Are family-friendly measures actually friendly? : an explorative study on the effects family-friendly measures have on public service employees benefiting from them, their families, their work colleagues and managers

Abstract

Work and family life may and can be compatible but it is not always that simple. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly common to start a family later, have fewer children or no children at all (OECD, 2008). Some parents opt to temporarily or permanently stop working. Parents need to find a good work-life balance as do persons who have to take care of elderly parents or siblings/partners with special needs. Creating this balance is a critical issue and this in itself presents a good enough reason for any government to provide more choice to its employees in how they balance work and family (ibid). Work-life balance is a "two prong approach": what the organisation does for the individual and what individuals do for themselves. Jim Bird, CEO of Worklifebalance.com defines work-life balance as "meaningful achievement and enjoyment in everyday life" (Joshi et al, 2002 p 1). The focus of this paper is the impact of FFM with particular reference to teleworking and reduced hours on employees in the Public Service of Malta making use of these measures and also the effect on their colleagues and superiors. This short study tries to explore the effects on the family life of these employees as well as the relationship with their superiors and co-workers.