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In today’s uncertain economy, many employees feel the pressure to do whatever they can to keep the job that they currently have, in fear that they might not be able to find another job in the midst of today’s high unemployment rate.

As a result, some employees may sacrifice work-life balance in exchange for keeping their financial security and maintaining such benefits as health insurance. Such choices can result in a very un-family-friendly workplace environment, since it begins to hold all employees to an unattainable standard of rigidity.

So what can managers do to alleviate employee fears and recreate a more family-friendly workplace where employees can relax a little more and worry a little less?

3 Family-Friendly Workplace Tips For Managers

1. Give flexibility to your employees

If your employees have a sick child or another family emergency, help encourage their healthy work-life balance by allowing your employees to work part of a day at home, make up their hours at another time, or do something else that will allow your employees to do what they need to do without the burden of unnecessary guilt. Encourage your employees to plan ahead to go to the occasional school Christmas program or other non-emergency family event as well. Allow your employees to make phone calls to check up on their children after school or conduct other important personal business.

2. Give security to your employees

Build a relationship of trust with your employees so that they know you will be honest with them and give them plenty of notice if there ever is a scenario in which their job security is in question. This family-friendly workplace practice will give your employees more confidence and security in their daily lives and will strongly encourage higher personal productivity since your employees will spend much less time worrying.

3. Give a good example to your employees

One of the best ways to create a truly family-friendly workplace is to create an atmosphere of flexibility and encouragement. You can do this easily by modeling your own work-life balance for your employees. Work late if needed for an important deadline on a big project, but also let your employees see your own need to occasionally be flexible for your family, or to sometimes pursue your own personal interests in your spare time. With such a healthy atmosphere, employees can find a family-friendly workplace in any economy.

Family Friendly Workplace Atmosphere

 

 

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