To Retain Women, U.S. Companies Need Better Childcare Policies

To Retain Women, U.S. Companies Need Better Childcare Policies

Research has shown that the pandemic set women in the workforce back half a decade. Caregiving responsibilities at home threaten women's ability to remain and progress in the workplace, with women of color feeling the brunt of this challenge. While the U.S. government lags behind on policies to help working families, companies can and should be acting sooner. Employees value flexible work arrangements, and companies need to get serious about offering them. Create an environment that acknowledges the role of parents to reduce the need for parents to have to hide their childcare challenges from work. In order to be successful at keeping more women in the workforce, companies need to make women a central part of the team — from the C-suite on down. Include women in strategic management conversations, and make changes together. The success of women, families, future generations, and our global economy depend upon our corporate executives choosing to take on this kind of bold leadership.

Buckling under the burden of childcare during the pandemic, more than 800,000 women left the work force between August and September 2020, according to The New York Times. According to McKinsey, the pandemic has set women back half a decade. At its peak,