How to Support Parents in Hospitality
To celebrate International Women’s Day, Kelly’s Cause hosted our annual event IWD panel, this year focusing on Reducing the Stigma of Parenting in Hospitality. 70 folks came together to raise money for subsidised Mental Health First Aid training for those in hospitality and we’re delighted to say that we raised £545 through ticket sales and donations. Enough to (almost) fund two free places on one of our trainings for smaller businesses that would otherwise be unable to afford it.
The panellists Ella de Beer, Saskia Boissevain, and Honor Powley delved into all things parenting with the moderator and Kelly’s Cause content manager, Melanie White.
From policies to active ways in which we can better support parents in hospitality, here were some of the key takeaways:
Policies aren't set in stone.
Ask what they are and start a conversation. The more people that do across the industry, the more critical mass in changing perceptions.
What is the origin of the policy – who’s written it and when? It could be historical and not have been thought about for a long time.
Aim high – the ideal to align with other (not all) industries is 6 months fully paid, and actual shared parental leave that is paid too.
Be sure to include adoption in your policy review, thinking about the different support needed prior to adoption as well as afterwards.
Can you make even a small difference? Consider making paternity leave fully paid / 1 month long as a start.
Communication – be transparent at all times.
Being supportive at every opportunity makes a world of difference to new parents and parents-to be.
Not every employer can afford amazing policies, but you can still curate a supportive journey.
Do your team know their entitlements? For example, up to 18 weeks of unpaid leave (max 4 weeks per year) until the child turns 18.
Social networks: you can't understand being a parent until you are one.
The power of family-focussed colleagues to talk to in the workplace, makes a world of difference.
Can you set up a social network for the parents in your workplace?
Flexibility and consistency.
Being flexible doesn't mean 20hrs a week whenever is best for the business. It's a set, predictable rota that a team member can organise their childcare duties around.
Consider job sharing.
Allow working from home on admin days.
A huge thank you to the panellists, @ottolenghi_restaurants for the incredible food and @blacklinesdrinks, @drinknice and @howlinghops for generously supplying the drinks for our guests.
Thanks also to @sandersonsocial for offering us a beautiful space to come together.
If you attended the evening or have some constructive feedback, please feel free to contact hello@kellyscause.com - we’d love to hear from you. If you haven’t already, take a moment to read Otolo’s Parents in Hospitality report, which is full of hard hitting stats and useful resources.
Don’t forget to share this blog with your colleagues!