for kim woods only

January 2016

Dr. Barb Rowland

There are many situations that could require a mother to have to take their child to work for a few hours. For Example, children get sick, school lets out early, or doctor’s apointments can interrupt a daily schedule. Unfortunately, many people do not work in places they could take their children. This situation is bad for both the company’s and its employees. It is situations like this that force employees to make some tough decisions that could ultimately affect not only their job performance, but their overall happiness in their work environment. I think companies can avoid these uncomfortable situations and increase productivity and happiness in workers by ensuring there is adequate family leave, allowing work-at-home days for applicable positions, and encouraging the use of all vacation time and sick time as needed.

Adequate Family Leave

One way companies can ensure productivity and happiness in workers, is by providing adequate leave time for both parents following the birth or adoption of a child. Schulte (2014) indicates that their is a connection between an employee’s work life and personal life. The problem is that most companies fail to see this link. Mothers need time to heal, rest, and become adjusted to the schedule and needs of a new baby. Newborns can sometimes have problems. Such as jaundice, feeding issues, or sleeping difficulties. New parents should be able to take care of these issues before the child is placed into some kind of daycare and companies need to be more responsive to these needs. If new parents have time to spent with their baby, they will not be so anxious, tired, or unsettled when they return to work. For instance, the Patagonia Company allows new parents a two-month parental leave (Schulte, 2014). This allows parents to return to work ready to focus on their jobs.

Work at Home Days

Workers’ happiness and productivity can also be increased by adding one work-at-home day to weekly schedules, if it fits with the position. A study by Daipuria and Kakar showed that a “compressed work week and work from home options also find favor amongst the respondents which give clear indication to the organization to remodel their work assignments to suit mutual requirements” (Daipuria and Kakar, 2013, p. 51). Participants in the modified work environment find the flexibility in their schedules to be mutually beneficial for them and the companies they are employed with. While at first glance it may seem like an impossible task to create such an accommodating work arrangement. Howeever, there are a lot of ways this can work for a company and its employees. Remote access via computer can make employees available anytime. Employees can participate in meetings via Skype, which also allows them to share documents and send emails all while never having to leave their home and taking care of their children. The modified work schedule also makes it possible for employees to work outside of a traditional eight-hour workday as needed. Diapuria and Kakar (2013) concluded that a flexible work schedule is likely to “improve the work-life balance of the employee especially if they are working parents” (p. 51). So even if a company cannot spare someone for a whole day every week, this plan might be available as needed occasionally for the employee.

Vacation and Sick Time

Finally, companies should encourage the use of all yearly vacation time, as well as sick time when needed. It is possible that a situation arises that an employee just cannot avoids. Sometimes parents are forced to make a decision between their sick child and their job. Sick days mean tending to a sick child at home. A workplace culture that frowns on people who stay home when they or their child cannot be at school or is sick only harms everyone working at the organization and the family that is suffering through the illness which is not only unfair but unproductive. It encourages people to lie or even sometimes inappropriately bring the child to work with them. Similarly, employees should not have to worry about using their vacation days which they need at unusual times to cover days when schools are closed there are also many other instances where vacation days should not have to be used. Allowing people to use these days as “personnel days” for whatever reason creates a more honest workplace and more productive workforce when employees are at work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I often see friends at work worrying about their young babies they had to leave at home or a sick child left with friends. I know they are not getting their work done, and both they and their children are suffering. Employers can avoid these unpleasant working conditions by implementing work-life balance programs that take into consideration work and life situations, bridging the gap between the two seemingly different environments without compromising employee productivity and even increasing employee satisfactions. Work-life balance programs that create more benefits like family leave, working at home, and personal leave days will give employees more flexibility in scheduling and approved time off which establishes a more family-friendly work environment. And who wouldn’t want to work for someone who values family?

References

Schulte, B. (2014, October 26). Taking care of employees boosts Patagonia's bottom line. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1616420140?accountid=35812

Krasulja, N., Blagojevic, M. V., & Radojevic, Ivana. (2015, April). Working from home as alternative for achieving work-life balance. Ekonomika, 61(2), 131-142. doi:http://search.proquest.com/docview/1708884357?accountid=458

Daipuria, Pratima, & Kakar, Deepti. (2013). Work-Life Balance for Working Parents: Perspectives and Strategies. Journal of Strategic Human Resource Management, 2(1), 45-52. doi:http://search.proquest.com/docview/1478029323?accountid=35812