Learn how to promote family-friendly policies in businesses and government. Show
Luz was finding her life extremely difficult. Her job as a housekeeper at the hospital was hard, and that and caring for her four children always had her falling into bed exhausted at the end of the evening, only to get up at five to do it again. Even so, she always managed to get her kids to school and babysitters and herself to work on time. She did her job well and with good humor, and her boss told her he was going to recommend her for a promotion to team leader. Now, however, she was faced with a complication. Her three-year-old had just been diagnosed with asthma, and her cousin, who took care of him, was afraid to continue. "What if he stops breathing? I don't know what to do. I don't have a car to take him to the emergency room, I have no one to call. You're right at the hospital, but you're halfway across town, and you don't have a car, either. I don't want that kind of responsibility." Luz didn't know what to do. Her cousin had been babysitting for free, out of love and family obligation. Luz had no idea where she would get the money for child care - as it was, every penny she had went into food, rent, utilities, and clothing and other expenses for the children. She couldn't leave her son with just anyone, especially now that she knew he was asthmatic. And she couldn't take him to work with her. In desperation, Luz persuaded her cousin to continue babysitting for a few more days, and decided to talk to her boss, the housekeeping supervisor. When she explained the situation, he looked serious. Luz was in tears now. "I may have to quit my job, but if I do, how will I feed my children? I don't know what to do." "You're not the first person who's come to me with this kind of problem," the supervisor said. "I'll talk to the hospital director, but I don't know what she'll say." A few minutes later, the supervisor was back, smiling. "The director's been hearing about child care problems, too, from a lot of people - housekeepers, technicians, nurses, even some doctors. She went to the Board last month, and they've decided to start a day care center at the hospital for employees' children - it's already in the works. They were going to announce it next week. "In the meantime, she suggested that we promote you immediately. That will mean a big increase in salary, and should be enough so that you can get child care until the hospital day care center opens." In Luz's fictional case, the problem was solved, and she was able to continue working. For a lot of real people, however, situations like this are not easily resolved. The chances are that, at many hospitals or other places of business, Luz would have either had to quit, and perhaps end up on welfare, or to somehow find enough money to pay for child care. The fact that her employer had decided to institute a family-friendly solution to a problem common to many employees made all the difference. Family-friendly workplaces and a family-friendly society are goals for a healthy community. In this section, we'll discuss what family-friendly can mean, look at why it's a benefit for everyone involved, and explore how it can be promoted as policy in business and government. What are family-friendly policies?There are really two definitions to the term "family-friendly" in this section. One has to do with the operation of the workplace, the other with government policies that affect that operation: A family-friendly workplace or employer is one whose policies make it possible for employees to more easily balance family and work, and to fulfill both their family and work obligations. While this definition often applies to government, a major employer, as well, government has another function in promoting family-friendly policies. Many of the family-friendly policies of government are those laws, regulations, and social policies that recognize the importance of families to society, and act to meet, directly or indirectly, the needs of children, parents, disabled family members, and the oldest generation. We'll consider each of these definitions in turn. Family-friendly workplace policies.Family-friendly workplace policies can take many forms. The on-site day care that we talked about in the introductory example is perhaps the one that many people think of first, because it's so clearly family-friendly. What could be more directly aimed at the needs of working parents and their children than day care that is convenient and secure, allows parents to be there instantly if something is wrong, and provides a high quality experience for the child? If, as is often the case, in-house day care is free to the employee, that's frosting on the cake. In-house day care, especially free in-house day care, is hardly the most common of family-friendly policies, however. It's almost entirely restricted to large companies or institutions (or places where day care teachers are trained), because it's expensive, and requires permits and licensed facilities and staff. There are, however, a large number of other policies, many of which can be adopted even by small, mom-and-pop businesses, that help employees to balance work and family. Some are directly aimed toward family-friendly outcomes, while others may be only incidentally family-friendly. In either case, they make a workplace a better place to work. Some possible family-friendly workplace policies:
Family-friendly government policies.There are really two ways that government can be family-friendly. The first is to institute family-friendly policies, like those described above for other workplaces, for its own employees. U.S. federal employees, for instance, are not included in FMLA, but the federal government provides them with a similar benefit. The other way that government at any level can be family-friendly is to encourage - by laws or other methods - family-friendly policies in business and public life in general. Some of the ways it might accomplish this purpose include:
Why promote family-friendly policies?Family-friendly policies are, in general, part of a win-win situation: everyone involved benefits from them. They're good for children, parents, and elders; they are in the best interest of employers; and, in the long run, they benefit communities and the society in general. Some of the specific reasons why family-friendly policies are worth striving for: They allow parents to spend more and better time with their children.Having more time with their children helps parents bond with babies, strengthens family bonds in general, and aids children's learning. It leads to better parenting, because it allows parents to interact with their children without the burden of guilt (over not spending enough time with them) or the stress of time pressure (I really should be working on that report; I have to leave for a meeting). An argument can be made that, by reducing stress around the issue of parenting, family-friendly policies make it possible for parents to see their children as a pleasure as well as a responsibility, This reduces the potential for child abuse and increases the potential for close relationships (among spouses as well as among parents and children) and positive results for children as they grow.
Family-friendly policies reduce stress not only for parents, but for anyone caring for a family member, or coping with a difficult personal medical problem.Studies show that a certain amount of controlled stress can be productive, but too much can be a killer. Whether an employee's family responsibilities involve children, an ill spouse, a frail elder, or his own health, policies that make it easier to balance work and family will make his life more manageable. Keeping stress at a reasonable level helps maintain health and contributes to healing, and increases the amount of energy the employee can give to both work and family obligations. They allow more choices, making it possible for employees to exercise more control over their lives.Several studies have shown that it's control, even more than stress, that influences employees' health and their feelings about their jobs. A high-stress job is not necessarily a problem as long as the employee also has a good deal of control over what she does. Those with high stress and very little control in their jobs, however, are most at risk for stress-related illnesses, and for leaving their jobs. Employees taking advantage of family-friendly policies are more productive.Studies in both the U.S. and U.K. seem to show that family-friendly policies in the workplace lead to higher productivity. A 1996 article in Business Week magazine cites a number of companies where a switch to a family-friendly workplace resulted in increased productivity and profits. Knowing that family obligations are taken care of, and knowing that their work time is more limited, make it possible for employees to concentrate more fully on their work. By creating a better work-family balance, family-friendly policies allow employees in two-income or single parent families to improve their economic status and quality of life.The more families are able to flourish economically, the better it is for society, as well as for the families themselves. Family-friendly policies help employers keep valuable employees.The Business Week article cited above, as well as a number of studies demonstrate a relationship between family-friendly policies and employee retention. By keeping people for long periods, employers reduce training costs and avoid losing the knowledge and experience that walk out the door with any veteran employee. Family-friendly employers have more to offer new job candidates, and are thus able to recruit and hire the best.In many cases, family-friendly policies are so important to job seekers that they're willing to take less money in return for the flexibility or other benefits they offer.Family-friendly policies generate employee loyalty. Those who have taken advantage of a leave policy to tend to a dying parent or a chronically ill spouse, for instance, often feel they owe their employers something for being responsive to their situations. Family-friendly policies are good for the society.They confer a number of advantages for the community and the society at large:
Who should promote family-friendly policies?Who is in the best position to champion family-friendly policies with employers, government, and the public? The answers are probably somewhat different for each audience, but there are groups or individuals who may be more effective than others. Business people. Members of the business community have a number of advantages in promoting family-friendly policies.
Politicians and other policy makers. These folks also have some built-in advantages, in some ways similar to those of business people.
People affected by family-friendly policies, or those affiliated with them. These may include:
Key individuals in the community. Every community has a few people - or sometimes more than a few - who have a lot of influence with others. They may be some of the other people referred to here, or may be leaders in other ways - clergy, citizen activists, respected former officials or longtime pillars of the community, or simply ordinary community members whose integrity and intelligence and fairness have made them opinion leaders. More often than not, if you can get a few of these folks on your side, things will happen. The media. It's always important to have the media on your side, but it's even better if they decide to take up the cause. If you can convince a newspaper or TV station to sponsor the idea of family-friendly policies, you can at least be certain that people will hear about it and its advantages. A broad-based coalition. As with all policy change, a coalition that includes as many of the above groups and individuals as possible is probably the ideal promoter. If everyone's represented, there's high credibility, and the ideas are likely to penetrate all segments of the community. There's also a much better chance that what the group proposes will be accepted as their own by a majority of the community. When should you promote family-friendly policies?The simple answer to this question is "When they're needed," which is whenever they're not readily available to all workers and citizens. There are some times, however, when your efforts might be particularly fruitful.
How do you promote family-friendly policies in the workplace and government?In many cases, for either employers or government, the adoption of family-friendly policies is more than a simple decision to do things one way as opposed to another. It involves a change in perception about the nature of a workplace or community, and about what's important for businesses, other employers, and society. For that reason, promoting family-friendly policies may take time and careful thought. The following series of steps takes that into account. Decide where to start.Your success may depend on the issue you choose to address first, and the setting and scale in which you address it (a single workplace? a whole industry? the community?). You're not going to change a workplace or a community overnight, and you're not going to persuade either one to change everything at once. What's a good first step toward a totally family-friendly environment? One possibility is to poll workers and/or community members to see what's most important to them. You might find different preferences for different folks: white collar workers might value flex-time, while blue collar workers might want child care. You should aim for fairness in what you propose: what's the greatest benefit for everyone? Based on your research, you should try to come up with a clear, well-defined goal. What do you want to have happen where, and by when? The ideal is to start with something that will have a real impact, but that isn't so ambitious that it's impossible - or impossibly expensive - to achieve. If child care seems to be the major need, for instance, you may want to start with a small employer subsidy for child care costs, or an arrangement whereby people could bring their kids to work when circumstances dictate. Starting out by demanding free child care for all may doom your effort at the start.
Do your homework.Especially if there is to be a public debate about the issue of family-friendly policies, you need to have not only ideas, but facts at the tip of your tongue. Some of the areas you should research:
Your research might include searching libraries and the Internet, talking to people who've had direct experience with the issue - local officials, human resource directors, union activists, employees, etc. - conferring with researchers or other experts, and talking with health and human service organizations who've established their own family-friendly policies, and/or who've worked with businesses or communities as partners in implementing family-friendly policies. Gathering examples of family-friendly policies that have worked elsewhere can help you in several ways. As examples, they'll establish that such policies exist; they'll answer arguments that such policies cost too much or don't work; and they'll give you ideas for creating your own family-friendly policies or programs. Your effort is far more likely to be successful if you know what you're talking about, and have answers to the objections of opponents or skeptics. The more ideas and information you have, the more people will take your arguments seriously. Offer to help find solutions that work.As explained above, part of your research should be aimed at generating some alternative family-friendly scenarios. These can be used as starting points in a discussion of what kinds of family-friendly practices or policies might work in your community or workplace. Alternatively, you can offer to participate in a coalition or on a committee set up to look at possible family-friendly innovations. Some ways to make family-friendly policies work:
Point to and reward those workplaces and government agencies who support and engage in family-friendly practices.A "community hero" or "best business" award, with lots of publicity, could both raise the profile of the issue and identify it as something that others might aspire to. Frame the debate as a win-win situation.Try to avoid assuming an adversary position here. Emphasize the fact that family-friendly policies are good for everyone involved - employees, employers, government, the society as a whole. No one loses, and everyone benefits. Use the available research - and there's plenty; see the Internet Resources part of this section for several examples - to make the case that family-friendly policies go along with improvements in employee recruitment and retention,
loyalty, productivity, and morale, and that they also positively affect child development, employee stress levels and health, and the quality of life in a community. Marshal support.Put together a coalition, if you can, or work for the support of a large number of influential people. It would be great if your support could come from all segments of the community, but some particularly important groups and individuals include:
Communicate, communicate, communicate.Get your message out to policy makers in business, the non-profit sector, and government, to workers, and to the public. The best arguments in the world are worthless if no one hears them. Use all the channels available to you, particularly:
Advocate for family-friendly policies in whatever ways are appropriate to the situation.You'll have to decide what "appropriate" means for you here. The more confrontational you choose to be, the harder it is to restore good will afterwards. You'd probably only use direct action, for instance, in a situation that's patently unfair and not likely to improve in any other way. Your goal, after all, is one that's typified by policy makers in business and government being genuinely concerned about people, and feeling, at the same time, that any family-friendly changes they make will benefit them as well - hardly an adversary situation. Some possible ways you might advocate for family-friendly policies:
Urge the continued evaluation and adaptation of family-friendly policies to make sure they're working for employers, employees, government, and the society.The whole concept of family-friendly policies and programs is still relatively new. By carefully evaluating new and ongoing policies and programs, and changing them to respond better to the needs they're meant to meet, employers and government can help them evolve for the better. Continue promoting family-friendly policies in the workplace and government indefinitely.As with any policy issue, if you don't keep at it, your gains will disappear because everyone will assume that "that's been taken care of." The goal here, if family-friendly policies are to have the maximum effect, is really a family-friendly society. If that's ever to be achieved, you'll have to continue to promote and support those policies over the long term. In SummaryA family-friendly workplace or employer (and government as an employer may be included here) is one whose policies make it possible for employees to more easily balance family and work, and to fulfill both their family and work obligations. In addition to its employer role, government may encourage a family-friendly society by adopting laws, regulations, and social policies that recognize the importance of families to society, and act to meet, directly or indirectly, the needs of children, parents, and the oldest generation. Thus, an employer might offer flexible work schedules and locations, child care, support for elder care, family leave options, and other family-friendly benefits to employees. A government entity, in addition to offering similar options to its employees might also - as the U.S. Congress and many other federal governments have done - pass laws requiring the granting of maternity/paternity leave, fund family-friendly health and social programs, construct family-friendly facilities, and support family-friendly policies in general. Family-friendly policies benefit employers, families, and society. Research shows that employers gain in employee recruitment, retention, loyalty, and productivity, all of which contribute to the bottom line. Families gain in the ability to balance work and family obligations, reduced stress, and better quality of family life and life in general. The society gains because family-friendly policies lead to more stable families with time to contribute to their communities, and better outcomes for children. The best promoters of family-friendly policies are those who have both the knowledge and credibility to make the argument for them. These include business people who have adopted such policies themselves and had good results; politicians and other policy makers who've examined the issue; working families and those affiliated with them (labor unions, e.g.); interested influential citizens; the media; or a broad-based coalition including most or all of these groups as members. The best times to promote family-friendly policies are when people are thinking about families and the problems that often beset them. When workers and families themselves broach the issue, when many families are clearly in difficult circumstances (as in a recession), when family-related issues such as domestic violence or child hunger are in the news, or when family becomes an issue in a political campaign, the time may be ripe to push for the adoption of family-friendly policies. Other good opportunities may arise during any political campaign; in the course of labor negotiations; or as part of a community development effort. There are a number of steps to take in order to gain the acceptance of family-friendly policies in business and government:
If you can follow these steps successfully, your campaign should be successful as well, and family-friendly business and government policies will bring rewards to everyone in your community. What is the purpose of employees relation?Employee relations focuses on creating and delivering people practices which develop - and maintain - positive working relationships between an organisation and its people. Working closely with unions and employee representatives, you'll need to ensure that people practices are fair and transparent.
Who is responsible for work life balance?Most conversations relating to work life balance happen at the individual level. However, an employer has just as much responsibility to encourage a healthy balance as the employee. Not only does this show that the employer truly respects and cares for employees, but it will also increase productivity in the long run.
What specific work family balance challenges do employees face?The seven challenge areas for work-life balance. Unrealistic demands. The demands that work and life throw at us can easily mount up to incredible levels. ... . Lack of control. ... . Unsupportive relationships. ... . Lack of resources. ... . Unhelpful attitude. ... . No skills. ... . High-stress levels.. Why is work/life balance important in HRM?Why Is Work-Life Balance Important? Helping your employees achieve a better work-life balance is beneficial for your company. It can make your employees less stressed and more productive.
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