An effective system of work/life balance policies has a positive impact on both the well-being of workers and the productivity of companies. This is the result of the ‘Investing in Parenthood’ survey, entrusted in 2018 to the University of Turin by Fondazione ULAOP-CRT and continued, during the pandemic, with the analysis on ‘Corporate welfare to support parenthood’, in collaboration with the Regione Piemonte and the Social Value Italia Association. The initiative monitored and assessed the social impact of welfare actions in support of parenthood implemented by 142 social enterprises and companies and 2 ATIs (Temporary Association of Companies) through co-financing of the ‘Design and implementation of corporate welfare actions’ regional call.
The requirements
Proximity of children to the workplace (a key action for a good work-family life balance), support paths for women returning after a post-partum phase and support for parents of teenagers, who are often in difficulty due to a phase of great change for their children, are some of the most ‘urgent’ needs noted among those interviewed. While corporate welfare used to be considered as an innovative approach in the pre-pandemic phase, with the emergency it has become an indispensable tool for workers and their children: 94% of the measures activated will continue to be used in the future, the research showed, and 43.3% of companies have introduced the figure of the welfare manager (represented by an individual within the organisation in 72% of cases).
The push of the NRRP
Corporate welfare has once again become a very topical subject for two reasons, which make the commitment to parenting ‘advantageous’ also for companies (77.5% of the organisations that have carried out listening activities over time recognise this activity as capable of increasing the effectiveness of their actions): the Family Act – which became law on 6 April and introduces new opportunities for businesses that invest in welfare – has emphasised the importance of the measures put in place to support female workers who have children, as they would make it possible to meet the needs of families by avoiding removal from the workplace, and the NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) has also provided for additional points to be awarded in the selection of calls for tender to businesses and economic operators committed to work-life balance and inclusion. Therefore, it will be important to observe and assess the effects of the proposed incentives on the development of the actions implemented by companies, also in collaboration with territorial organizations, considering that 60% of the entities stated that the welfare services offered to employees include the involvement of local companies.
