Although the return to school may seem to be a private family matter, it has direct implications for companies, as a significant portion of their workforce has family responsibilities that are affected by the start of the school year.
Approximately half of workers are fathers and seven out of ten workers are mothers, according to calculations using data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi). This reality suggests that most workers face similar concerns: additional expenses and the need to find arrangements that allow them to continue working.
The start of the school year requires rearranging a network of care that enables millions of mothers and fathers to work. Schools and childcare centres are part of this social infrastructure that frees up time for those with care responsibilities, as Secretary Mario Delgado noted some months ago.
However, there is a mismatch between the schedules offered by schools and childcare centres and what workers need when they have jobs with generally rigid working hours. In extreme cases, some workers leave their jobs or seek different options to meet family needs, a burden that falls disproportionately on women, who spend more than twice as many hours as men on care work.
When the situation does not reach such extremes, many people keep their jobs but go through particularly difficult weeks as new schedules and needs are arranged. This can reduce work performance, even if only temporarily. Moreover, the return to school creates considerable financial pressure: uniforms, school supplies, tuition fees, transportation and activities represent additional expenses that become a source of stress for workers.
Companies can take action to alleviate these tensions without necessarily incurring large budgets. Options include better informing employees about available benefits, making considerations when evaluating performance during this period, and opening channels of communication to identify adjustments that the organisation could make in the short or medium term.
Although companies are not meant to solve their employees' family challenges, those who seek to offer more humane and empathetic working conditions can begin by recognising that behind many workers there is a story of care responsibilities. The return to school offers an opportunity for organisations to review how compatible their working conditions are with people's lives, which is not only a gesture of empathy but also a way to keep employees more focused, committed and able to remain in their positions.
