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14 Unlocking the Potential of Parents in the Contingent Workforce | Custom Research Powered by SIA |© Crain Communications Inc | All Rights Reserved | September 2022 SECTION 3 Barriers to Greater Inclusion Despite the impact of gender bias, conversations about how to adapt the workplace to meet the needs of parents have been happening for some time on the full-time side. "Discussing the unique challenges of contingent workers who are parents is still in the early stages for many businesses," Perrault said. Even when companies make conscious efforts to recruit and retain parents and other caregivers as part of their contingent workforce program, they face barriers to doing so. Two critical barriers impede success: a lack of flexibility and co-employment concerns. The Followers were particularly challenged by candidates' desire for flexible schedules and remote work, though these issues presented barriers for a significant number of Leaders as well. Co-employment concerns were also more prevalent among Followers, though more than 40% of Leaders said co-employment risks were a significant barrier. (Flexibility is discussed in detail below; for an in-depth look at co-employment, see Section 3: Spotlight on Co- Employment.) Leaders — more than Followers — said the greatest challenge they face is that competing priorities, such as DEI, the talent shortage, and other corporate issues, limit their ability to focus on parent and caregiver issues. Two critical barriers to success: a lack of flexibility and co-employment concerns. Barriers to Greater Inclusion 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Lack of flexibility and co-employment concerns are critical barriers to success % experiencing barrier Unable/difficult to accommodate need for flexible schedules Concerns about co-employment risk for programs benefiting parents and caregivers Unable/difficult to accommodate need for remote work* Which of the following are significant barriers to success in hiring and retaining parents or caregivers for your contingent workforce?(Select all that apply.) N=149. * Significantly greater barrier for Followers. 41% 53% 43% 52% 31% 48% Leaders Followers Difficulty accommodating flexible schedules/remote work Co-employment concerns run righ Remote far greater challenge for Followers