Work and Family: The New Strategic Plan

  • Dana E. Friedman
Chapter

Summary

A growing number of employers have begun responding to the family needs of their workers. Concerns about labor shortages, productivity and global competitiveness create the bottom-line reasons for a business response to families. About 5,400 employers have addressed employees’ child care needs with on-site centers, referral programs and financial assistance. Several hundred employers provide elder care support, usually through counselling and referral services, and long term care insurance. Flexibility, through flextime, job sharing and work-at-home is also important to employees with family needs. These programs eventually lead companies to create a “family friendly” culture through corporate communications, management training programs, designation of a “manager of work-family programs,” and incorporation of family concerns into the strategic plan of the organization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Administration on Aging and Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley, Inc. Elder Care Project for Dependent Elderly Relatives of Wang Employees. (Lowell MA: 1987).Google Scholar
  2. Berkeley Planning Associates. Small Business Options for Child Care. Report to the Small Business Administration. (Washington, D.C.: 1988).Google Scholar
  3. Bohen, H., and Viveros-Long, A. Balancing Jobs and Family Life. (Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press, 1981).Google Scholar
  4. Bureau of National Affairs. Work and Family: A Changing Dynamic. (Washington, D.C.: BNA Special Report, 1986).Google Scholar
  5. Catalyst. Maternity and Parental Leaves of Absence. (New York: Catalyst, 1983).Google Scholar
  6. Child Care Employee Project. The National Staffing Study. Child Care Employee Project. (Berkeley, CA: 1989).Google Scholar
  7. Christensen, K.E. Impacts of Computer-Mediated Home-Based Work on Women and their Families. (Washington, D.C.: Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress, 1985).Google Scholar
  8. Christensen, K.E. Flexible Staffing and Scheduling. (New York: The Conference Board, 1989).Google Scholar
  9. Coolsen, P., Seligson, M., and Garbarino, J. When School’s Out and Nobody’s Home. (Chicago, IL: National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse, 1986).Google Scholar
  10. Freedman, A. Human Resources Outlook 1989. (New York: The Conference Board, 1989).Google Scholar
  11. Friedman, D.E. Encouraging Employer Supports to Working Parents. (New York: Center for Public Advocacy Research, 1983).Google Scholar
  12. Friedman, D.E. Corporate Financial Assistance for Child Care. (New York: The Conference Board, 1985).Google Scholar
  13. Friedman, D.E. “Elder Care: The Benefit of the 1990’s?.” Across the Board, June, 1986.Google Scholar
  14. Friedman, D.E. Productivity Effects of Family Problems and Programs. (New York: The Conference Board, 1990a [in press]).Google Scholar
  15. Friedman, D.E. Update on Employer-Supported Child Care. (New York: Families and Work Institute, 1990b.Google Scholar
  16. Friedman, D.E., and Kolben, N. A Report of a Survey of Resource and Referral Agencies. (Rochester, MN: National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, 1990).Google Scholar
  17. Herzberg, F. Work and the Nature of Man. (Cleveland, World Publishing, 1966).Google Scholar
  18. Hofferth, S.L. What is the Demand for and Supply of Child Care in the U.S.? Testimony presented before the House Committee on Education and Labor. (Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, 1989).Google Scholar
  19. Krug, D.N., Palmour, V.E., and Ballassai, M.C. Evaluation of Office of Economic Development Child Development Center. (Rockville, MD: Westat, Inc., 1972).Google Scholar
  20. Levin, R. Long-Term Care. (Washington, D.C.: Washington Business Group on Health, 1988).Google Scholar
  21. Olmsted, B., and Smith, S. The Job Sharing Handbook. (New York: Penguin Books, 1983).Google Scholar
  22. Pierce, J.L., Newstrom, J.W., Dunham, R.B., and Barber, A.E. Alternative Work Schedules. (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, Inc., 1989).Google Scholar
  23. Stone, R., Cafferata, G.L., and Sangl, J. Caregivers of the Frail Elderly: A National Profile. (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Human Services, 1986).Google Scholar
  24. The Travelers Companies. The Travelers Employee Caregiver Survey. (Hartford, CT: 1985).Google Scholar
  25. Warshaw, L.J., and Staff. Employer Support for Employee Caregivers. (New York: New York Business Group on Health, 1986).Google Scholar
  26. Winnett, R.A., and Neale, M.S. “Results of an Experimental Study on Flextime and Family Life.” Monthly Labor Review, November, 1985, 29–32.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Gabler Verlag, Wiesbaden 1992

Authors and Affiliations

  • Dana E. Friedman
    • 1
  1. 1.Families and Work InstituteUSA

Personalised recommendations