SEPTA to offer childcare benefits to employees

In an effort to address quality-of-life issues for employees, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) has partnered with childcare solutions provider TOOTRiS, to offer childcare benefits to its the agency's  employees 1,800 with children under the age of 12.

Work-life balance and comprehensive employee benefits such as childcare have become priorities for recruiting and maintaining a workforce and for railroader union bargaining in recent years.

“Studies show that employees with access to quality childcare are more productive, experience lower absenteeism and demonstrate greater job satisfaction,” SEPTA officials said in a press release. “Offering childcare benefits has been proven to be a key differentiator in recruitment efforts, particularly within industries like transportation where skilled labor is in high demand.”

SEPTA employees will gain access to the TOOTRiS platform, which allows them to search network childcare providers, choose from flexible scheduling options and see inventory of available childcare slots up to a year in advance. Childcare includes emergency and drop-in care, before/after school, summer camps, tutoring, extracurriculars, babysitters and nannies.

SEPTA and TOOTRiS’s partnership sets precedent for transportation agencies and railroads to provide more childcare and other work-life balance benefits to employees, SEPTA officials said.