- Promote work-life boundaries – Encourage leaders and teams to take PTO, block time, and model healthy boundaries to prevent burnout during back-to-school transitions.
- Make resources easy to find – Simplify access to childcare subsidies, mental health support, and flexible policies with clear, visible communication.
- Allow flexibility & open communication – Support parents with adaptable schedules and leadership that normalizes real-life challenges at work.
Happy New Year!
No, that’s not a typo. If you’ve seen Lunchables’ latest ad, you know exactly what we mean.
For working parents, back-to-school is the real New Year. A reset packed with new routines, early mornings, and mental gymnastics. It’s not just the front-yard photo with the “First Day of School” sign. It’s a full-blown reorg of time, headspace, and energy.
For employers, back-to-school season is one of the most meaningful, and often missed, opportunities to support the people who keep your business running.
And that’s where we come in.
As workplace health coaches, we’ve helped hundreds of families (our own included) navigate this reset. We’ve helped them juggle the chaos, care for their families, and still show up to work with something left in the tank. We know what makes a difference, and we’re here to help you bring that support to your team.
Here are four ways you can empower working parents through the real New Year with tools, flexibility, and care that go beyond good intentions.
1. Promote work-life boundaries. Seriously.
The line between work and life has never been blurrier. For working parents, it’s even worse.
Expecting people to be “on” 24/7, replying to Slack at 9PM, or emailing after bedtime stories, doesn’t just kill morale. It builds resentment. And eventually, it breaks people.
Want to show you value balance? As a leader, take your PTO. Block your calendar. Set an OOO with zero guilt. And encourage your team to do the same, especially during transitional moments like back-to-school.
When people feel permission to unplug, they come back sharper and more loyal. So yes, promote boundaries. But more importantly, honor them.
2. Don’t just offer resources. Make them easy to find.
A great benefits package means nothing if no one knows where to find it or how to use it.
Most employees aren’t ignoring your resources because they’re not interested. They’re overwhelmed. And if they’re parents, they’re already juggling logistics and decision fatigue.
A survey commissioned by the American Academy of Physician Associates found that adults spend an average of eight hours a month (likely during the workday) just setting up care for themselves and their families. That’s an entire day of work lost to navigating a system that should be easier.
Help make it simple. Send a “Back-to-School Survival Kit” email with direct links to childcare subsidies, mental health support, and flexible work policies. Pin it in Slack. Use plain language. Bonus points for real stories from other parents.
Support doesn’t start with policy. It starts with clarity.
3. Allow flexible schedules.
If you want working parents to be present at work, give them space to manage how and when they work.
Rigid 9-to-5s don’t account for reality like drop-offs, pediatrician appointments, or just getting out the door with both shoes on the right feet.
The fix? Trust your team. Let them shift hours, block “no meeting” mornings, or work asynchronously a few days a week.
Flexibility isn’t about working less. It’s about working smarter, with less guilt and more focus. And in the chaos of back-to-school, it’s one of the most powerful signals of support.
Pro tip! Make it clear it’s not a favor. It’s the culture.
4. Encourage open communication and leadership support
Culture starts with communication. And leadership has to go first.
When leaders normalize hiccups like showing up late because of school drop-off or rescheduling a meeting when your kid is home sick, it sends a clear message of “You don’t have to pretend you’re not a parent to belong here.”
When people feel safe naming what they need, they’re more likely to stay, grow, and give their best without having to sacrifice their sanity.
Support that goes beyond “You got this!”
Back-to-school doesn’t just change your team’s logistics. It changes their bandwidth, emotional load, and ability to show up fully.
You can’t fix that with a Slack emoji or a well-timed webinar.
You fix it by building a culture that flexes with real life. One that says: take the time. Use the benefits. Protect your mornings. You don’t have to choose. You can be a parent and a professional.
This isn’t just back-to-school. It’s the real New Year, whether your company recognizes it or not.
The best ones do.
They don’t just say the right things; they take action. They give people tools that actually help. Like this blog on back-to-school tips for working parents.
Looking to go even further? Explore more resources from Personify Health’s health & wellbeing experts on caregiving, coaching, whole-family wellness, and more!
Meet the authors
Brandy Scherer, NBC-HWC, CPT is a Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Certified Personal Trainer, with over 20 years of experience in the health and wellness field. Mom of 7- and 4-year-old boys. Brandy’s expertise is in helping others build healthy habits, create and implement strategies for dealing with stress, and managing change resilience. Lead Health and Wellbeing Program Manager at Personify Health supporting The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia wellbeing program.
Michelle Delimpo is a Health & Wellbeing Specialist at Personify Health, supporting Ohio Benefits Cooperative, LANL & Altec programs. Michelle has over 22 years of experience in the field of Health, Wellness, Fitness, Coaching and Mentoring.