WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Strategic approach to work-life policies can bring "significant business gains"
Work-life policies such as childcare, flexible work schedules and family leave are now all the rage on both sides of the Atlantic. But it seems that these initiatives will count for little unless employees feel fully involved in work redesign and the work-life policies are rooted in business strategies, according to a three-year study by the influential Work in America Institute.
The research, which is based on detailed case studies in ten companies, found that companies that have taken a strategic, systematic approach to addressing work-life issues report "significant business gains" — including better retention, higher productivity and reduced absenteeism.
As the Institute explains:
"The work-life redesigns described in the report differ from management-driven, top-down re-engineering, because they encourage strong employee involvement and encompass both work-life needs and strategic business objectives. Addressing both dimensions creates a synergy that improves employees’ lives and unleashes individual and team creativity."
Want to know more?
Title: Holding a Job, Having a Life: Strategies for Change, Work in America Institute.
Availability: contact Jill Casner-Lotto, vice-president, policy studies, Work in America Institute, tel: 001 914 472 9600, or email jcasner-lotto@workinamerica.org
For details about the Work in America Institute and a free executive summary from the report, jump to . . . www.workinamerica.org