When my daughter was young, summer meant a daily sprint: morning drop-off at the bus for day camp, full workday, and a non-negotiable 5:00 pm pickup. So I made a case to my manager: Could I break down some vacation time into small daily increments? She agreed, and we created a flex arrangement where none existed.
Today, family-friendly benefits are much more abundant, flexibility is more normalized, and remote work has changed the game. But even so, working parents continue to struggle with summer schedule changes.
The data backs it up. The Modern Family Index reports that 76% of working parents say summer schedules hurt their focus. The Center for American Progress finds 40% of working parents reduce hours or leave the workforce due to childcare challenges—a figure that spikes in the summer.
Meeting the moment
Leading employers are responding. AT&T built a summer camp for employees’ kids after hearing a simple truth: “Summers are hard.” Patagonia invests in on-site childcare and flexible schedules. Others, including Dow Jones, Johnson & Johnson, and Publix, provide onsite childcare at certain locations.
Chances are your organization offers some family-friendly programs that parents can tap into. Help identify which benefits can help ease the strain of summer, make sure employees know what’s available, and promote a culture that fosters flexibility.
Here are some suggestions:
- Make flexibility explicit. Don’t assume employees know what’s possible. Spell out options, like adjusted hours, compressed weeks, remote opportunities, or Fridays at home, and provide real-life testimonials to show how these can work.
- Highlight company benefits that help employees navigate summer. These could include Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Lifestyle Spending Accounts (LSAs) to fund summer camps, company discounts for camps or childcare, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources to find last-minute childcare options.
- Design for inclusion, not exception. Position flexibility as a universal benefit, not just a perk for parents. The same policies support eldercare, health needs, and other personal matters.
- Create peer channels. A dedicated Slack or Teams space can surface solutions such as camp recommendations, sitter leads, and other tips.
- Time your messaging. Communicate available resources to employees in early spring when many start thinking about summer childcare.
- Advocate with data. Track usage, solicit employee feedback, and bring insights to leadership when it’s time to evolve your benefits portfolio.
Most large employers already have the building blocks. What’s key is how clearly and proactively you communicate them. If you get this right, you won’t just ease summer stress. You’ll help increase focus, sustain productivity, and reinforce a culture where employees know you’ve got their back.
Do your important benefits messages get the attention they deserve? The O’Keefe Group has a track record of helping companies communicate in a way that creates awareness and drives action.
