ADDIS ABABA – Setting up on-site children’s daycare center at work places benefits the companies as well as the employees, said experts
Roman Abdulahi, Director of Women, Children and Youth Directorate at Metals Industry Development Institute said that establishing children’s day care centers at work place has multipurpose use for employee as well as companies.
According to her, it creates good moral and offers emotional security for employees who bring their infants to the center and reduce the risk of the children’s safety and security.
Most importantly, having a daycare at work place apart from attracting new employees to the institutions, it would increase the number of women in the job market by reducing job resignation and renunciation of careers, she noted. This in turn, helps to bring more women to management.
“When employees get the opportunity to spend time with their children, it helps them to stay focus on their job and perform well. Taking this opportunity in to consideration, the Institute will launch well equipped, up to the standard daycare center in the coming two weeks.”
As to Roman, the daycare is built and equipped in a manner to provide the designed services. It has five rooms which each provides various services: five beds rooms, separate recreation and dining rooms, rooms for breastfeeding, restrooms and clinic.
Children with the age range of from four months to three years get the service in the daycare, she remarked.
Eyerusalem Damete, Director of Gender Issue at the Ministry of Trade and Industry said on her part that one of the main reasons behind providing on-site daycare is minimizing the burden of women.
As to her, Ministry’s on-site daycare has been providing service since the past seven months supported by trained and skilled human power.
She noted: “The daycare was built as to the standard of public service. Having five rooms for recreation, dining, napping, cleaning, and breastfeeding, the service is provided by trained individuals.”
She stressed that the on-site daycare can increase product and productivity of employees, empowers women and increase employees satisfaction.
Though lifting the burden of women is prioritized, the service is not only limited for female employees. Male parents can also bring their children who are not beyond the set age which is three, she said.
It is learnt that the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission is one of the first Institutes that have built on-site daycare at workplace. Accordingly, many government companies including the Ethiopian Press Agency are working to open daycare centers within their premises.
The Ethiopian Herald July 10/2019
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
