling... So, am interested to hear that my friend's company has just started providing access to a whole bunch of extra childcare/learning activities like Stagecoach, languages, tuition, coding etc. It means that when she's not home-schooling she can have time to get on with her job while her DS is occupied doing an online theatre class or whatever. Does anyone else's employer do this?

When I have under 5s I was offered paid nursery fees as a perk (linked nursery), I think it’s often an enticement for women. I can see now it’s a good idea.

The employer isn't allowed to just pay for stuff like that without there being tax implications. So the employee who uses them will have to pay tax on the cost still. I guess that's still cheaper than paying for the full thing themselves. I think the only scheme that currently allows employees to save tax on childcare related stuff is the workplace nursery scheme.

The benefit offered by my friend's company is a platform called poncho. Not sure what the tax position is, but if employers want to retain parents they could give a lot more practical support, even if only to stop us tearing our (unkempt and greying) hair out.

In normal times we have a certain amount of days of 'emergency childcare hours' we can apply for in a year. These are local creches/childminders and we can choose from the list which we think is most suitable. (I've never used this).

At the minute we have suggested ways to keep dc occupied, but none are of use to me with a 7yo with asd who needs help to focus, and a 19 month old.

It must be super-tough for you @thesagacontinues and exhausting. My friend says that having access to the poncho platform at work has been really helpful. She's lucky to work for a pro-parent employer that doesn't just pay lip-service to working parents. And covid shows that practical, family-friendly policies are essential in all workplaces now.

You namechecked poncho twice there. Not a rep?

@overtherubicon No I'm not

It would be good for me but what do those who don't want it get as a benefit?

Mentioned the name there a few times.