AT&T heard concerns from employees who are parents ‘loud and clear.’ Now the company is launching summer camp for kids

Even when the school came out for the summer, the working parents continue to walk. Summer holidays can be a headache for caregivers, who may have to tinker different types of support during these months.

Parents working in AT&T tackles these challenges for the first time since the company called employees in the office five days a week. The telecommunications giant had adopted a hybrid model during the pandemic, but began to apply a full -time RTO policy in January.

To help respond to the concerns of employees concerning childcare when they enter the office more often, AT&T has decided to manage a camp program for workers from its head office in Dallas this summer. The company considers it a way of testing the appetite of workers for the daycare, told HR Brew, deputy vice-president of the benefits of AT&T

Why AT&T pilots the summer camp.For 10 weeks, employees with children aged 4 to 12 will be able to register for the summer camp, which AT&T offers through a partnership with Steve and Kate's Camp, which belongs to the care provider Bright Horizons. The camp will be located in the “Discovery District” in AT&T, the downtown Dallas district where the company has its registered office.

In recent years, AT&T has organized discussion groups and listening sessions to hear about the challenges of workers' guard, said Phillips. One of the concerns he and his colleagues heard, “strong and clear”, was that “summers are difficult”.

While the company began to recall the workers in the office, the needs of employees have also evolved, it noted that “the more you enter the office, the more employees say:” I need care near work “.

Phillips previously heard brilliant horizons about its success by piloting a summer camp program in its Newton office, Mass., And thought that the offer could be a good choice for AT&T employees.

Employees can use backup care – which subsidizes the cost of care during days when unexpected needs occur – to help pay this program. “We wanted it to be flexible, could somehow use the advantages that we already offer,” said Phillips. With the days of emergency care, the cost totals $ 15 per day for a child or $ 25 for several children; Otherwise, the daily price reduced for the camp is $ 99.

According to Phillips, around 15% of the available places had been filled on April 25. He said that the company planned to share information on the benefits thanks to channels such as its resource group for young professionals.

Test water for on -site care.The most common benefits that employers are a flexible expenses for dependent care (FSA), which allows married workers and to produce a joint income declaration to put aside up to $ 5,000 Contributions before taxes for expenses such as preschool and daycare, according to ShRM. In 2024, 58% of employers interviewed offered a dependent care FSA, while only 3% offered a subsidized center or schedule, and 12% offered a reference service for children.

Although daycare on site is always a rare advantage, companies like Ups and Tyson Foods now offer it, HR Brewpreviously reported. And on -site care is a potential that HR carrot managers can use to encourage workers to enter the office,Sources told HR BrewIn March.

AT&T already offers 10 days of emergency care, as well as 15 days of caregiver's leave. Although the company has not yet invested in daycare on the spot, Phillips said that camp was a way to test if it could be an interesting advantage for its staff.

“It is a good way to think about care of our headquarters,” he said. AT&T already offers privileged discounts and inscriptions in Dallas care centers, and on -site care represent a more complex investment. However, he said: “With more people in the office, this kind of advice from the scale, where probably more people would appreciate this.”

Bright Horizons sees more customers experimenting with children's childcare services at a lower cost, such as rescue care and the summer camp, to help argue in favor of daycare on the spot, said Priya Krishnan, digital leader and the transformation of society. Based on the use rates, heads of the range may be able to make a “profitability analysis” for on-site care, she added.

Sadie Funk, national director of the best place for working parents, who defends policies in family work, has agreed that summer camp services could help HR leaders better understand the needs of their employees all year round.

“It is a great way to understand the use, to understand the value of the advantage,” she said, adding that the summer camps can also allow employers to “test and pilot” care providers to better understand who corresponds to “their culture” and “the needs of their families”.

This report was Originally published by HR BREW.

This story was initially presented on Fortune.com