Payroll
Is Your Firm Family-Friendly?
Dec. 15, 2016
Some, but not all, companies are taking baby steps toward becoming more family-friendly, according to new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam. Just under half (49 percent) of human resources (HR) managers interviewed said their organization has made policy changes to better accommodate working parents in the past five years.
View an infographic of the survey findings.
HR managers were asked, “In the past five years, has your organization made changes in workplace policy to better accommodate working parents?” Their responses:
Yes: 49%
No: 51%
When employees were asked which family-friendly perk would have the greatest impact on their decision to join a company, the clear winner was flexible hours (79 percent). Sixty-eight percent of HR managers said their organization provides this option. Respondents identified a maternity/paternity leave policy (79 percent) as the most common employer offering.
The Family-Friendly Perk That Would Most Affect an Employee’s Decision to Work at a Company
What Companies Offer
Flexible hours
79%
68%
Telecommuting
15%
29%
Maternity/paternity leave policy
3%
79%
Childcare program
2%
18%
Adoption benefits
0%
35%
“With half of companies offering more family-friendly benefits in recent years, the onus is on organizations that have not kept pace to revisit their policies,” said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. “Employers should actively promote their programs in this area to attract and retain top workers.”
Britton added, “Having extra time with family can be a game changer for staff. Perks like flexible schedules and telecommuting are attractive to all employees because everyone appreciates work-life balance, whether that means being able to take care of obligations at home or pursue personal interests.”