Family Friend, Morale Enemy essays

Family Friend, Morale Enemy essays It is a known fact that employers 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-friendliness, they say, pays by promoting loyalty and productivity, reducing absenteeism, tardiness, and turnover, and polishing a companys image. I, like Burkett, disagree with these claims and tend to agree with employees who are not married or do not have children. I believe that when work is involved everyone should be on equal ground. 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. If I have earned it, then give it to me. If it involves benefits such as insurance coverage, then I will pay for my families share. 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. I will not abuse the situation or take advantage of it because I know that this creates a hardship for my fellow employees. Raising children is a sacrifice that I have chosen for myself. It is a sacrifice of my time and money. It is my primary job and should ...