September 8, 2022 (Salt Lake City) – Statewide survey results suggest there are a number of supportive policies employers could enact to recruit, support, and retain working parents in Utah’s competitive labor market. The survey, which was sponsored by the Salt Lake Chamber, Utah Community Builders, and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, was released this week by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. It shows that while most are satisfied with their current work and childcare arrangement, many parents and guardians also think policies such as increased wage/salary, paid family leave, flexible/stable hours and schedule, remote/hybrid work options, better parttime job opportunities and childcare assistance are important to achieving their ideal situation.
“With workforce recruitment and development a top priority for businesses across all industries, this report highlights areas where employers and employees can work together on work-life balance," said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. "A priority of the Chamber's non-profit social impact foundation, Utah Community Builders, is to equip businesses with best practices on how to be more family friendly in recruitment, retention and management. The survey data shows that businesses have an opportunity to implement policies that will not only strengthen our workforce, but also generate new opportunities to find untapped talent and create an environment supportive of work-life balance."
The lead author also commented:
“With low unemployment and high labor force participation, Utah employers are competing to recruit and retain qualified employees,” said Samantha Ball, Gardner Institute Senior Research Associate. “This survey highlights working parents as an important labor resource and who believe there are several policies employers could offer that would support them in getting closer to their ideal balance between paid work and childcare.”
The research was made possible through the leadership and sponsorship of Utah Community Builders, the non-profit social impact foundation of the Salt Lake Chamber. The private sector is uniquely positioned to drive real progress on social issues affecting businesses, workforce, and families. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services also helped underwrite the research.
Key findings from the report include the following:
Supportive Employer Policies are Important– Many parents/guardians would work more or change their job if they had supportive policies at work.
Wages/Salary are Important, but Not the Whole Story– An increased wage or salary is ranked as important to achieving the ideal work and childcare arrangement by the greatest number of respondents (86%), but it comes in sixth (6%) in policies that would be most influential in choosing to change jobs, employer or industry, behind more remote work opportunities (33%); more flexible/predictable hours (25%); more part time opportunities for career advancement (11%); greater assistance with childcare subsidies (10%) and onsite childcare (9%).
Demographics Matter– Respondents’ employer policy preferences differ significantly between respondents with different characteristics, such as age, gender, income, whether there are children under 6 in the household, and level of satisfaction with current work and childcare arrangement.
The full report is now available online.
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ABOUT THE SALT LAKE CHAMBER The Salt Lake Chamber is Utah’s largest and longest-serving business association. A statewide chamber of commerce with members in all 29 Utah counties, the Chamber represents the broad interests of the state’s 63,000-plus employers, which employ more than 1.4 million Utahns. This includes thousands of Chamber members and their employees. With roots that date back to 1887, the Chamber stands as the voice of business, supports its members’ success and champion’s community prosperity.
ABOUT UTAH COMMUNITY BUILDERS
Utah Community Builders, is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit social impact foundation of the Salt Lake Chamber. Utah Community Builders creates a platform for businesses to engage our most pressing challenges, harnessing the innovation and efficiency of the private sector to drive real progress on social issues affecting our businesses, workforce, families, and all Utahns. The Utah Community Builders Advisory Board is co-chaired by Clark Ivory, CEO of Ivory Homes, and Lisa Eccles, president and COO of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.
ABOUT THE GARDNER POLICY INSTITUTE
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute serves Utah by preparing economic, demographic, and public policy research that helps the state prosper. We are Utah’s demographic experts, leaders on the Utah economy, and specialists on public policy and survey research. We are an honest broker of INFORMED RESEARCH, which guides INFORMED DISCUSSIONS, and leads to INFORMED DECISIONS™. For more information, please visit gardner.utah.edu or call 801-587-3717.
ABOUT THE DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
The Eccles School is synonymous with ‘doing.’ The Eccles experience provides a world-class business education with a unique, entrepreneurial focus on real-world scenarios where students put what they learn into practice long before graduation. Founded in 1917 and educating more than 6,000 students annually, the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business offers nine undergraduate majors, four MBAs, eight other graduate programs, a Ph.D. in seven areas and executive education curricula. The School is also home to 12 institutes, centers, and initiatives, which deliver academic research and support an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information, visit Eccles.Utah.edu or call 801-581-767
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