Family Friend, Morale Enemy
It is a known fact that employer's can not please everyone, but many have tried. In an attempt to recruit and keep desirable employees many companies have established family-friendly policies. It is these policies that have caused a controversy to arise with employees who do not have children and feel that they are not getting their fair share of benefits. As Burkett stated in "Unequal Work for Unequal Pay," "rather than boosting morale, in fact, the programs are having an opposite effect-and for logical reasons." Family-friendly policies include various programs that are designed to help employees balance the demands of work and family. They include alternative work arrangements and dependent care support as well as the government mandated Family and Medical Leave Act. In "Unequal Work for Unequal Pay," Burkett states, "family-friendlines
If I have earned it, then give it to me. Where are the rewards for hard work, covering family unfriendly shifts, not leaving early, coming to work daily, and working extra hours with no pay? I say that it is through expanding programs to acknowledge all deserving employees that companies will be able to reduce absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover, increase productivity and loyalty, and polish their public image. s, they say, pays by promoting loyalty and productivity, reducing absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover, and polishing a company's image. It is my primary job and should be treated as such. Why should any employee get special treatment just because they can procreate? I have two children and I want my job success to be based on merit. I believe that when work is involved everyone should be on equal ground. " I, like Burkett, disagree with these claims and tend to agree with employee's who are not married or do not have children. I understand that on the days that my child is sick and required to miss school that it is my responsibility to stay home and take care of her. These individuals are entering the workforce in record numbers. I will not abuse the situation or take advantage of it because I know that this creates a hardship for my fellow employees. Why should I receive perks that my co-workers who are childless or single are denied? My fellow employees have lives away from work that are just as important as mine. How are they to be rewarded? Do loyalty and merit not hold any weight in our progressive society? Although these companies may not be intentionally showing favoritism to working parents, this is the image that many childless employees perceive. Some workers may have elderly parents or grandparents that they must see to. Will they be allowed flex-time and nursing home subsides? Will employees be allowed flexible hours in order to carry a pet to the veterinarian or go to the gym to train for the upcoming softball season? Where are the perks for the single and childless employees? According to the Census Bureau, after this year the most common households in the country will be either single or married with no children, and by the year 2010, the number of childless couples in the United States is expected to increase by 50 percent.
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