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7 ways to support employees for back-to-school season

Back-to-school season is back upon our colleagues with children. Learn 7 ways you can help support them through the stress.

As summer winds down, the back-to-school season can be a challenge for working parents. This time of year brings a flurry of activities, including shopping for supplies, navigating new schedules and adjusting to early morning routines.

Understanding these challenges, employers can take proactive steps to create a supportive work environment for employees with children (and the people they work with!). Here are 7 ways to ease the transition.

Fall means back-to-school season for parents of young children. Offer a little extra support to smooth the transition.7 ways to help your employees during back-to school

1. Make it easy to take time off

Make it easy for parents to take time off for the one-time events like first-day drop-off or pick-up!I recently heard from a webinar participant that they give employees extra PTO for back-to-school time so they can confidently be there for that first bus pick-up or to sit in that first pick-up line. To make back-to-school more festive for all, maybe everyone gets an extra half day of PTO in September they can use for general wellbeing or for back-to-school purposes. If you start to feel that an employee is getting overwhelmed, encourage them to take the time so they can be where they need to be vs. trying to multi-task.

Don’t forget about volunteering days! Are your employees trying to take time off for parent-teacher events or to staff back-to-school picnics? Remind them of volunteering PTO options!

2. School supply swaps

Back to school is also a time of increased expense for families. We have had clients sponsor school supply swaps – a physical space where employees can leave gently used backpacks, calculators, etc. or even new supplies for their colleagues that can use the help. My kids never used the index cards they were always supposed to bring in, and I could have easily donated those year after year!

3. Promote discounts for school supply retailers

us-discounts-mockup-blog-2-minFor our clients with our discounts program, they will often emphasize retailers that can help with back-to-school purchases. Often folks that aren’t regular users of your discounts program will be especially grateful for the reminder during expensive months like August and September!

4. Parenting support groups

Create employee resource groups focused on parenting. These groups can offer peer support, share tips and discuss challenges, fostering a sense of community within the workplace. If you are geographically dispersed, you may want to set one up by school district or by state so parents can connect with others in a similar timeline as them. If you already have these groups, try using prompts in the chat like, “What tips do you have for getting kids on their new schedule?” or “What are you doing to manage stress during this busy month?”

5. Promote mental health resources

Back-to-school stress can be temporary for some and a real challenge for others. Especially those with younger children or children with special needs may have extra challenges or steps they need to complete for their child to be comfortable and confident back in school.  My daughter is neurodivergent, and we were often all ready for a vacation after navigating just the first week of schedule changes and meeting new people. Any mental health resources or benefits, such as counseling services or mental health days should be front and center for employees.

6. Technology assistance programs

Would your technology team like an opportunity to give back to their colleague’s kids’ education? What if you had IT office hours where parents could ask questions about setting up a new laptop or accessing one of the multiple mobile apps they are meant to use to communicate with teachers and administrators? 

It’s a lovely way to connect people from across the organization and to save parents time and stress.

7. Appreciation initiatives

Often just a note of solidarity can make a difference to people during busy times. As with calendar events like Employee Appreciation Week, Thanksgiving, or even Nurses Week, having a way to acknowledge the event with eCard such as Super Parent Award or Happy Back-to-School! can give employees a simple, quick way to reach out and support each other.


In embracing these strategies, employers not only ease the burden on parents during the back-to-school season, but also foster a culture of support and inclusion and help the wider employee base have compassion for their circumstances.

Learn more about how Reward Gateway | Edenred can help you support your employees – no matter their situation – and make your corner of the world a better place to work.