Work and Family Policies for a Changing Work Force (1991) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
8 Findings and Conclusions
8 Findings and Conclusions
Pages 179-201
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From page 179... ...
The panel was asked to examine and synthesize the research on employer policies and working families, to evaluate policy alternatives, and to assess the needs for further research. In this report we have reviewed the trends in the labor market and the labor force; the accumulated evidence about the consequences of those trends for families and employers; how workers and employers are coping with those consequences; and the policies that gov 179
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From page 180... ...
We summarize below the panel's general findings in three areas: the consequences of changed employment patterns for families, the consequences of workers' increased family responsibilities for workplaces, and the responses of employers and governments to these changes. We then present our conclusions, covering four areas: terms of employment, direct provision of services, program implementation and dissemination, and data collection and research.
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From page 181... ...
Consequences for Workplaces Although little research has been done regarding the direct impact of dual responsibilities on workers' productivity, there is some evidence that family responsibilities tend to increase absenteeism, tardiness, turnover, and workplace distractions. At the extreme, some women involuntarily leave the work force to care for infants or elderly parents because no other adequate arrangements can be found.
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From page 182... ...
Many such regulations exclude very small firms. Both employers and employees receive tax benefits for most voluntarily provided benefits, such as health insurance, qualified pension plans, and the recently introduced dependent care assistance programs.
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From page 183... ...
Because small firms, many of them in the retail trade and service sectors, often operate on a slender financial margin and also tend to be labor intensive, they are in many instances exempt from government regulations. They also generally pay lower wages and provide fewer voluntary benefits.
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From page 184... ...
Unfortunately, cost and benefit analyses of alternative employee benefit programs are inconclusive, and their implications are in dispute. For the most part, therefore, the panel discusses alternative policy approaches rather than presenting definitive recommendations.
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From page 185... ...
Voluntary provisions for paid leave for a worker's own illness (sick leave or short-term disability) are generally part of standard benefit packages (discussed in Chapter 51.
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From page 186... ...
Even without legislation, employers facing labor shortages, particularly those whose labor force is predominantly female, are likely to offer some paid or unpaid leave in order to improve recruitment and retention. Hospitals recruiting nurses are an obvious, although not the only, example.
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From page 187... ...
The panel concludes that, for the economic, physical, and psychological well-being of employees and their dependents, some form of paid sick leave, including paid leave for medical disabilities related to pregnancy and childbirth, and some form of family leave, to care for infants and ill family members, are essential. The panel urges policy makers to explore various approaches to financing and phasing in such benefits so as to minimize economic disruption, spread costs equitably among the community at large, and prevent discrimination against those who use such leave.
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From page 188... ...
Providing prorated wages for parttime employees and prorated benefits to those who want them would eliminate existing inequities and reduce the incentive to substitute part-time workers for full-time workers as a way of reducing wage rates and benefit costs. The panel concludes that increasing part-time work options for those who want them is highly desirable for both hourly and salaried employees.
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From page 189... ...
There is evidence that more flexible schedules often ease the stress felt by those combining work and family obligations, and they are desired by a wide range of employees regardless of family status. Flexible schedules also contribute to an atmosphere that suggests that employee concerns about family are legitimate.
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From page 190... ...
Direct Provision of Services We have concluded that employers should consider adopting policies that enable workers to better manage their dual responsibilities by offering more flexible terms of employment. We now consider services that are important for employees with family responsibilities, such as various forms of dependent care.
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From page 191... ...
Caution must be exercised, however, to ensure that dependent care services meet existing state regulations, at a minimum, and that liability issues are resolved (discussed in Chapter 6~. We have already noted the need for consideration of improved standards and regulations.
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From page 192... ...
Given the growing number of elderly people in the United States and the continuing rise in women's labor force participation, dependent-care-related problems are likely to become more numerous in the future. To address employees' needs for child care services, especially when recruitment and retention are problems and the resources in the community inadequate, employers have for some years experimented with establishing on- or near-site child care centers.
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From page 193... ...
The cost of health insurance has risen from one-fourth of voluntary benefits in 1960 to almost one-half today. Health insurance, the most rapidly increasing cost component of benefit packages, now accounts for almost 6 percent of total compensation and slightly exceeds the cost of pensions.
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From page 194... ...
Preliminary evidence suggests that eligible employees are only beginning to utilize flexible benefit plans but that em p~oyee satisfaction with benefits improves when plans are available. Reducing the overall costs of benefits is a major reason given by employers for introducing cafeteria plans.
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From page 195... ...
One exception is a dependent care assistance plan that allows employees to spend pretax dollars on a variety of services, such as child care or additional health insurance. This type of plan involves only minor administrative costs and may save money because employee contributions to the account are exempted from payroll taxes.
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From page 196... ...
Employers may become increasingly interested in such assistance if the predicted labor shortage materializes. The panel encourages employers and unions, large and small, to conduct assessments of employees' needs and opinions to identify problems and desired solutions, to continue to develop innovative programs as needed, and to facilitate program implementation through training programs for managers and education programs for workers.
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From page 197... ...
In addition, the panel urges researchers and those who fund research to include more work on the following topics: · the long-term effects of various approaches to child care on children's development and the extent to which this is an advantage to employers and the community; · the use of unpaid family care arrangements for elderly people and people with disabilities; · the changing roles of men both at home and at work; · the effects of family responsibilities on work performance, including the development of objective measures, rather than only subjective perceptions, of performance;
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From page 198... ...
For example, the tax-free status of most benefits is an issue needing further analysis and consideration. Although the panel encourages voluntary programs, we note the important role for government regulations and standards, particularly of dependent care programs, and for some terms of employment.
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From page 199... ...
Nonetheless, regulations are often considered necessary- for example, other studies have proposed national minimum standards for child care, including required ratios of staff to children and specified amounts of training for caretakers, with actual regulation and enforcement to be done at the state level. Care should be exercised that such regulations do not become obstacles to desired flexibility.
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From page 200... ...
In the case of Social Security and unemployment insurance, the need to cover all workers is considered more important than the negative effects of requiring participation. Legally required programs protect workers who may not be able to negotiate on equal terms with employers.
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From page 201... ...
Employers need a productive labor force now, which is possible only if workers are able to cope successfully with dual responsibilities to their families and their jobs. Employers will similarly need a productive, educated future work force, which requires that children be adequately cared for today.
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