Excerpts
Could duplicating Denmark’s childcare system be the solution to addressing and resolving the “motherhood penalty” faced by women in the workforce? Making childcare manageable and affordable could certainly resolve many of the problems faced by workers in their journey to balance both childcare and employment.
Denmark’s progressive childcare policy has been in place for years now, offering residents a way to move forward with their families and lives without the undue burden of financial stress. Keeping flexibility and support at the center of the conversation, Denmark offers a subsidized approach to daycare and childcare overall, with the government covering a portion of the costs to help workers save on childcare expenses and return to work with more time and energy on their hands. A complete overhaul of the childcare system in the US could take some time to set into place, but employers who feel inspired by Denmark’s childcare system could lead the change internally as well.
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The childcare system in Denmark isn’t the only support tool available for workers. From housing allowances to flexibility at work, the overall culture is one worth duplicating. The Danish concept of “hygge” is another great aspect of the culture, where workers in the region collectively invest in the concept of relaxing and taking their lives at their own pace. In every aspect of its operations, citizens choose to pursue both work and relaxation one step at a time, leaving hustle culture outside its borders to those who are forced to give up all their joys of being alive in exchange for paltry pay.
These grandiose policies and changes are entirely government-led, and following such a system might require state and federal change. In the absence of such transformation, businesses can also afford to be more generous with childcare support as a primary benefit for their workforce. From on-site childcare to parental leave, many aspects of Denmark’s culture or even the shifting policies in Australia or Japan can be isolated and recreated to support the workforce within an organization. The best places to work are the ones that consider workers while making business decisions, and this goodwill inherently attracts talent.