Family friendly work arrangements are practices or resources that make the workplace more flexible and help employees have a better work and family balance. They are designed to support employees in balancing their work and family responsibilities, including looking after dependent children and family members with disabilities or those who are elderly.
Some examples of family friendly work arrangements include:
- establishing rosters based on school terms and alternative core hours,
for example, 10am to 3pm
- establishing quality part-time work or job-sharing opportunities
- developing policies regarding unpaid leave for employees who care for children with disabilities, elderly relatives or people with other special needs
- providing facilities such as family rooms for employees with young children
- establishing a workplace mentoring program.
Many small businesses across a range of industries are already benefiting from the introduction of simple and inexpensive family friendly work arrangements. One of these ideas may be tailor-made for your business.
CASE STUDY: Carman’s Fine Foods – Melbourne, VIC
Carman’s Fine Foods is well known for its family friendly environment, with its factory providing a ‘kids room’ with a sick bed, television, DVD player, games machine and computer to accommodate children who are ill or on school holidays.
Carolyn Creswell, the owner, says: ‘We have a flexible work environment so that parents can work around attending school assemblies, sports days and such’.
CASE STUDY: TakeABreak – Canberra, ACT
Presented with a high commendation in the 2007 National Work and Family Awards, TakeABreak operates a website providing accommodation and booking services. The business has a vision of creating a genuinely good place to work, where family friendly work arrangements are intrinsically linked to business success. The business provides for working from home arrangements, flexible leave options and the ability to bring children to work in emergencies. Benefits for the business have been an increase in profits and industry recognition.
CASE STUDY: MBC Employment Solutions – Wollongong NSW
Recognising the value of retaining staff with experience and knowledge of their business activities and the costs when new staff must be employed, MBC Employment Services embraced flexible working hours for their staff seven years ago. The company offered flexible working hours to a staff member to allow her to return to work after starting a family. It was received so well by the company, family and employee that a further four staff members have taken up similar flexible working arrangements since then.
The Director of MBC Employment Solutions, Michele Greig, says: "By providing a flexible working environment our organisation has happy employees, their skills are kept current and they are able to spend quality time with their family and enjoy financial independence".