Banking on Balance
A recent Washington Post article, “As Cuts Loom, Will Working From Home Lead to a Layoff?”by Annys Shin explored the impact of the recession on corporate work/life programs. According to Shin, a fear driven workplace is causing workers to give up job sharing, flex schedules, telecommuting and even sick days. She notes:
More workers are giving up those arrangements, or resisting asking about them in the first place, out of fear that doing so will make them appear less committed to their work and therefore more expendable.
Back are the days of “face time” and the 24/7 Blackberry connection. Employees are getting the message – make yourself seem indispensable or your job may be on the line, but is that the message companies really wan to send?
On the surface, eliminating flex policies and work/life programs may seem like solid cost cutting measures. In reality, well defined flextime and telecommuting programs reduce costs. Initiatives addressing the real life issues employees face are vital to a healthy, well-balanced workforce.
Employees are already dealing with recession induced fear and uncertainty and a reduced workforce (and therefore an increased workload) in addition to “life” issues. Investing in programs to help your employees find a healthy balance increases productivity, loyalty, innovation and creativity. In addition, a healthy workforce benefits from greater employee retention, which in and of itself reduces cost.
Smart companies are building clear, concise, cohesive communications plans to explain how the company is addressing the changing economic realities and investing in programs to address the needs of their workforce. Balance initiatives may seem like “nice to have,” but in today’s economic climate, they might be the key to profitability.
