Family-friendly benefits are becoming an increasingly important component of the human resource strategies of more businesses as they strive to create more welcoming and diverse work environments for their employees. Employees are supported through all phases of their lives with family-friendly benefits that help them integrate and balance their job and family commitments. These incentives include assistance for parents in the form of mental health support, family building reimbursements, family planning counseling, and access to specialized medical care, among other advantages. However, there is discrimination in the workplace since employees with children are accorded more favorable treatment than those who do not have children. As a result, this creates conditions under which employees without children are treated less generously than those eligible because they have children.
Employees of a company work to earn a salary and acquire various benefits and allowances to improve their standard of living and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Consequently, it is the responsibility of employers to give their employees the required medical care and safety precautions, as well as a variety of options for their families (Winston., 2018). In addition, rewarding employees with desirable incentives can boost their motivation and corporate loyalty. Companies that build a family-friendly atmosphere by providing a flexible work environment and access to child care services will see lower rates of employee absenteeism and a greater rate of employee retention. Employees are more inclined to remain with a company that welcomes their families.
The labor force in the United States has undergone significant transformation in recent years. The increasing number of women entering the workforce alongside males is one of the most significant shifts the workforce has had to accommodate. This new tendency has created various challenges for businesses, employees with children, and employees without children. One of the obstacles in dealing with new concerns in the employee’s home life is attempting to find a solution that benefits both the employee and the business (Nigro et al., 2012). It is because women currently comprise a more significant proportion of the labor force than men. Therefore, employers in both the public and private sectors are under pressure to develop policies sensitive to the needs and aspirations of a workforce that is no longer dominated by men but now includes women.
Human resource management’s primary purpose is to provide health care, a safe working environment, and opportunities that represent policies that ensure employees are treated fairly. The only way to ensure that working families are appropriately treated by their employers is for the firms to develop and implement family-friendly policies. In reality, laws, rules, and social programs all recognize the importance of families to society (Van der Hoek et al., 2018). Scholars who study workforce issues feel that investing in family-friendly policies is advantageous for families, businesses, and the economy. However, family-friendly policies can help parents balance the demands of their careers with their responsibilities at home, and they can go a long way toward enabling women with children to continue working. On the other side, these restrictions often have unintended consequences for employees, some of whom perceive family-friendly policies as unfair treatment and discrimination against employees who do not have children. These generous policies that provide paid leave, childcare services, breastfeeding breaks, and adequate compensation for employees with children impose the onus of doing additional work on employees who do not have children to satisfy the firm’s objectives.
Employees who meet the criteria listed in the employee rights document should be eligible to receive the corresponding employment benefits. Employees with children are prioritized and provided with family-friendly perks, such as entertainment facilities for families, care for children at home, or designated areas for childcare benefits within the office. Employees with children have access to educational facilities and transportation services for their children to attend school. There is a reduction in the number of compulsory working hours, allowing employees more time to spend with their families and children. Additionally, several childcare choices are provided to employees with children. Employees who do not have children are ineligible for any of the organizations’ family-friendly benefits or childcare facilities. Nigro et al. (2012) highlight that employees without children do not have the obligation or mental strain of determining how to care for their children while at work. Without explaining, the organization does not provide its employees with additional benefits, allowances, or flexible work hours (Van der Hoek et al., 2018). Therefore, employees who do not have children are treated less generously and cannot qualify for company-friendly advantages.
While policies that are friendly to families are designed to help workers who already have children, management should not discriminate against workers who do not have children. According to Sifuna-Evelia (2017), the effective operation of any organization depends on harmonious connections between employees and management and among workers. She bases this on the biblical viewpoint, emphasizing the need for peace and unity in the workplace. In light of this, the community should be just to its workers and include biblical values in its laws and regulations.
Management in any corporation is responsible for enforcing rules consistent with the biblical worldview and promoting equality for all employees. By doing this, they can ensure that no worker ever feels that their rights are being violated or that they are being forced to undertake work that is more appropriately distributed among their colleagues. Providing family-friendly benefits, such as flexible working hours and access to childcare, creates conditions in which employees without children are treated less generously than those eligible because they have children.
References
Nigro, L. G., Nigro, F. A., & Kellough, J. E. (2012). The new public personnel administration. Cengage Learning.
Sifuna-Evelia, M. (2017). Human Resource Management Practices: A Biblical Perspective. Partridge Singapore.
Van der Hoek, M., Groeneveld, S., & Kuipers, B. (2018). Goal setting in teams: Goal clarity and team performance in the public sector. Review of public personnel administration, 38(4), 472-493.
Winston, B. E. (2018). Biblical principles of hiring and developing employees. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.