Week 9 discussion paper - Essay Example

Number] Week 9: Discussion Paper Policies and Practices that Helps Employees Manage the Demands of Work and Family Obligations Texas A&M University-CommerceIn partial fulfillment of the requirements for [Course Number][Name of Professor][Date]Policies and Practices that Helps Employees Manage the Demands of Work and Family Obligations Employee loyalty has always been a concern of companies as it is often associated with the behaviors of the employees such as attendance, turnover, and organizational citizenship (Roehling, Roehling, and Moen, 2001).

Most of these employees are faced with several obligations that are related with work and with family. The physical and psychological burdens at times often lead employees to find better job offerings. These would also greatly affect the employee’s performance which can be measured according to their turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance (Huselid, 1995). Loyal work force had also become increasingly costly throughout the years due to two recent developments. Labor turnover have became increasingly costly to employers due to the increased competition for employee talent and the increase of employee development.

Also, the growing transition from the hierarchal organization of work to an empowerment model had become a recent trend in order for the business to successfully compete in many business environments (Roehling, et al, 2001). As the work force loyalty increases importance in a business, there has been a decrease in traditional approaches that would foster loyalty among employees. The traditional long term job security, rapid advancement, and regular increase in compensation are no longer that efficient in promoting loyalty.

Thus, employers are continuously in search of better alternatives to these traditional approaches. One of the proposed concepts is the incorporation of Work/Life Policies and Practice that would more likely produce loyal and committed workforce (Armstrong, 2006). This policies and practices include flexible working schedule, child care assistance, family-leave policies, and other policies that can help employees to manage the increasing demand of work and family obligations (Roehling et al, 2001).

The social exchange theory can provide the relationship between employee behavior and the work/life policies and practices that the employer provides. It is typical for employees to seek balance in the exchange relationship that they provide for their employers. As employers act in a manner that is beneficial to the employees to a point that these actions encompasses the demands of their social role, the employees would tend to value the norm of reciprocity that creates the feeling of obligation and in turn makes them more committed with their employer (Roehling et al, 2001).

In addition, theories of social justice and role quality both result to an increase in the loyalty of employees as it would lessen the feeling of being violated and would reduce the burden of managing and balancing the physically and psychologically straining work and family related obligations. Policies and practices may often be assessed in terms of life stages, employee loyalty, child care policies, flexible-time policies, supervisor support of work/life needs, and workplace intolerance of family-to-work interference (Roehling et al, 2001).

Retirement benefits is also another way to keep the employees committed to the employer as good retirement benefits would provide a more positive and stable outlook on the financial condition of the employees at the age of their retirement. This would be especially important nowadays since there is a significant decrease in the number of employees that expects to have a comfortable requirement (Jones, 2012). Thus, work/life policies are of paramount importance in order to maintain the optimum turnover and performance of employees.

Employers must devote time in developing these policies and practice to ensure the success of their businesses.ReferencesArmstrong, M. (2006). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice (10th ed). Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page LimitedHuselid, M. A. (1995). The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices on Turnover, Productivity, and Corporate Financial Performance. Academy of Management Journal, 38(3), 635-672. Retrieved from http://chrs.rutgers.edu/pub_documents/Huselid_12.pdfJones, J. M. (2012).

Expected Retirement Age in U.S. Up to 67: Average expected retirement age was 60 in mid-1990s [Web Blog]. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/154178/expected-retirement-age.aspxRoehling, P. V., Roehlin, M. V., Moen, P. (2001). The Relationship Between Work-Life Policies and Practices and Employee Loyalty: A Life Course Perspective. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 22(2), 141-170. Retrieved from http://www.soc.umn.edu/~moen/PDFs/Relationship%20between%20work- life%20policies%20and%20practices%20and%20employee%20loyalty.pdf