Family-friendly workplaces
STRIKING a balance between work and family life, and finding time to pursue personal interests is one of the most challenging issues that confront working people these days. The increase in the number of working women, breakdown of the institution of traditional family system, growing number of single-parent families and the changing demands of work have all contributed to greater career-life conflict.
The ability to balance work, family and leisure time is a major factor that determines the quality of life led by people. Most of us have familial and social obligations like responsibilities towards family, friends and community and personal interests. Any conflict between these interests causes unhappiness, anxiety and stress, which ultimately leads to drop in productivity. However, one need not despair. Companies the world over, in an effort to balance the work-life conflict, are striving to provide `family- friendly workplaces'. Work-life balance initiatives are now set to have wider application in the corporate world.
The rapid and widespread growth of technology and expertise has changed the very nature, concept and definition of work. The traditional work and workplace - like working for a single employer, working in the employer's premises for fixed hours, for a given wage or salary, etc. - are being revamped. New ways of organising and doing work, changing employee-employer relationship and advanced technology have forced highly skilled professionals and technicians to work through fluid networks as `Freelancers', `Portfolio-workers' and `Tele-workers'. Work can mean working part-time, casual work, irregular hours or `on call' work, seasonal, temporary or fixed term contracts, working from home or even a customised combination of any of the above.
Flexi-time and flexi-hours are concepts that have become popular. A company, in an attempt to improve the work-life balance of its employees, undertook several initiatives.
It introduced Flexi time with core hours from 10am to 12pm and 2pm to 4pm. Extra hours worked during busy periods were carried forward for days off. Significant business benefits were soon identifiable; employees were happy to work additional hours when necessary and the daily working span too increased, reducing lost hours to the firm.
Emboldened by the success of the flexi- time initiative, the company offered the option of working from home to its employees. Offering location- independent working required investment in laptop computers and a switchboard allowing calls to be transferred seamlessly to any off-site location. But, this improved efficiency and client service, as well as staff satisfaction.
Over a period of one year, staff turnover in terms of voluntary leavers halved from an average of 15% to 7.5%. The proportion of lost days due to short-term absence and sickness fell from 3.5% to 2.3%.
Another company offered a variety of working patterns, tailored to suit each individual's personal circumstances. For example, an employee works from 9am to 3pm, another from 1pm to 5.30pm and another one in mornings only. Workflows have peaks and troughs, which can sometimes mean longer hours, balanced with time off.
The employees cannot seem to stop gushing over the benefits of this kind of flexibility. As one happy executive opines, `Recruitment has become easier and costing us less. We now have the employment agencies calling us because they have people asking if we have vacancies.'
Apart from the above, companies are offering benefits like staggered working hours, concierge services, crèches for working mothers, extended leave and job-sharing options.
Offering a package of work-life benefits has helped many companies attract and retain staff. Employers benefit from having a more motivated, productive and less stressed workforce; absenteeism is reduced; having flexible working options enables companies to attract a wider range of candidates such as older workers, part-time workers and more women workers.
Employees benefit from being happier at work and at home; they exhibit greater sense of responsibility and ownership; they enjoy better relations with the management and their self-esteem, health, concentration and confidence show marked improvement.
People can cope with the complexities and changing demands of work and life only if they are healthy, happy and motivated. Chaining people to offices and desks in a clock watching 9-5 culture is hardly the best way to boost their morale and productivity. Instead, companies need to offer a range of choices that help workers balance the demands of life and work. The results most obviously, speak for themselves.
BINDU SRIDHAR
faqs@cnkonline.com
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