YES - Sarah Jackson, chief executive, Working Families
Childcare - and support for elder care - should be part of a family friendly package that employers offer their staff. Surveys of our parent members and helpline users suggest that flexible working is the key to ensuring their work-life balance. Our Family Friendly Employer of the Year Award is a good guide to best practice and our larger finalists offer on-site childcare facilities, emergency childcare and holiday play schemes, childcare vouchers and information.
NO - Stephen Burke, director, Daycare Trust
They shouldn't be forced to, but offering childcare support to employees makes sound business sense. Good employers know that flexible working and family friendly policies are cost-effective. They improve recruitment and retention as well as widening the pool of candidates available for recruitment. To help firms take advantage of these benefits the government is introducing new tax and National Insurance exemptions on childcare vouchers and employer-contracted childcare to support employers.
NO - Susan Anderson, director of HR policy, Confederation of British Industry
Many employers, especially larger ones, do provide help with childcare but it is expensive and not possible for all companies. Where employers provide work-place nurseries, take-up can be low. Parents want to be able to choose the type of childcare that works best for them. For example they may want it to be near home. Employees believe childcare is the government's responsibility. It should be available to everyone, not just the minority whose employers can afford to help.
YES - Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison
Affordable childcare has become an important issue for our members as women gain more equality within the workforce and men call for greater flexibility in order to meet their parenting responsibilities. Yet employers' contribution to childcare remains minimal with only one in 20 workplaces having a nursery, and only 10 per cent providing any childcare support at all. There is now ample evidence of a clear business case for childcare, based on recruitment, retention, productivity, and equal opportunity.
