Single parents face some unique work/life issues
Single parents face some unique work/life issues
Programming may require specific services
In current discussions of work/life issues, eldercare and the "sandwich" generation (those individuals caught between the needs of aging parents and growing children) have taken center stage. But precious little time has been devoted to a surprisingly large subset of the employee population: single parents.
"This is an issue that is under-addressed at this point; not many companies are targeting single parents," asserts Michael P. Scott, president of Empowerment Unlimited a South Bend, IN, company that works with employers and employees to help them maximize untapped potential.
The number of single parents in the United States is surprisingly large, adds Ed Price, who heads the Phoenix-based Single Parents Association. Based on the 1990 U.S. census there are 15.5 million single-parent households; there are 12 million single moms and 3.5 million single dads raising kids by themselves," he notes. "I was watching an ABC news report a couple of months ago, and they said that 52% of all parents in the U.S. are now single parents - even I was surprised by that," says Price.
Single parents have a unique set of workplace problems that affect their morale and productivity, say experts. "Self-esteem is the main area in which these people get thrown out of kilter," says Scott. "They sometimes work more hours to fill an unmet personal need. Companies like that, and in some instances they take advantage of these individuals because they think they don't have any encumbrances."
When these single parents are not at work, they often spend 100% of their time with their children. "As a result, they have very little downtime for themselves," Scott observes.
The negative effects of such a situation include higher stress levels, and in more serious cases, "loss of connection with one's true mission in life, and one's values and vision," says Scott.
"The ability [of many single parents] to concentrate is under duress," adds Price, noting that many single parents wait anxiously each day for a call from their kids to let them know they have come home from school, or that they have been dropped off in aftercare.
Price adds that these and other concerns of single parents can cause absenteeism rates to rise and productivity to go down, and can require significantly higher training costs.
There are also gender differences among single parents, which requires employers to take an even closer look at programming for them. "In surveys we've conducted, the No. 1 issue for women is financial," Price says. "They're not making enough money to pay for child care, insurance, and so forth, or they're not getting the child support a court has ordered. The No. 2 issue is childcare that is both affordable and of sufficient quality. I'm convinced that childcare on-site would reduce stress levels 50%. Alternatively, the company wouldn't necessarily have to put it in-house; they could work with a national provider like KinderCare and underwrite employee discounts."
The No. 1 issue identified by male respondents was providing emotional support - how to love and nurture their children. "This is not a natural part of being a male," Price says. No. 2 was parenting skills. "If companies could provide parenting training through lunch-time brown-bag sessions, or let them know what resources are available in their community, it would be a wonderful asset," says Price.
Seemingly small changes can make a big difference, says Price. "I worked with one father who was raising five kids, four of whom were little girls. When they asked Daddy to braid their hair, he didn't have a clue. This may seem like a little thing, but ita big thing in kids' minds. An EAP or a parenting program could really help these men."
Don't forget outside resources
Outside organizations can serve as resources for employers, says Price. The nonprofit Single Parents Association is seeking to create in-house chapters where the employer pays the $45 annual dues for employees, in addition to providing space for brown-bag lunches. "We bring in speakers from the community to talk about all aspects of being a single parent - doctors, lawyers, financial planners, other employers. The goal is to make them better parents and better employees," Price notes.
He says other organizations that may provide similar services include the United Way and Parents Without Partners. "Bringing such organizations into the workplace is beneficial to both the employer and the employees; it creates an incredible community link for the company, and, it's tax deductible," he notes.
(Editor's note: For some additional ideas on services you can offer single-parent employees, see the box at right.) n
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