Start of school: What you can do as a boss

Challenge and opportunity. This makes starting school a win-win situation - for employees and the company.

A meeting at eight o'clock in the morning? It's exactly at this time that the last shoe laces are tied in many households, snack boxes are packed in the backpack and a few exams are quickly signed. In the best case scenario, there's a kiss and the kids are gone. But sometimes, especially with small children, nothing is working in the morning. The jacket is far too hot, the favourite cuddly toy is nowhere to be found and walking to school all alone? No way! Mummy or Daddy have to go with them.

Seek dialogue early

When school starts, fixed timetables determine a family's everyday life. There are lessons until twelve o'clock, then lunch break and afternoon school. Sometimes the kids have time off. But employees don't. So you have to ask yourself: Should my child be looked after privately, can it go to after-school care or to a childminder? What about off-peak times or during the thirteen-week of holidays?

"It's important for parents to address the issue early enough," says Monica Ottiker, a counsellor at profawo. "If you only start thinking about childcare a few days before school starts, it's clearly too late." The same also applies to employers. "If you know which employees have children starting school and address the situation, you're already doing a lot of things right." You show interest and can organise the entire working day better. "This doesn't require any major reorganisation. A few simple adjustments and offers are usually enough."

The best tips for employers

• Find out about the family situation of your employees. Who has children and at what age? Are they about to start school? If you are informed, you can hold appropriate discussions, such as holiday planning, at an early stage.
• Discuss as a team how holidays can best be distributed fairly. Important to know: Parents can only leave during the school holidays. Can they be given priority during these weeks?
• Do not schedule meetings at eight o'clock in the morning. If possible, it's better to wait another hour. At nine o'clock, parents are certainly ready and can prepare themselves better.
• Would it be possible to reduce workloads or change working days?

The benefits for employers

•  Employees feel that they are taken seriously.
• With good planning, you can avoid fire drills and a bad atmosphere in the team.
• The more flexible the employer, the more flexible the employees.
• A company that is committed to work-life balance is attractive to young talent.
• If the work-life balance is supported, employees and their expertise stay with the company.
• If you don't have to look for new employees, you save a lot of money.