More and more, employees are telling us that balance between work and life is what is most important. In a Work trends survey conducted by Rutgers University's Center for Survey Research Analysis at the University of Connecticut 88% of respondents rated the ability to balance work and family as extremely important. More than 90% of the respondents said that they wanted flexibility in their work schedules to take care of family needs.
If an organization can make an individual's life more balanced, it will experience higher productivity, less burn out, higher loyalty and better morale.
There is a pool of great candidates available that you have not tapped if your business is not offering flexible work. In part it consists of:
Full time parents who would love to work in their profession on a part time or from home basis.
Full time professionals who are content in their current organization but who would jump at the chance to work an alternative work arrangement.
Individuals who have taken an early retirement opportunity but would love to contribute to your organization on a part time basis.
Physically challenged individuals who are not able to work a traditional full time work schedule.
And remember, while you are NOT implementing family friendly policies, your competition is!! Have any of your valuable employees approached you to ask for a flexible work arrangement? Did you say No? Are they looking for another job now, or don't you know?
And Here are More Benefits
Realize a broader range of knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience within one position than would be possible with one full time person.
Experience continuity of coverage, under certain circumstances, even when one job share partner is sick or on vacation.
Increase productivity with the added energy and improved time management part time and telecommuting employees can bring to their work.
Retain the services of quality employees who need additional time to deal with family or other personal needs.
Respond more easily to employee needs covered by laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Experience a workforce with higher morale and loyalty and, based on research, reap the corresponding increase in customer retention.
Why Should I Offer Family Friendly Policies and Work Schedules – What’s in it for me?? - To learn more about this author, visit Kirsten Ross's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
|
|
Kirsten Ross
(Visit Kirsten's Website)
Kirsten Ross has been interviewed as an
expert of flexible work and life balance
on NBC Nightly News, Fox 2 News, National
Public Radio and for publications such as
Working Mother Magazine, Going Back to
Work; A Survival Guide for Comeback Moms,
The Entrepreneurial Parent, and more than
200 others. She has a Masters degree in
Human Resource Management, is a Certified
Senior HR Professional and is a Leadership
and Life Coach. She founded her company,
Womans-Work, LLC in 1999. She has helped
countless professionals achieve work-life
balance and is on a mission to help
organizations improve their
family-friendly status.
As a leadership coach and owner of Focus
Forward Coaching she takes her work to the
next level helping leaders and
entrepreneurs remove the thought patterns,
fears, behaviors and beliefs that stand as
barriers to achieving the life and work
that they desire. Creating a life of
conscious choice and rocking relationships
are keys to living a balanced and
fulfilling life. Visit Kirsten’s coaching
site:
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
