Luxury cruise retailer Panache Cruises is offering staff flexible working during school holidays to make it easier for working parents.
Staff at the tech-enabled firm can already take advantage of hybrid working but the company has decided to take it one step further.
Anna Perrott, partnerships director at Panache Cruises,聽said:聽鈥淚 run a working parent forum, called 鈥�Back In Time For Bed鈥�, which has over 2,000 members, and worrying about childcare during school holidays is a stressful time.
鈥淔rom my own experience I pay 拢65 a day for nursery 鈥� or 拢1,200 a month.
鈥淐hildcare is expensive so we want to be as flexible as possible so people can work from home if required, work condensed hours, split shifts, weekend work etc so they get to spend as much time as possible with their children as well as helping financially.鈥�
A consultation process highlighted that childcare over school holidays was a particular pressure point.
CEO James Cole said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about the money side of things but us as employers encouraging staff to spend as much time as possible with their children.
鈥淚 hate the phrase 鈥榳ork/life balance鈥� but we want people to get a better balance in their life.
鈥淚ntroducing flexible working arrangements during school holidays allows our staff to spend as much time as possible with their children as well as helping financially.
鈥淲e聽also understand that children get sick and accommodate parental needs. Our mantra at Panache Cruises is 鈥榥othing is too much trouble鈥� and we really mean it.鈥�
Panache Cruises was founded in 2020 and employs 58 people in Chorley and 10 in the US.