ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2008 > February > 26
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Family friendly workplaces: Good or bad?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In a tight economy, where employee bonuses and raises aren’t as frequent and generous as they once were, one of the solutions that some companies are have come up with to ease the pinch is offering more flex time for employees. Many are now promoting a “family friendly” work environment, which allows employees to work flexible hours when they have a sick child at home, or they need to attend a school function featuring their children.
But how does this benefit you if you’re one of the single or childless employees at your office? Does this mean you’ll have to work extra hard to pick up the slack when your co-workers are gone? Are you expected to stay late to finish an important project, while your co-worker leaves to rush over to the day care before 6:00 pm? Are your plans to meet friends for dinner after work any less important?
Of course the flip-side of that is from the perspective of the person who’s juggling both a career and a family. Because you have fewer family obligations, are you getting more attention and praise from the boss for putting in extra hours? Are your assignments more exciting? Are you moving up the corporate ladder more quickly than they are?
And let us not forget that we have many different kinds of family units to be considered in this conversation. What about the grandmother who is the primary care-giver for her grandchild? Or what about the couple who live in a long-term domestic partnership, but aren’t legally married? Are your employers sympathetic when a loved one falls ill and you need to be there? Do any of these groups feel slighted because traditional definitions of the family don’t fit their circumstances? Are the benefits fair?
The question of fairness comes down to whether or not you are being singled out (for the good or for the bad) because of your family status. Are you given assignments simply because you don’t have a family at home? Or are you getting more perks because you do?
While the move toward family friendly workplaces should be applauded, companies should be sensitive to the message that they’re sending to all employees when it comes to providing time off, or flex time and assuring that these policies and perks are being applied equally and fairly, not only on paper but in practice.
