Title: Reframing Work-Life Balance for Solo Parents

Flexible Work Structures for Solo Parents in Government Roles

Municipal employers are increasingly aware that rigid 9-to-5 structures are not sustainable for solo parents managing both professional responsibilities and the full-time care of their children. Flexible work arrangements, such as staggered start times, compressed workweeks, and remote work options, provide a more realistic framework for solo parents to meet both personal and professional obligations. For example, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management encourages agencies to adopt telework and flexible scheduling to improve employee satisfaction and productivity, particularly for caregivers balancing complex home demands¹. When applied effectively, these policies help reduce employee burnout and absenteeism.

From experience in municipal government, implementing flexible scheduling requires coordination across departments to ensure service delivery is not compromised. One effective approach is setting core hours where all employees are expected to be available for collaboration, while allowing flexibility outside of those times. For solo parents, this structure means being able to drop off or pick up children from school, attend medical appointments, or handle emergencies without needing to take leave or sacrifice work quality. Supervisors must be trained to manage performance based on deliverables and outcomes rather than time spent physically in the office.

Shifting the Focus to Deliverables and Measuring Output

The traditional emphasis on physical presence and logged hours is increasingly being replaced by performance measurement systems that value tangible outcomes. In municipal operations, this may mean tracking the completion of grant applications, turnaround times for permitting, or resolution rates for constituent services. Transitioning to an output-based evaluation model supports solo parents by giving them the autonomy to complete tasks on their own schedules, provided deadlines and quality standards are met. This approach is supported by findings from the International Public Management Association for Human Resources, which notes that output-based performance management enhances employee engagement and retention².

Managers in government settings can implement this model by using project management tools and regular check-in meetings rather than relying on constant supervision. For example, platforms like Microsoft Teams or Asana can facilitate assignment tracking and team communication without requiring everyone to be online simultaneously. This model enables solo parents to work during non-traditional hours, such as early mornings or late evenings, aligning work with their children’s schedules. It also reduces unnecessary stress stemming from rigid expectations that do not account for the realities of solo caregiving.

Building a Supportive Organizational Culture

Beyond formal policies, cultivating a culture that respects and supports work-life balance is critical. This means not only allowing flexibility but actively promoting it as a norm rather than an exception. Leadership plays a central role in modeling this behavior. When department heads and city managers openly take advantage of flexible schedules or share their own caregiving responsibilities, it normalizes these practices across the organization. Research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health emphasizes the importance of supportive supervisor