Corporate Responsibilities to Ensure Work and Family Facilitation - Term Paper Example

?Running head: CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITIES Corporate Responsibilities to Ensure Work and Family Facilitation (school) Corporate Responsibilities to Ensure Work and Family Facilitation Introduction Corporations have various responsibilities, not just to their shareholders, but to their stakeholders as well, including their workers, their suppliers, the community, and the environment. Their responsibilities to their workers are one of their most crucial responsibilities because their workers form a major cog in their proper corporate functioning. These responsibilities also help create efficient work conditions which help ensure work and family facilitation. Without these conditions, transitions in the workplace would be high and the quantity as well as the quality of outputs for the corporation would suffer. This paper shall discuss the corporate responsibilities which help ensure work and family facilitation. This paper is being undertaken in order to assist corporations in identifying their responsibilities and in order to assist them in the improvements they need to make for their operations. Body Work design Corporations have a major role in ensuring work and family facilitation and they can certainly do this by concentrating on their corporate work design. Work design has been identified as a major cause of various issues in work-family facilitation; and it also has been considered as an essential means in ensuring work progress (Heymann, 2000). In order to achieve the success of this design, the broad and dual agenda coverage has to be considered. The problems which corporations face must be assessed not according to how organizations can achieve strong performance in their workplace, but on how the workplace can be built to secure high quality work and a satisfying family life. 1. Sharing control and responsibility with the workers One of the means by which the work design can be re-imagined is for the corporation to share control and responsibility to their workers (Eaton, 2000). Sharing control in the policy and work management of employees as well as their representatives is important because the front-line workers as well as their managers are often already familiar with their work practices. The contribution of workers is therefore incorporated into the redesign activities in the workplace. It is also incumbent upon corporations to adjust the work culture and make the work hours more flexible while still maintaining strong outputs. Corporations must also encourage their employees to participate in the some decision-making activities of the corporation. Without these options, the flexible work policies will not be used well. Corporations also need to coordinate and dialogue with their workers in order to prevent resistance among supervisors and managers as well as work resentment from other employees (Bailyn, et.al., 2001). Through these activities, corporation can create a culture of being available for their workers. Corporations and workers need to discuss who can work together equitably based on family needs and personal circumstances. And in most cases, the most appropriate solution to various issues for employees is often to allow them to make choices and to allow them to assist in designing and administering firm practices as well as benefits. 2. Give more women opportunities in high-level corporate positions Corporations also have the responsibility of providing opportunities for women to occupy high level corporate positions. The most efficient means to ensure work-family facilitation is for corporate leaders to provide a balanced gender demographic among their supervisory and rank-and-file staff (Blair-Loy, 1999). Since women often have multiple responsibilities, they often experience work and family life differently from men and they would likely prioritize their home life above their work life. Corporations therefore need to make accommodations for women in their supervisory staff, in higher corporate positions in order to portray a picture of women being given at least an equal chance towards family and work improvements. 3. Other actors included in systemic approach Managers often want to keep their organization autonomous however this has not always been possible in the face of systemic approaches in corporate organizations. Employees have to work with each other in order to establish an effective corporate community and in order to ensure participation in community, state, as well as local discussions which involve unions, associations, work groups, women advocates, family advocates, as well as government agencies (Budd and Brey, 2000). The overall outlook considered in these interactions must transform from the establishment policies which would support corporate policies for improved work conditions. Corporations working with unions for improved work conditions 1. Establishment Most unions and corporations currently exist within a systemic set-up. Corporations have the responsibility of allowing these unions and associations to exist in their organization. Their rights must not be curtailed and work reprisals must not be based on union memberships. Corporations must therefore also allow their workers to freely engage in union activities, allowing time and venues for them to meet; they must also ensure that no attempts at curtailing or limiting the success of these union activities would be carried out (Gerstel and Clawson, 2000). 2. Collective bargaining agreements Corporations are also often encouraged to accept their dual role – that of fulfilling business goals and fulfilling family goals for their employees. Unions and other organizations should also be allowed to focus on their work and family concerns. In this case, corporations must consider the potential of their workers as employees, and also as parents and heads of families with varying needs. The organization model must therefore not be narrow. Corporations must also negotiate with unions based on the majority status of collective bargaining, including collective bargaining founded on balanced concerns of family, work, education, job market, child care, and career counseling (Freeman and Medoff, 1984). 3. Women’s concerns Collective bargaining processes with corporations and unions must not forget to include women’s issues. For one, support for women in leadership positions must be lobbied by unions. Corporations must therefore balance work and family concerns for women based on their circumstances, including other benefits like equal work pay, paid leave, maternity leave, day care, and part-time work (Gray, 2001). 4. Build networks with other actors Living wage campaigns demonstrate the importance of establishing coalitions among unions, corporations, and the community. The union-management child care programs in various workplaces provide opportunities for better work conditions for most families. Working with the employees and the community, as well as local government groups can help support the goals of the corporation for better work conditions. This can also help in supporting new activities in the work place, activities which help highlight the realities of family life. Similar improvements may include employee-union supported day care centers within the premises of the work place, educational packages for children of workers, as well as family-themed company outings and activities (Gerstel and Clawson, 2000). These arrangements would help ensure work-family facilitation, supporting a family culture for the corporation and allowing family concerns to be given attention in the workplace. Working with the government and legislative mandates Corporations must also work with the government in order to support work and family facilitation. First of all, governments have the responsibility passing laws and regulations in order to protect minimum employee and corporate rights (Weiler, 1990). Corporations have the responsibility of being informed about these laws and regulations and to ensure that these would be implemented within the organization. The government in this case is the responsible for building options for employees to consider in instances when they may have concerns in the workplace. As soon as laws and regulations are passed by the government, the corporations must immediately review these and consider whether or not they comply with these laws or if they need to make arrangements and changes in the corporation in order to accommodate these laws. There may sometimes be a need to reevaluate the priorities of corporations in order to comply with laws and moral responsibilities to families. 1. Paid time for care Corporations need to establish paid time for care. This is one of the many legislative processes ensured by the government. Corporations must do their best to secure paid time-off for employees during family emergencies. Although this may not serve the profit-seeking goals of corporations, the long-term benefits would be highly advantageous for the corporation because less work stress would be seen, improved worker loyalty would also be secured, and less work turnovers would be experienced by the corporation (Casner-Lotto, 2000). 2. Quality part-time jobs Corporations also need to consider the establishment of quality part-time jobs for their workers. Based on the huge number of individuals who prefer part-time work due to family considerations, corporations must also consider the establishment of quality part-time positions with proportionate pay and benefits as well as promotion opportunities (DuRivage, Carre, and Tilly, 2000). Corporations must be keen on ensuring that these part-time workers would be able to work full-time and part-time positions based on their circumstances. These positions must also be available to both men and women. 2. Flexible work hours Corporations also have the major responsibility of establishing flexible work hours for their employees in order to ensure work-family facilitation. The ultimate goal for most corporations is eventually to minimize work hours while still maintaining productiveness. Flexible work hours must be family oriented, avoid excessive work overtime, prevent prolonged work hours, and allow for breaks in order to ensure sufficient time for rest and meals. Work days must also allow for days off as well as sufficient work overtime pay and holiday pay (Christensen and Steines, 1990). 3. Medical and other benefits Corporations also have the responsibility of ensuring that their workers have sufficient work benefits, mostly on health insurance as well as pension coverage (Bailyn, et.al. 2001). Health insurance must make allowances for the employee’s family as well. These benefits must also ensure fair retirement and disability benefits for employees. Conclusion Corporations have major responsibilities in ensuring work and family facilitation. As discussed above, these corporations must provide fair work opportunities for their workers, especially the women who may often prioritize their families. Negotiations with unions must also help secure these benefits. Finally, corporations must work with the government to implement flexible work hours, quality part-time work, as well as health and other benefits. References Bailyn, L., Drago, R., and Kochan, T. (2001). Integrating work and family life: a holistic approach. Sloan Work-Family Policy Network. Retrieved 24 April 2012 from http://web.mit.edu/workplacecenter/docs/WorkFamily.pdf Blair-Loy, M. (1999). Career Patterns of Executive Women in Finance: An Optimal Matching Analysis. American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 104, No. 5, 1346–97. Budd, J. and Brey, A. (2000). Unions and Family Leave: Early Experience Under the Family and Medical Leave Act. University of Minnesota. Casner-Lotto, J. (2000). Holding a Job, Having a Life: Strategies for Change. Scarsdale, NY: Work in America Institute, Inc. Christensen, K. E. and Staines, G. (1990). Flextime: A Viable Solution to Work/Family Conflict? Journal of Family Issues, 11, 455–76. DuRivage, V., Carre, F., and Tilly, C. (1998). Making Labor Law Work for Part-Time and Contingent Workers. In Contingent Work: American Employment Relations in Transition, Barker, Kathleen and Christensen, Kathleen, (eds.), pp. 263–280. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. Eaton, S. (2000). Ambiguity and Boundaries in Biotechnology: Work Organizations and Opportunities for Work-Family Integration. Sloan School of Management, MIT. Freeman, R. B. and Medoff, J. L. (1984). What Do Unions Do? New York: Basic Books. Gerstel, N. and Clawson, D. (2000). Unions’ Responses to Family Concerns. University of Massachusetts/Amherst. Gray, L. (2001). Women in Union Leadership. In Costello, C. B. and Stone, A. J. The American Woman 2001–2002, 107–38. New York/London: W. W. Norton & Co. Heymann, J. (2000). The Widening Gap: Why America’s Working Families Are in Jeopardy and What Can Be Done About It. New York: Basic Books. Williams, J. (1999). Unbending Gender: Why Work and Family Conflict and What to Do About It. New York: Oxford University Press. Weiler P., (1990). Governing the Workforce: The Future of Labor and Employment Law. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Read More