Case Study on "Work Life Issues in Relation to Human Resource Management HRM"

Case Study 4 pages (1345 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Boundaries

There has been an increase in the attention that organizations are giving to the balance of work life issues including such topics as ethics, social responsibility, flexible work arrangements, spouse employment, and family considerations. How managers assist their employees in balancing work life matters is a developing responsibility that has become a topic in modern society that affects the employer-employee relationship. When employers make room for the work life balance, they find a more enthusiastic, dedicated, and developing employee. This case study will focus on one manager who has witnessed the positive and negative effects of addressing these concerns with his employees, and how each organization was impacted.

Different organizations handle the work-life balance differently. A federally funded research network, Work, Family & Health Network (2008), states, "Our research found that stress at work and corporate culture can change how people sleep, their energy levels, their blood pressure, and how much they exercise. Someone's work life can even affect their children." Knowing this, organizations have adopted different approaches to managing the work-life relationship.

As a business manager, Bryan Stetzer is impacted by this question on a daily basis. Bryan has been in management for over 15 years with two different companies and has witnessed the positive and negative effects of the ways that corporations encourage or discourage the balance of the work life of the employee. In the first organization, a non-profit company, which he chose not to disclose, there was a healthy benefit surrounding boundaries of the work-life environment. After hearing such concerns from employees including but not limited to:

1. I want more time with my children

2. I need to care for my hospitalized parent

3. I have always been a volunteer, and I am finding no time to serve others

4. I am disabled and cannot work 8 hours a day outside the home

5. I desire a preferred future, where I can invest, develop, and grow with a company

Bryan decided that he had to become a different kind of manager. In response to these issues, Bryan developed a simple strategy that seemed to benefit the employees, and in return, increased revenues, employee retention, and overall success. Bryan offered, staggering work hours, four day work weeks, telecommuting when possible, and even two additional personal days per year. He noticed that with this approach, there was a more diverse population applying for jobs within the organization than there was before. He found all of this to be in compliance with corporate objectives as well. Sitting on his desk was a letter from the Secretary General of the United Nations. He quoted it as a one of the driving forces for his decision to change the atmosphere within this corporation.

To this end, I would like you to take the following steps…embrace modern management methods and foster a healthy work-life balance, including by reviewing and enhancing the implementation of the policies for flexible work arrangements in your department or office. Flexible work arrangements are part of good management and a key tool for achieving gender balance (Ban Ki-moon 2008).

He noted that the letter was to the Heads of Departments within the United Nations, and he was given a copy in a management conference he had attended. There has been some pushback from those in management with a more traditional approach to leadership. He discussed that due to the varying schedules, not everyone is "in the office" at the same time, and this has made certain team meetings and conferences difficult to schedule. He also has felt increased pressure from upper level management, stating that he feels his division is more evaluated and scrutinized than others due to this non-traditional approach to the work life environment. Other than these factors, the benefits of helping people in his department create boundaries have far outweighed the few negatives. He finds his staff is ethical in their approach to their careers taking on more of a responsibility for their work, that they have time for family and spiritual matters,… READ MORE

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