Child free benefits in the workplace??

I'm not aware of anything like that.

Everyone has their annual leave and can use it how they choose. Parental leave is statutory but unpaid and a lot of companies let you take unpaid leave in a similar way.

I'd never begrudge anyone maternity/paternity leave I couldn't imagine the level of tired and stress that new parents are going through.

I second this motion. I don't think being childfree would mean benefits hahaha

Never heard that. What's it called.

The whole point about being childfree by choice is to avoid the constraints that come with parental responsibilities. Therefore the childfree have more free time in which to care for pets or pursue other interests than do parents of children, so it's hard to see why they would require an allocation of leave from work for this that the parents of children don't get.

Those who are childfree by choice are, by definition, making the choice which maximises their own welfare. The notion that employers are "lagging behind" by not rewarding them for acting in their own interests is bizarre. The reward for being childfree by choice is that you are childfree. The notion that you should be given some additional reward on top of that suggests a sense of entitlement that his hard to justify.

Statistically women do worse career and pay wise if they had kids. Men often do better because traditionally women stay at home with the kids so men often get to work longer hours at work, which results in better pay and career progression. Which of course they need because their costs have risen, and family income has dropped.

Someone with no commitments has all those advantages and none of the disadvantages.

In our company employees with kids get additional vouchers for their kids whilst the childless among us whether by choice / age or any other reason don't get an equivalent amount added to staff Xmas vouchers. I've complained for years main reason being those kids don't "work" here yet we do and don't get additionally compensated ! Pre covid a party was laid on in nearby hotel for them (food/drink/sweets/Santa/toys/voucher handed out) so people with kids defo are treated differently IMO. All this for kids up to the age of 12.

Can you elaborate on what you mean? Treated differently how?

Although force majeure leave is technically also available, the family leave is there to give it a kinder face. It’s meant to be for emergencies but I have mildly stretched the meaning of emergency a couple of times to ensure people without kids do get some benefit from it too.

We’re decent for benefits, also offer equal maternity and paternity leave. Alas, you do need to have a kid for that!

Nope, it's just called sick leave.

Some companies say it can be used for a sick dependent, others say that your sick leave can only becused for you.

The idea pf parental leave is people will not be penalized or lose their job if they have to take unpaid leave due to family commitment's.

There is also unpaid leave. What you want is more unpaid leave, not because you need it, but you don't see the disadvantage. You only see the number of leave days.

That's not to say it can't be miss-used. But seeing that as the primary issue, is a case of throwing out the baby with the bath water.

Given preferential shifts or choice of preferential shift.... even if seniority level was below others OR others were already doing a particular shift...which had always been the metric for awarding leave, shifts etc...done to suit them collecting children from school or just caving to any whim because ‘ ahhh but they have kids ‘

time off to accompany child to ‘scheduled’ healthcare appointments that didn’t impact or get debited from holiday allowances. force majeure leave or just on the QT..in some situations...

anybody else without kids looking for similar favors was never accommodated.... I asked why employees who coincidentally had procreated were being enabled with preferential treatment and I got told...” we need to be seen as a family friendly organization “.... which is great as long as they get noted for being an ‘everybody else unfriendly organization ‘... ? :)

I’ve never know any company offer benefits to child free employees.

parental leave ? That’s simply discriminatory, paid or unpaid.

That’s the issue, they see family as John/Sarah with wife/husband and two kids...ohh yay.... nothing about a person with elderly relatives who it could even be their last Christmas together or one of them, that couldn’t count for anything...

i could have just been unlucky with employers but no benefit to non parents in any of my workplaces... in fact you were penalized for colleagues have kids.

I've seen health and fitness benefits that a lot of parents can't avail of, without babysitters or at certain ages of kids, does that count?

In my company, if we can provide receipts and proof of x number of attendances per month, then gym membership or exercise class membership can be partially reimbursed.

Other ones like discounts on tickets to gigs or cinema.

Yes, that will be true for absolutely everything suggested. If it's not a single parent, or a babysitter is available, or they can both breastfeed, and they have the interest and inclination and are not exhausted, then the benefit can be availed of. Not sure whether you fall into pedantic pat or captain bleeding obvious territory....

However, my experience as a manager in a large corporate environment is that parents with children of certain age are less able to avail of benefits like these.

Well similarly the CFbC brigade are less able to avail of these benefits because the choices they made.

Same thing.

You list all types of leave and unpaid, so you're talking about both. The OP who stated this thread said...

Ignoring all that, if you want lots of unpaid leave you can just negotiate it with your employer.

Hardly , there should be zero room to avail of preferential treatment by virtue of you having children... or ...you are a lone parent, ohhh well, should not become anyone else’s problem...as someone having kids became ‘not my problem’ took some heel digging and a couple of noses out of joint but fûck em... :) it should be a level playing field.

I went on a 4 day week. It was refused at first but I asked why women with kids got to go on a 4 day week but I was outright refused, as were any males who tried to do it before. All of a sudden I was allowed to do a 4 day week.

So its worth making the comparison to them if you feel you are being denied something on unfair grounds.