Working parents often have issues with childcare that limit them in the workplace in terms of productivity, often leading to absenteeism (Louv, 1992). The problem that this study aims to address is how to delimit this situation and provide working parents with the means to achieve high productivity without sacrificing time to meet the needs of childcare (Payne, Cook, Diaz, 2012).

Purpose and Scope of the Work:

The purpose of this study is to show how providing an on-site childcare facility is beneficial to employees as well as to Nichols Corporation because it frees up time for workers to devote more energy to work and thereby achieve higher productivity; it eliminates stress; and it provides ease, comfort, security, and practicality, and convenience to working parents, achieving an overall much more positive workplace environment (Abraham, Bowdidge, 1990; Kane, 2004). It also aims to show that providing childcare is not expensive for the company and in fact can be viewed as a cost-saving measure because by providing the service, it reduces the burden on employs and affords them more time/energy to commit to the job (Oyer, 2008).

Sources and Methods of Data Collection:

The method of data collection utilized for this study was by searching various keywords in databases such as EbscoHost, GALE, and Google Scholar. Keywords included "childcare workplace employees" and "childcare at work" along with other variations of terms collected from studies culled from these searches. Aside from this, there will be interviews and surveys conducted so as to provide empirical evidence plus a phenomenological sense of the nature of the issue. These surveys will be conducted digitally and interviews conducted face-to-face or over the Internet.

Preliminary Outline:

I. Introduction: The Positive Impact of Workplace Childcare

a. Statement of Problem

b. Statement of Purpose

c. Statement of Methodology and Why it is Chosen for the Study

II. Literature Review

a. Data collection method

b. The Review of Relevant Studies

III. Methodology

a. Description of the Phenomenological Approach

b. Description of Survey/Interview

IV. Findings

a. Description of Survey/Interview Results

b. Categorization of Findings Using Inductive Reasoning

V. Discussion

a. Discussion of Findings

b. Ramifications/Consequences of Findings for the Company

c. Recommendations for further research

Reference added:

Oyer, P. (2008). Salary or Benefits. Research in Labor Economics, 28: 429-467.