11.5 Establish policies to promote reconciliation of work life and family life
Content
Description of Best Practices
Identify needs of staff for better reconciliation of work life and family life and adopt international good practice
Implement global best practices that are aligned with the national legal framework and local culture and support corporate culture change:
- Flexible work schedule
- Work from home and home office, including telework options
- Shorter workday for returning parents
- Longer lunch break for baby feeding/ breast pumping
- Return to work programs offering catch-up training on topics to enable competitiveness for job promotions
- Provision of facilities such as lactation rooms, on-site childcare, and family lunch options
- Support for external childcare (See Benefits best practices on childcare)
- Employee Assistance Program providing support for new parents and for better reconciliation of work life and family life (See Benefits best practices on EAP)
- Job-sharing for female talents and leaders (see Talent and Leadership best practice on job sharing)
- Online training in addition to in-class training, which might be difficult to attend
- Company benefits extended to family members
- Cooperation with high quality schools and financial support for tuition fees
Create and implement processes to maintain full staffing while reintegrating the returning employee
Challenges of Implementation
Local employment laws may prohibit some options
Individual work units may have set hours, where flexible hours may create staffing difficulties
Field offices may not have the physical space to provide a lactation room or childcare facilities
Telework requires reliable internet, which is not always available
Some positions are staffed 24/7 and/or are on call for emergencies.
Managers may lack experience and be reluctant to grant flexible working or work from home options
Senior management and board must be willing to adopt practices beyond national legislation (e.g., granting paternity leave may not be a legal obligation)
What Success Looks Like
Provided options are well known and perceived as positive contribution of the company to generate better reconciliation of work life and family life
Image of working parents increased as can be seen through promotions and assignment of challenging tasks to women (and men) with childcare duties
Employees report in satisfaction or engagement surveys that they perceive leave policies as fair to all employees
Mothers feel comfortable making use of lactation rooms
Parents are using provided or supported childcare facilities and are satisfied with the quality
Resources and Tools
Guide: Integrating Gender into Workplace Policies (USAID)
Guide: Returners: A Toolkit for Employers (UK Government Equalities Office)
Guide: Building a Workplace Flexibility Strategy (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Australian Government)
Guide: Easy Steps to Supporting Breastfeeding Employees (HRSA)
Report/Study: Developing A Flexible Working Arrangements Policy (Workplace Gender Equality Agency, Australian Government)
Report/Study: Phase Back to Work Best Practices and Implications (Diversity Best Practices)
Report/Study (incl. Case Studies): Returner Programmes: Best Practice Guidance for Employers (UK Government Equalities Office)
Article: 8 Ways to Retain Female Talent After Maternity Leave (Forbes)