Working Caregiver- Caregiver Articles
Companies offer flexible work schedules to employees - helping balance work and personal lives.
Flexible Work Schedule
Many companies offer flexible work options to employees helping them balance their work and personal lives.
According to the Society of Human Resource Management survey results, over 50% of Human Resource professionals indicated that their companies offer flextime by allowing employees to choose their work hours within limits established by the employer. In addition to flextime, 51% of human resource professionals indicated that their employers offered some form of telecommuting.Other Human Resource members reported that their employers offer another nontraditional scheduling options – compressed workweeks, in which full-time employees work longer days for part of the week or pay period in exchange for shorter days or a day off during that week or pay period. Other options include “job sharing” as a nontraditional scheduling option. Job sharing occurs where two employees share the responsibilities, accountability, and compensation of one full-time job.
The Society of Human Resource Management believes that offering nontraditional scheduling options for employees not only improves work-life balance for employees, but it also allows organizations to recruit and retain motivated workers who may not be able or willing to work a traditional nine-to-five schedule.
A significant number of employees are responsible for caring for their children, parents, or both children and parents. Thus, childcare benefits play an important role in recruiting and retaining working parents. The Society of Human Resource Management recognizes the challenges of employees who serve as caregivers, especially those individuals who are part of the “sandwich” generation and must care for their young children and aging parents. As a benefit to these employees, Human Resource Management members reported that their organizations permit employees to bring their children to work in an emergency and also offer a childcare referral service. With respect to eldercare, 26% of Human Resource professionals offered an eldercare referral service to employees at their organizations, and 5% indicated that their employees offered emergency eldercare.
