Are Federal Child Care Programs Sufficient for Employee Retention? Critical Examination From a Gendered Perspective

Abstract

The federal government utilizes diversity management and inclusive organizational practices as principal strategies to achieve higher retention of diverse employees. Child care programs are one of the most important diversity management initiatives to enhance employees’ work–life balance and achieve higher retention. However, existing literature suggests that due to gender norms, child care responsibilities and child care programs have different implications for mothers-in-workforce as compared with fathers-in-workforce. Therefore, using 2010 to 2015 federal agency-level longitudinal panel analysis, this study, focuses on a gender-based examination of the effect of satisfaction with child care programs on the retention of male and female federal employees. Also examined is the moderating effect of organizational inclusion on the relationship between satisfaction with child care programs and employee retention. Findings suggest that structural provisions such as satisfactory child care programs are not adequate in enhancing retention of either male or female employees. Satisfaction with child care programs is less likely to increase retention of female employees than male employees. However, as compared with male employees, female employees are more likely to be retained when satisfactory child care programs are combined with inclusive organizational practices. The article discusses implications of these findings for public strategic human resources management, diversity management and inclusion practices, and gender equity.