Family-Friendliness
Why Being Family-Friendly Pays Off
More and more employers are embracing a family-friendly corporate culture and supporting their employees in balancing work and family life. This commitment prepares your company for the future and brings numerous benefits to both employers and employees alike.
Whether due to family caregiving responsibilities or a personal desire for more freedom, balancing family and career is one of the greatest societal challenges of our time and affects employees and companies alike.
Younger employees who are starting families often strive for an equal division of parenting responsibilities, while older employees frequently need to—and want to—care for relatives who require assistance. The ability to flexibly structure one’s own work situation provides significant relief in this regard.
For your company, in turn, well-trained, high-performing, and flexible employees are a decisive factor for business success. Recruiting and retaining employees over the long term are key objectives of human resources policy and are achieved by providing individual support to your employees during different stages of their lives.
Benefits of Work-Life Balance
The ability to effectively balance family and work life contributes, among other things, to:
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Satisfied and motivated employees
Employees whose individual needs you support throughout different stages of their lives are happier and more motivated. They feel valued. This leads to a closer and more long-term connection to the company, reduces employee turnover, and has a positive effect on the overall work environment.
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Recruiting Skilled Workers
Given current demographic trends, it is both important and prudent for you to retain qualified employees and recruit well-trained professionals. A family-friendly HR policy gives you a clear competitive advantage in this regard, as many employees consider this factor when choosing an employer.
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Fewer absences
When employees are able to successfully balance work and family life, it conserves their energy. They feel less stressed and are less likely to get sick. Reducing absenteeism also has a positive impact on your company’s profitability.
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Shorter parental leave periods
Flexible work arrangements—such as part-time options or work-from-home opportunities—make it easier for mothers and fathers to return to work after parental leave. It also motivates them to return to work sooner. It is therefore advisable for you to engage in an open dialogue with your employees early on and work together to develop suitable re-entry options. If desired, employees on parental leave can also be kept up to date on company news during their absence.
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A positive image as an attractive employer
Employees who appreciate family-friendly HR policies are happy to recommend their employer to friends and acquaintances, as well as on official online review sites. Family-friendly companies thus benefit from a positive image and become sought-after employers.
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Cost savings
Frequent absences, the loss of trained, qualified employees, or high turnover cost companies resources and money. Family-friendly measures can be a real cost-saver here, especially if they also reach fathers.
Where can we find help and advice?
Would you like to know how family-friendly your company already is? Then take the “Family-Friendly Corporate Culture” assessment from the “Erfolgsfaktor Familie”. It helps your company determine how family-friendly your current practices are and what opportunities for improvement exist.
Further Information Links for Further Reading
