Family friendly workplaces

Returning to Work

family friendly

At Work At Home Mums, we think it’s important to recognise employers who adjust their workplace policies to reflect a work /family balance.

Of course the benefits of doing this are far reaching for businesses – happy and more productive employees, and the choice of more highly skilled candidates if you looking to fill a role.

Family friendly employers are defined by their character when managing and valuing their staff. They offer employees (both men and women) working arrangements and support services providing more flexibility and work life balance for their employees.

family friendly workplaces

So does your organisation offer family friendly practices? Read the list of family friendly characteristics and rate yourself.

  • Flexible working hours that include negotiable start and finish times, days of work and work at home
  • Part time and job sharing opportunities
  • Provide paid parental leave
  • Offer a childcare subsidy; on site care facility or vacation care
  • Allow employees to work core or shift hours to suit their family situation
  • Offer work-from-home arrangements
  • Provide return-to-work support and training for employees eg: allow ‘phased–in’ approach to  return to work
  • Provide career mentoring and coaching to retain valuable employees
  • Provide employees with more annual leave than the average 4 weeks and additional carer’s leave
  • Actively promote work life balance through company policies eg: restricted meetings no start before 9am or after 4pm
  • Provide employees with period of unpaid ‘sabbatical’ leave
  • Allow parents can bring children to work in emergencies or subsidise the cost of an emergency carer
  • Offer shorter, compressed working week
  • Offer access to an employee assistance program
  • Provide on-site or subsidise health and recreational activities for employees
  • Allow employees to extend their parental leave

If you feel you are falling short of these ideals, NOW is the time to think about which of these ideas you could begin to offer your staff. You may find that in offering these perks and benefits, you will be able to reduce the salary offered for the position and still attract and retain better staff than before.

If you’ve done this, let us know. We’d love to hear your employees sing your praises, and we’ll publish it

If you feel you are falling short of these ideals, NOW is the time to think about which of these ideas you could begin to offer your staff. You may find that in offering these perks and benefits, you will be able to reduce the salary offered for the position and still attract and retain better staff than before.

Looking For Staff?

Well we can assist you there with the job boards within the WAHM Network.

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