A Conversation with Teresa McDade, Director of Work & Life Benefits, Global Benefits, Microsoft

Access to quality child care significantly impacts the ability of parents, especially mothers, to participate and advance in the workforce. This correlation became increasingly evident to employers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when school and child care program closures imposed around-the-clock care demands on working parents.

“Through all of this, at Microsoft, we have learned that – now more than ever – flexibility, trust, and empowerment are key to delivering success,” said Teresa McDade, Director of Work & Life Benefits on the Global Benefits team at Microsoft Corporation. McDade was interviewed by CED for a special podcast feature on employer supports for child care. Microsoft is an American technology corporation and leading developer of computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services around the world. 

In response to COVID closures, Microsoft instituted the global Pandemic School and Childcare Closure Leave (PSCCL), which could be taken continuously or intermittently by the hour, day, or week, to offer greater employee flexibility. The company also introduced the COVID-19 Vaccine Childcare Support Leave (CVCSL) to further support employees with young children under the age of 5 who were not actively in child care or school and unable to receive the COVID vaccine due to age restrictions or medical reasons. Both leave offerings were valued by employees, and about 60 percent of employees used PSCCL on an intermittent basis, demonstrating a commitment and interest to remain connected at work. Overall, Microsoft found that flexibility measures helped to retain and attract new talent.

Microsoft also provides child care subsidies at a number of national child care centers, as well as child care discounts at smaller providers throughout the country. The company regularly distributes communications about benefits and hosts benefit presentations to drive awareness and help employees take full advantage of the many caregiving programs. “On top of this, we are really pleased to have recently announced a new Family Concierge benefit that offers our employees a white-glove approach to help set up care for anyone in their family, be it young or old. Employees can now get personalized one-to-one guided and customized caregiving plans,” McDade shared.

McDade attributed Microsoft’s successes to built-in-flexibility, a supportive company culture on all levels, and a manager framework built around three pillars: model, coach, and care. As a best practice for businesses, she emphasized the importance of listening to the needs of employees and developing supports that are flexible and can adapt to regional/local context.

McDade underscored the business role in supporting child care access while also acknowledging it as only one side of the coin.

“Here at Microsoft, we’ve always viewed child care as a critical workforce support… what has changed in our understanding, mostly as a result of COVID, is the fragility of the sector and the intersection between operating cost, teacher shortages, and demand in infant care, preschool, and afterschool and summer child care,” McDade said. “With COVID, the need for care hasn’t gone away, but for some parents, the flexibility and availability 

McDade noted the need for public policy to invest in infrastructure, child care subsidies for equitable access to high-quality child care, and to help child care providers recruit and retain reliable child care workers.

Listen to the full podcast episode here.