Employer branding | Providing family-forming benefits and support could be key in making your business a more attractive place to work

Over the last 3 years, we have seen a profound change in the way that we think, work and live, driven by the significant ripple effect of the COVID pandemic and the ‘Great Resignation’ of 2021.

We have noted that hybrid working, and the flexibility that comes with it, has encouraged people to consider what is most important to them. Consequentially (and rather understandably), many have come to realise that family takes precedence when it comes to how they want to prioritise their time.

This is illustrated by the almost 2 million UK people that dropped out of the workforce due to family commitments, in the 12 months predating October 2022 alone (The Guardian).

As a result, there now seems to be a more prominent battle between career progression and starting a family, with the assumption being that one must make way for the other to become a possibility. This could suggest that people may not feel that their roles will accommodate for their journey to starting a family, especially if this journey involves additional steps – as can be the case with things like adoption and surrogacy.