Here are three practical tips for employers looking to better support working parents and carers during the school holidays.
Firstly, cultivate a supportive culture. When parents and carers feel the demands of family life are understood and appreciated, they can be their authentic selves, which helps people thrive. Key to fostering this kind of culture is ensuring employees are aware of the support available and feel able to discuss their needs with their line manager, so skilling them up with the necessary training to be supportive and the tools to be consistent is a must. Alongside this, a robust policy framework, leaders role modelling different ways of working, listening to staff, and celebrating diversity all help create a family-positive culture, which also helps appeal to new talent.
Secondly, offer a flexible lifeline. Flexibility can help parents and carers work around the change in caring needs during the holidays. But it’s not only good for families, it’s proven to be good for business too, boosting productivity and increasing retention.
In the Working Families Index 2025, published in June 2025, it was reported that 73% of parents said working flexibly has increased their loyalty to their current employer. There are countless ways to work flexibly. From job shares to flexi time, compressed hours to annualised hours, there is a solution for every kind of role. And flexible working can be short-term, in this case to manage the holidays, if a permanent change isn’t required. Thanks to the Flexible Working Act, brought in last year, all employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment, which will give many more working parents the opportunity to request a working pattern that helps them to manage their work and home life. The Working Families website is full of resources for employers, to help them manage a transition to flexible working.
Lastly, help employees know their rights. There are different options available for parents and carers to tap into beyond annual leave. Parental leave is available to all parents up to a child’s 18th birthday.
Up to four weeks per child per year is available, up to a total of 18 weeks. It is unpaid, although some progressive employers enhance this and offer a number of days paid leave per year. Parents can also use dependents leave, which is unpaid, although again is sometimes enhanced, which is designed to manage emergencies such as if usual childcare arrangements fall through. Some employers offer flexible annual leave, allowing people to buy extra days’ holiday.
Employers can help parents and carers understand these alternatives through their managers, the intranet or parent or family networks, which are also invaluable in enabling parents to share tips or information on local clubs or activities.
Joanne Waterworth is head of employer services at Working Families
