Family Friendly Policies

1. Family Friendly Policies Mary Ahmad and Andrew Strathdee Corporate HR Partners Ltd

2. Friendly Policies Life Family Mary Ahmad and Andrew Strathdee Corporate HR Partners Ltd

3. Agenda • Introduction • The Family • Why Family Friendly Policies • Getting Started • Coffee • Examples of Family Friendly Policies • Implications • Convincing the Board • Lunch

4. The Family Former Spouse Spouse Partner (same/different sex) Extended Family And Dependents (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins etc) Grandparents Children Parents NONE Siblings Step-parents Step-children

5. Why have Life Friendly Policies? Economy and the Environment Legislation (Equality, Discrimination) Tradition & Management Market Pressure Work Pressure Work/Life Balance Technology Social Issues and Family Values

6. Tradition and Management • Over the EU • Average Mother works (Job) 30 – 39hrs pw • Average Father works 40 – 49hrs pw • In UK 36% of Fathers work 50hrs pw or more • Despite the increase in female activity in the workforce, women still carry out the majority of childcare activities, whilst men still earn more – casting the traditional roles of breadwinner and childcarer. Back

7. Economy and the Environment • Improvement in the economy and employment has gone along with increase in part-time and temporary employment • Most new jobs are in service sector and filled by women • While this gets women into work, the jobs are usually low value and increases inequalities between men and women and between women Next

8. Economy and the Environment • Increasing employment among mothers is not matched by changes in employment patterns of fathers – Full time jobs, long hours, careers, low family responsibilities • Solutions often require purchased services, requiring income, so inequalities perpetuate situation • Families are becoming diverse • As well as children, increasing life expectancy is adding the responsibility for elderly relatives Back

9. Legislation • 1990 EU Council of Ministers – four recommendations: • Provision of childcare for children whose parents are working • Leave for employed parents • Make environment, structure and organisation of work responsive to needs of workers with children • Promote increase in participation of fathers in care and upbringing of children • Now in Legislation – Working time, parental leave etc.

10. Work Pressure • Downsizing and delayering since the ’80’s • Increased competition, reduced headcount • Increasing employment, less people to help • Competition for scarce skills • Self responsibility for career leads to short-term stays • Presenteeism rules, 69% of men and 79% of women believe that to get on at work you must be seen to do long hours

11. Market Pressure • Increased competition, high employment, shortage of skills – talent wars • Being the employer of choice is good marketing • Boost morale • Maintain recruitment • Increase retention • Careers require “ruthless self-interest”

12. Social Issues and Family Values • Childcare • Eldercare • Changing patterns of Marriage/ Family • Equal opportunity for disadvantaged • Requirement for careers to generate income for help

13. Social Issues and Values • Started as a “Female Factor” issue, • Equality and family care but • Women feel under greatest pressure • Don’t like taking time off work for domestic reasons • Under pressure for out of hours events • Would trade time for money • Feel backlash from childless colleagues • Will discriminate themselves when recruiting! Back Back

14. Work / Life Balance Demand for flexibility from all types of people Next

15. Work Life Balance • High demand for flexibility • Flexible Hours • 24% work them, 35% want to • 17% think job OK for flex, but employer won’t allow • Compressed Hours • 6% work them, 33% want to • 14% think job OK for compressed hours, but employer won’t allow Back

16. Technology • Technology offers opportunity to change system • Flexibility • Time-shifting • Fewer distractions • Reduced travel • Pressure on space • Frees disadvantaged

17. Getting Started • The Organisation • Implementation

18. Getting Started – Organisation • Does the Organisation recognise that: • Promoting LFP will benefit the organisation as well as the people • Individuals work best when they can balance home and work life

19. Getting Started - Organisation • Is the Organisation prepared to: • Communicate its commitment to work/life balance to employees • Take joint responsibility with employees to develop workable solutions • Develop the appropriate policies and procedures with regard to • fairness and consistency • valuing employees for their contribution not their work pattern • monitoring and evaluation

20. Getting Started – Organisation • Leadership • Are the senior management team prepared to lead by example?

21. Getting Started - Implementation • What is needed? • What does the company want to achieve • Reduced absenteeism • Improve recruitment • Retain staff • Reduce stress • Market competitiveness

22. Getting Started - Implementation • What do employees want? • Profile • Survey • Involve employees

23. Getting Started - Implementation • Develop the Policies • Continuing to consult • Agree the content • Test the content against the organisation’s criteria and what people said they wanted • Include procedures for monitoring and evaluating

24. Getting Started - Implementation • Communication • Educate and train managers • Workshops for employees • Newsletters/emails/notice boards • Get recognition

25. Getting Started - Implementation • Pilot • Group • Trial period • Evaluate • Follow-up • Monitor and Evaluate • Continue two-way communications

26. Andrew Again!

27. So What are Life Friendly Policies? • 1998 Institute of Employment Studies with DfEE survey on LF Practices in Companies • Benefits found were • Improved Recruitment • Improved Retention • Reduced Casual Sickness Absence • Improved Productivity • Improved Commitment • Better Morale

28. So What are Life Friendly Policies? • Family Friendly being replaced by Life Friendly – parents don’t want to feel stigmatised by changing hours or patterns, whilst childless colleagues take up the slack – the “can’t go on hols in August syndrome” • Increasingly recognised that other may have other priorities • Only fair if everyone can show that they can make use of flexibility without compromising responsibilities at work

29. So What are Life Friendly Policies? • Around Europe • Low Government involvement including legislation – generally low employer involvement…… • Needs definition of the roles of the parties • “Resolving the balance is not just a labour force issue, it is a child welfare issue, a family policy issue, and equality issue and a citizenship issue”

30. So What are Life Friendly Policies? • Typical Schemes • Flexitime • Part time work • Job Sharing • Flexiplace working • Family Leave • Childcare and childcare support and information • Advice, Creches, Childminding Co-ops, out of school schemes • Adult Care schemes

31. So What are Life Friendly Policies? • Typical Schemes • Financial Assistance – tax relief on childcare in Belgium, France, Portugal and Spain • Equal Opportunity programmes forcing through change at the top • Culture change programmes follow on • Work/ family stress programmes – EAP, but the important part is the follow-up – change the circumstances • Community Relations programes – eg setting up childcare programmes as a community exercise

32. Life Friendly Policies • Six main areas • How much employees work • When they work • Where they work • When they don’t work • How they work • Choices of work and security • "It's the fish which select the bait, not the angler"

33. How much they work • Full time - Hours of work? • Part time – Hours? • Job Sharing – Split? • Term Working - • Overtime • Go Home! • Breaking the “Presentee-ism” cycle

34. When they work • Flexible Hours - when is feasible? • Variable Hours - staggering • Annual Hours - work to peaks • Compressed Hours - arrangement? • Shift Arrangements - how many and how often • Time Shifting – making choices…

35. Where they work • Home Working • Mobile Working • Office working • Hot desking • Satellite working • Advantages and disadvantages? What are the skills needed?

36. Holidays Sickness Parental Leave Working day time Sabbaticals Staggered Maternity Return “Duvet days” Bought Days Training time Public Service time Extended Leave Leave of Absence Voluntary Service leave Bereavement/ Compassionate Leave When they don’t work

37. How they work • Individually • In Teams • Sharing • Virtually • Advantages and Disadvantages

38. Choices of work and security • Childcare Allowances/ Vouchers • Creche Support • Health and Fitness • Onsite Facilities – Gyms, Hairdressing, Medical, Financial facilities • Offsite Facilities – Teleshopping, Dry cleaning

39. Thoughts……. • What about time management as a motivator? • Encourage family responsibilities to be considered in objectives - not just "work" based? • Publicly recognise good work outside the Company in Community contributions?

40. Implications of LFP’s • For Employees • For The Organisation/Management • For HR

41. Implications • For employees • Be honest (to themselves) about their needs and priorities • Accept joint responsibility • Prioritise workload and inform • Flexible working does NOT mean telling their boss when they are available • Flexible working does not necessarily mean reduced hours and salary

42. Implications • For the Organisation/Management • Education and Training • Two-way communication • Know that individuals find it hard to ask for flexibility, you may think it is not an issue for your organisation • Find out what people want before they are leaving or absent • Make it attractive to all employees • Avoid the working mother’s trap • Set an example

43. Implications • For HR • Find out what employees really want • Sound Policies and Procedures • Monitor and evaluate • Continue to review • Competent, well trained Managers • Educated employees • Health and Safety

44. Convincing the Board • Speak their language • Benefits to the Company • Cost Implications

45. Convincing the Board - Benefits • Based on identified issues (examples) • Improved recruitment in areas of full employment (competitive market position) • Retention of staff • Extend the working day • Space saving (home working) • Reduce absenteeism

46. Convincing the Board - Costs • Additional Costs • Survey • Systems • Literature • Cost Savings • Space • Absence • Recruitment Costs

47. Convincing the Board - Costs • Non-Costed benefits (examples) • More motivated workforce • Less stress • Employees feel valued and in control • Employer of Choice

48. Convincing the Board - Costs • Aim • Cost saving and non-costed benefits • Acceptable • Neutral with non-costed benefits

49. Any Questions?