Should work/life balance be one of the frontline casualties of the recession? Joan Williams say no. Writing for the Huffington Post, Williams argues that work/life policies aren’t as costly as businesses think.
Williams writes that media coverage of recent business cutbacks in work/life policies suggests that employers are “eliminating work/life initiatives as the kind of frill that naturally gets suspended in hard times, and that in a recession workers just want to keep their nose to the grindstone anyway.”
But, she says, consider the facts:
- Flexible programs help companies respond to business needs in a downturn. Letting some employees voluntarily reduce their hours, compress workweeks into four days, or take sabbaticals can save layoffs.
- Telecommuting can actually cut costs by reducing overhead. It can also increase productivity, since more of a worker’s time can be spent working — rather than getting to and from work.
- Flexible work programs help avoid layoffs, and layoffs are expensive. Williams cites a calculation from the Project for Attorney Retention that found laying off one attorney in a practice group with average compensation of $200,000 can save $211,000. But having all six attorneys in the practice group voluntarily agree to reduce their hours and salaries by 20% can save $240,000.
- Employees with families, especially women, find flex time essential. Without work/life accommodations, many workers feel their only option for flexibility is to quit. Could you afford to lose them?
Williams concludes,
“The message underlying much of the current coverage is that flexible work was an expensive, feel-good accommodation that naturally disappears in a recession. In fact, the real story is that employers with telecommuting and flexible programs that really work are finding that these new ways to work can enhance their competitive position in a recession.”
What do you think? Let me know in the comments section.
