As an employer...
1. Know the law. As far as family-friendly policies go, U.S. laws are among the least strict in the world. Even so, laws change and it's important to comply with them. Many family-friendly programs are unregulated, but standard labor rules still apply (for example, if your hourly employees telecommute, you need to track their hours so you can comply with overtime pay laws).
And, even if you consider yourself a family-friendly employer, it's important to make sure everyone's aware of the law so you can encourage employees to take advantage of the benefits they're entitled to.
2. Get to know your employees. As much as possible, find out what's going on with your employees' family lives. If you know that your cashier's mother has cancer or that your custodian's son just had twins, asking how their families are doing shows that you care. This can help your employees trust that you won't get upset with them when they ask for more flexibility or time off. Your employees will feel that their working environment is supportive and friendly when they know you're interested, and this can increase company loyalty.
3. Survey your employees. Find out what kind of benefits might help them most. You don't, for example, want to invest in a state-of-the-art day care center, only to find out later that your employees already have their children in quality day care and they don't want to remove them. Some cash-strapped employees might prefer to work full-time or even overtime, while other stressed-out employees might want to cut back on their hours. When you understand the needs of your employees, it's much easier to design a program that will benefit the most people.
4. Talk to other employers to find out what's been successful in your area and in your industry. Chances are, if you are considering a new family-friendly benefit, someone else has already tried that. Another company may be willing to lend their expertise as you wade through tax laws, federal grants, or payroll issues. They also can tell you what worked well and what didn't, or refer you to resources they relied on as they worked out the details. Some companies who have implemented broad family-friendly policies have studied these issues enough that they've become experts on work-life business policy.
5. Read. This website contains links to many organizations that promote work-life balance. Many of these organizations have published information both on the problems that a rigid traditional business model can create for families, and on how to implement solutions. They also can point you to resources for the specific information you'll need. There are also several books on the same topics.
6. Form focus groups and/or committees. After all, no one knows what your employees need better than your employees. Since every working environment is unique and individual needs vary, a group may be the ideal way to create solutions that work for as many people as possible. Ideally, a committee would be made up of as varied a group as possible so that many job positions and family situations could be represented. Group members could brainstorm together and/or research ideas as assigned. It helps if your group reports directly to whoever is in charge of your organization.
7. Train managers on work-family issues. It's important that once you catch the vision, everyone in your company does, too. Many firms are family-friendly in theory but less ideal in practice. In one survey, 69 percent of managers said they wanted to limit company flexibility so they could leave it to their managers' discretion, yet only 39 percent believed their managers understood their companies' policies on flexible work arrangements. Even though official policies may permit less traditional schedules, some individual managers might not allow employees to take advantage of them or they might disadvantage workers who do so.
You can implement a training program (and do so annually), educate workers on available benefits, ask for upper-level employees to volunteer to use these benefits, and more. Adding commitment to work-life programs as part of your performance evaluations for both employees and managers can also increase accountability. The more formally you lay out your policies, they clearer they'll be.
8. Show support at all levels, and don't discriminate. In some companies, only upper-level employees are entitled to sick leave, parental leave, or flexibility. This can create resentment among lower-level workers, and cause them to feel that their work and their needs aren't valued. Of course, some positions are naturally less family-friendly than others (some service industries require face-to-face interaction, for example), but you might be surprised at what changes you can make, either on a small or large scale. Your patients may require constant nursing, but is it possible for the nurses on your staff to set their own schedules or to give those nurses more advance notice of their schedules? Can you introduce shorter shifts for those who request it or allow nurses to job share?
Make sure you offer these benefits not just to as many positions as possible, but to all types of employees. Offering family-friendly benefits only to mothers, for example, is not only unfair, but may be seen as discriminatory. Your safest option is to extend flexibility, family leave, and sick leave to everyone. It's true that some programs (such as child care assistance) may only help parents, but it's important to promote all your family-friendly programs to all your employees. After all, many who are not parents may get sick or want flexibility, and many who are not parents now may become parents someday (or their own parents might get sick, or they might unexpectedly get custody of a grandchild). Make sure you communicate your programs clearly to everyone regardless of gender or family status.
Also, if your employees choose to act on your new family-friendly culture, don't discriminate against them. Many employers see their full-time employees as their "core" workforce, or don't believe that those in management positions can work less than fifty hours. If your criteria for promotion is based more on performance than on hours worked, you can easily include your non-traditional employees as part of your talent pool.
9. Trust your employees and yourself. Some business owners and managers worry that if they allow their employees more freedom, they'll take advantage of it and not perform their jobs. But if your standard of performance is based on productivity rather than face time, it will soon become apparent whether or not an employee is measuring up. If you trust your employees to do well, they're more likely to live up to your expectations. It may require some adjustment as you learn to supervise remote workers or contract with child care companies, but the results in your employees' families and in your company's budget will make your efforts worthwhile.
10. Measure the impact your programs are making. You may believe that family-friendly benefits will boost your bottom line, but it helps to have proof. Only 14 percent of companies formally measure the results of their flexible work arrangements. They might believe their programs pay off, but they can't be sure. Do your programs increase productivity as much as you'd hoped? Do they save your company much more than you spent? If you measure quantitative results such as turnover, absenteeism, and employee engagement, you'll quickly see how well your programs are doing. Few types of evidence are more convincing than numbers, and the more proof you have, the more people you'll persuade, and the more successful your programs will be.
And, even if you consider yourself a family-friendly employer, it's important to make sure everyone's aware of the law so you can encourage employees to take advantage of the benefits they're entitled to.
2. Get to know your employees. As much as possible, find out what's going on with your employees' family lives. If you know that your cashier's mother has cancer or that your custodian's son just had twins, asking how their families are doing shows that you care. This can help your employees trust that you won't get upset with them when they ask for more flexibility or time off. Your employees will feel that their working environment is supportive and friendly when they know you're interested, and this can increase company loyalty.
3. Survey your employees. Find out what kind of benefits might help them most. You don't, for example, want to invest in a state-of-the-art day care center, only to find out later that your employees already have their children in quality day care and they don't want to remove them. Some cash-strapped employees might prefer to work full-time or even overtime, while other stressed-out employees might want to cut back on their hours. When you understand the needs of your employees, it's much easier to design a program that will benefit the most people.
4. Talk to other employers to find out what's been successful in your area and in your industry. Chances are, if you are considering a new family-friendly benefit, someone else has already tried that. Another company may be willing to lend their expertise as you wade through tax laws, federal grants, or payroll issues. They also can tell you what worked well and what didn't, or refer you to resources they relied on as they worked out the details. Some companies who have implemented broad family-friendly policies have studied these issues enough that they've become experts on work-life business policy.
5. Read. This website contains links to many organizations that promote work-life balance. Many of these organizations have published information both on the problems that a rigid traditional business model can create for families, and on how to implement solutions. They also can point you to resources for the specific information you'll need. There are also several books on the same topics.
6. Form focus groups and/or committees. After all, no one knows what your employees need better than your employees. Since every working environment is unique and individual needs vary, a group may be the ideal way to create solutions that work for as many people as possible. Ideally, a committee would be made up of as varied a group as possible so that many job positions and family situations could be represented. Group members could brainstorm together and/or research ideas as assigned. It helps if your group reports directly to whoever is in charge of your organization.
7. Train managers on work-family issues. It's important that once you catch the vision, everyone in your company does, too. Many firms are family-friendly in theory but less ideal in practice. In one survey, 69 percent of managers said they wanted to limit company flexibility so they could leave it to their managers' discretion, yet only 39 percent believed their managers understood their companies' policies on flexible work arrangements. Even though official policies may permit less traditional schedules, some individual managers might not allow employees to take advantage of them or they might disadvantage workers who do so.
You can implement a training program (and do so annually), educate workers on available benefits, ask for upper-level employees to volunteer to use these benefits, and more. Adding commitment to work-life programs as part of your performance evaluations for both employees and managers can also increase accountability. The more formally you lay out your policies, they clearer they'll be.
8. Show support at all levels, and don't discriminate. In some companies, only upper-level employees are entitled to sick leave, parental leave, or flexibility. This can create resentment among lower-level workers, and cause them to feel that their work and their needs aren't valued. Of course, some positions are naturally less family-friendly than others (some service industries require face-to-face interaction, for example), but you might be surprised at what changes you can make, either on a small or large scale. Your patients may require constant nursing, but is it possible for the nurses on your staff to set their own schedules or to give those nurses more advance notice of their schedules? Can you introduce shorter shifts for those who request it or allow nurses to job share?
Make sure you offer these benefits not just to as many positions as possible, but to all types of employees. Offering family-friendly benefits only to mothers, for example, is not only unfair, but may be seen as discriminatory. Your safest option is to extend flexibility, family leave, and sick leave to everyone. It's true that some programs (such as child care assistance) may only help parents, but it's important to promote all your family-friendly programs to all your employees. After all, many who are not parents may get sick or want flexibility, and many who are not parents now may become parents someday (or their own parents might get sick, or they might unexpectedly get custody of a grandchild). Make sure you communicate your programs clearly to everyone regardless of gender or family status.
Also, if your employees choose to act on your new family-friendly culture, don't discriminate against them. Many employers see their full-time employees as their "core" workforce, or don't believe that those in management positions can work less than fifty hours. If your criteria for promotion is based more on performance than on hours worked, you can easily include your non-traditional employees as part of your talent pool.
9. Trust your employees and yourself. Some business owners and managers worry that if they allow their employees more freedom, they'll take advantage of it and not perform their jobs. But if your standard of performance is based on productivity rather than face time, it will soon become apparent whether or not an employee is measuring up. If you trust your employees to do well, they're more likely to live up to your expectations. It may require some adjustment as you learn to supervise remote workers or contract with child care companies, but the results in your employees' families and in your company's budget will make your efforts worthwhile.
10. Measure the impact your programs are making. You may believe that family-friendly benefits will boost your bottom line, but it helps to have proof. Only 14 percent of companies formally measure the results of their flexible work arrangements. They might believe their programs pay off, but they can't be sure. Do your programs increase productivity as much as you'd hoped? Do they save your company much more than you spent? If you measure quantitative results such as turnover, absenteeism, and employee engagement, you'll quickly see how well your programs are doing. Few types of evidence are more convincing than numbers, and the more proof you have, the more people you'll persuade, and the more successful your programs will be.
