McGraw-Hill has launched a back-up childcare service to give its 1,500 employees, based in Canary Wharf, access to emergency childcare in a bid to help staff with their work-life balance.

Employees must register to use the emergency childcare service, supplied by My Family Care, but this is fully funded by McGraw-Hill and allows staff to book back-up nannies, nurseries and child minders online or over the phone. 

McGraw-Hill will pay the annual £50 registration fee and will also offer employees three free sessions of emergency childcare per year.

Emergency childcare is available all over the UK at short notice or three months in advance. The successful service has been predominantly driven by parent recommendations.

One of the main problems for working parents is managing their childcare responsibilities when their normal childcare arrangements let them down.