Intel is committed to providing affordable, accessible, and reliable care to foster diversity and build a more inclusive workplace.
What’s New: At last week’s National Child Care Innovation Summit, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Intel announced plans to broaden childcare benefits and pilot new programs to support working families.
In response to employee feedback and aligned to its shared vision with the Biden Administration to provide quality, reliable, affordable, and accessible childcare, Intel announced an expansion of its childcare provider networks, an expansion of its current backup childcare benefits, the launch of a new childcare subsidy pilot for non-exempt employees, work with its suppliers to pilot certain childcare supports for contingent workers, and efforts to increase childcare availability near its facilities.
“By providing affordable, accessible, and reliable care, our goal is to foster diversity and support parents—no one should have to choose between advancing their career and managing the high cost of childcare. We hope to see many of the children who are being cared for through these programs become the innovators of tomorrow,” stated Amber Wiseley, Vice President of Total Rewards and Global Benefits at Intel Corporation.
Why It Matters: Many working parents have difficulty finding or affording high-quality childcare. This further compounds the existing challenge to attract and retain skilled workers, especially in highly technical fields such as semiconductor design and manufacturing. And working parents cannot do their best on the job if they are worried about the quality of their children’s care.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as many as 100,000 Americans have been forced to stay home from work each month because of challenges due to childcare. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office found that childcare obligations represent a massive hurdle for workers struggling to access job training.
Our Approach: At Intel, we believe that offering family-friendly benefits is a critical component of fostering a great work environment for our employees, and for over 20 years we have provided childcare benefits to our employees. To continue that long-standing tradition, we regularly evaluate and evolve our offerings to meet the needs of today’s diverse workforce.
Intel recognized early in its journey that childcare is a complex issue no company can solve alone. Intel actively engages with childcare providers—a critical component on the supply side of the equation—and partners closely with state and local governments, as well as the CHIPS Program Office, to better understand the unique childcare challenges facing the communities in which we operate. Across many of these discussions, there is clear alignment on the principles of providing quality, reliable, affordable, and accessible childcare. As Intel worked on expanding childcare benefits, we kept these principles front and center. By collaborating with the CHIPS Program Office, Intel has also thought more broadly about the childcare ecosystem required to support the semiconductor industry, including technicians, construction workers, and apprentices, among others.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to these benefits. Every parent and family has different childcare needs, and these needs change over time. It is important to regularly assess the effectiveness of available benefits and potential changes to better support employees.
What’s Next: Building upon Intel’s commitment to our working parents, and in alignment with our CHIPS Act workforce planning, we have identified meaningful ways to mitigate the challenges parents at Intel face by increasing our programs to better address affordability, accessibility, and reliability.
Starting in Fall 2024, we will enhance our childcare benefits in the following ways:
- In the U.S., Intel will add a second childcare provider network which will also offer a robust discount and a new navigation tool to help improve search functionality with access to a vetted network of childcare providers for those looking for alternative solutions, doubling the number of near-site centers.
- Intel will increase the reimbursement amount and duration of our backup childcare program. In addition, we will pilot a childcare reimbursement program for our non-exempt U.S. employees.
- Intel will pilot a near-site backup childcare center open 24/7 for children ages six weeks to 13 years old, to ensure our employees on all shift schedules have access to backup childcare.
- For contingent workers on Intel’s sites, our suppliers will offer various childcare offerings, including a discount provider program.
Intel is committed to initiatives that support employees and underscore Intel’s dedication to fostering a supportive workplace environment where every parent can thrive.