With doubts looming over whether schools across the nation will reopen in person in September, parents are anxious. How will they juggle remote work with their children’s need for help with their virtual schooling? Will they have to choose between their jobs and their kids?

Larry English, author of the new book Office Optional: How to Build a Connected Culture With Virtual Teams, says employers can - and should - help.  Employers’ support and flexibility will not only empower employees to succeed and stay happy in these unprecedented times: it will also set employers up to retain the best talent and maintain a positive, productive culture over the long term.

From 20+ years at the helm of the remote, 1,000-person company Centric Consulting, here’s what he has found employers can do to help relieve this particular stress and turn the current situation into a win-win:

Have a “life comes first” attitude

Work and life have become one in the same, so the days of work-life balance are over.  More importantly, employers should allow parents the breathing room and flexibility they need to prioritize both family and their job. If you give it, employees will give you their dedication and best quality work.  Because life includes self-care, too, make sure to build in ways to encourage self-care -- perhaps rewarding employees with self-care opportunities for a job well done.

Let go of traditional schedule expectations

Managers and leaders should be open to flexible work hours wherever possible.  As long as employees block off time as needed in a well-structured calendar and keep their team informed about their schedule, there’s no need for a traditional work schedule. It’s all about the results delivered, not schedules or facetime.

Empower employees to share their stories

Employers need to create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing what’s going on in their personal lives.  Managers need to be open to hearing about challenges and helping employees navigate them. Facilitate this by creating parental support groups where employees can lean on each other, trade stories, lessons learned, etc. Laugh at the stories that emerge, finding and bonding over humor in the everyday.  This will also help establish trust, which is paramount in any employer-employee relationship and all the more so for those  working remotely.  

Get casual, get comfortable

Kids will drop into video calls. Meetings get cancelled or cut short for family reasons, and interruptions happen. Go with the flow by being comfortable with it -- and having fun with it when you can. 

Help employees build a community to share the load

Employers can help employees connect with other like-minded parents who can then work together to form collective home schools and share learning resources and/or partner in the teaching effort. Consider utilizing company workspace. Convert a conference room into a school room and hire a teacher / learning coach to help students or allow parents to take shifts to teach.  Be mindful that making supportive connections is especially important for parents of kids with special needs and work this into your initiatives.