Bloomberg reported last month that 18 states experienced a baby boom this year. And while more workers are taking maternity or paternity leave, the population is also rapidly aging. The Baby Boomer generation continues to retire in droves (one source cited the rate as 10,000 retiring per day!). In some ways, the state of the work force is in flux – a challenge from an HR perspective in terms of supporting employees who may not only be caring for young children, but also looking after their own parents.
Working Families, the UK’s leading work-life balance campaign organization and host of an annual event to recognize top employers supporting working families, this year honored a broad spectrum of companies offering their staff a myriad of benefits. Among the stand outs:
- Greater awareness in the field of manufacturing, typically a male-dominated field. This is heartening, as it could be a sign that employers are beginning to understand the importance of greater balance for men as well as women, whether through flexible working schedules or family-friendly policies.
- A shift in thinking about employees’ roles as caregiver. Once upon a time, this title was applied almost exclusively to parents with children at home. Companies are demonstrating more sensitivity and offering greater flexibility to staff with aging parents under their care, intent on attracting and/or retaining top talent.
- Integration of family-friendly policies into the company’s culture. The biggest part of integration is having the leadership team’s full support of these policies. Only with management’s backing can work-life balance become a reality in the organization.
Read more here.
Published by Conselium Executive Search, the global leader in compliance search.
