Despite higher upfront costs to employers, employees with kids are less stressed and more productive when their employers offer child and dependent care services, according to new research reported by AOL Small Business.

The study -- conducted by the consulting practice at Watertown, Mass.-based Bright Horizons Family Solutions, which provides employer-sponsored health care, and Jamie Ladges, a Northeastern University assistant professor of management and organizational development -- also found that employees with the option of dependent care services were more likely to stay with their jobs for at least a year. Parents reported better relations with co-workers and said they were happier at their jobs.

Employees with child and dependent care were 31 percent less likely to be unproductive due to stress and 25 percent less likely to report health problems. Physical health problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, and diabetes decreased, the study found.

On the other hand, parents without such services spent 20 percent more time dealing with dependent care issues at work. They were almost one-third more likely to be depressed, three times more likely to be treated for high blood pressure or diabetes, and 62 percent more likely to have sleep problems affecting their work.

"To help keep employees engaged and achieving at their highest potential, organizations must create a culture supportive of the challenges that employees face and demonstrate that there is a shared goal of the employee succeeding at work and at home," Ladges said.

The study focused on 4,000 employees who had held their jobs more than 12 months. Approximately half used employer-offered child and dependent care services and had a child under 13 years old. The other group of employees surveyed had similar characteristics but were not offered the services.