How Business Leaders Benefit from Family-Friendly Policies

I know we often forget to answer the question-- What is in it for me? Yet when we are talking to our customers this is the question we need to answer first. After writing my last article I wanted to go beyond the general aspects of treating our teams as people to discuss the benefit of these policies to business leaders and companies. Here are the five major benefits business leaders and companies gain fron creating family-friendly policies and communities.

1.     Building talented, more loyal, and dedicated Personnel

These days long gone are the employees that work for 25-30 years for a company and then retire to a pension and a watch. This generation likes change and challenging themselves, this means they change jobs on an average of every 3-5 years. Workers of today are not just looking for a paycheck they are looking for a career to support the lives they want to live outside of the office. Many want to make a difference at the work they do as well. Talented workers are looking to work for companies where all their lives are valued and encouraged. Business leaders who create not just a family-friendly policy, but a family-friendly culture create an environment that not only supports the world of business, but also the world outside of this arena. Giving employees flex time or time off to care for sick relatives is great. But, creating a company that extends care, support and practical assistance when needed creates a level of teaming that goes beyond teaming for business purposes and builds a community. Community means loyalty and loyalty means it is no as likely team members will begin to feel the ich to move on every 3-5 years. instead want to stay secure in the relationships they have built.

2.     Creating the Reputation as a Company who Cares

In business developing a trusting and dependable reputation is something every company long for in both the real and virtual world. Companies like Apple, Starbucks, and others have used the caring of their teams to build such reputations. Starbucks providing part-time workers with health insurance is one of the reasons people line up sometimes 2 or 3 times a day to buy a $5 cup of coffee. This care of employees makes people think if they take care of their employees like that how will hey take care of me. Chick-Fil-A also has a reputation for caring about their employees. Their stores are closed on Sunday because they want to ensure their staff gets to spend at least one day of the week to rest and take care of their lives outside of work. This reputation has helped them to weather many storms over the last few decades. They gave a loyal customer base mainly because they have such a strong demonstration of family-friendly policies.

3.     A happier and more focused workforce.

In reading several articles tin prep ration to write this article I was struck repeatedly by the number of times I read about happy workers. New Hampshire Business Review mentioned it, Justworks in their resource center culture guide mentioned employee happiness, and even UNICEF in their information list morale as a n important factor. We all need to recognize that family concerns come to work with our teams if things are going on that cause worry, stress or anxiety in our team members they are not as focused on their work responsibilities and have divided thought processes throughout their day. Folks who have community support in the workplace also have less anxiety thus they  are more focused on the work tasks in front I=of them. These individuals know their loved ones are safe and taken care of, that peace of mind not only creates happier staff it creates a stronger sense of both community and company loyalty.

4.     Less Absenteeism

One thing we all hate is absenteeism. Though we know people get sick and thus need a physical or a mental respite. We hope they are not missing work when they are well but someone else is ill or their childcare is nonexistent. Many companies provide parent and family-friendly programs to help staff avoid these issues. Hospitals have childcare centers attached to them because surgeons often have their first surgeries at 7 am which means they need to be in the hospital ready to work by 6; most childcare centers open at 6:30 or 7 which means they do not meet the needs of hospital staff. In addition, hospital work is 24/7/365-day work. Parents need childcare no matter what shift or day they work. Almost every hospital in the U.S. has a childcare center attached. This is one way they have not only curb absenteeism but, allows for hospital staff to have peace of mind concerning where their children are and who is caring for them.

This same process could be provided for any company who does around the clock work. If your industry has shift workers who work the late night or overnight shifts a simple survey of your workers could ascertain whether providing onsite childcare would be of benefit to your team.

5.     A balance between taking care of your people and the bottom line.

One of the things I love about how Charles Dicken’s redeemed Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol is that he became truly involved in Bob Cratchit’s life. He recognized that his life outside of work had both value and meaning. He even stepped in to provide care for his crippled son. It made him feel great to treat his employee and his needs with care.

The moral of a Christmas Carol for business leaders is to treat your team as people. It will make you feel good. On your deathbed you want to be able to look back and see you lived up to all your responsibilities. You took care of your team and the bottom line.