Employers Can Create the Future We Deserve, or Exacerbate Discrimination Against Parents - Especially Women

In a recent op-ed in The Hill, several retired US generals make the novel argument that the nation’s lack of strong, universal childcare is not only a persistent problem for working parents, but represents a national security threat and that lawmakers must continue to address this as part of the legislative wrangling set to go into overdrive as Congress returns from summer vacation

The Delta variant impact has been felt, including by parents who were relying on schools being open for in-person sessions this fall. After a year and a half of stop-start at schools, the fall semester is already being hampered with many schools having to close or quarantine significant portions of their population. This is especially bad news as there has been little headway made by legislators or the private sector in finding ways to provide parents with paid leave to deal with care-related emergencies, most notably by the sudden closure of schools.

There are few silver linings to be found in the last 20 months. But one bright spot has been the expansion of remote work as an option. The flexibility remote work offers is also a boon to companies competing for workers. However, as companies expand their work-from-home policies, they need to be mindful of how it can affect office culture and promotions.