Companies give themselves only passing grades when it comes to offering successful work-family balance policies, according to a recent poll. More than half (54 percent) of executives said firms are only somewhat successful in their efforts, while 43 percent said businesses are unsuccessful in helping their staff juggle these dual commitments.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specializing in highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 executives with the nation's 1,000 largest companies.
Executives were asked, "With so much attention given to the need for work-family balance, how successful do you think today's companies are in creating and maintaining a family-friendly environment for employees?" Their responses:
- Very successful - 3%
- Somewhat successful - 54%
- Somewhat unsuccessful - 40%
- Very unsuccessful - 3%
"In today's competitive employment market, companies that offer family-friendly policies are at a distinct advantage," said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Flexible hours, telecommuting and child care programs will continue to be valuable recruitment and retention tools."
Domeyer notes that the key to the success of these initiatives is providing flexibility without sacrificing productivity. "Managers need to weigh employee needs against job requirements. Involving staff members in the policy-making process can be an effective means of finding solutions that benefit businesses and workers alike."
A survey commissioned earlier this year by OfficeTeam among 687 U.S. workers underscores the need for companies to pay close attention to their benefits options. Workers said the ability to balance work and family demands was their top career concern for the new millennium.
OfficeTeam has over 200 locations worldwide and offers online job search services.
