Blog Post / Family Business Resource Center
Ways to Make Your Family Business More Family Friendly
By Lisa D. Koperski
05.08.15

- Offering different career paths for employees depending on the employees’ aspirations at their stage of life and linking compensation with that career path. For example, those starting families or growing their families may want a career trajectory that has more normal hours or is less demanding schedule or travel-wise. This career trajectory has historically been viewed as the “mommy track,” which implies that you can never get off of it and you have a lower status. The trick with changing this perception is making this career trajectory decision a temporary or permanent decision based on the employees wishes. Much like a freeway that has off-ramps and onramps, making the “mommy track” (which dads can use too!) less stigmatized with more on and off ramps could make the “mommy track” more accepted and could help retain talent.
- Meeting routinely to discuss career planning at least twice a year (or better yet quarterly) and have a dialogue with employees about where they see themselves going and what resources (if any) they need from the employer to accomplish their goals.
- Providing cross-training so that should an employee need help or coverage, there is another person adequately trained who can fill in for that employee.
- Provide flexible hours that employees can take advantage of.
- Allow telecommuting for certain employees whose work can be done remotely (realizing that there may be tax implications for employees who telecommute by living in one state and working in another state).
- Initiate programs for employees who do not need to be in the office where employees can choose to work ten (10) hour days four (4) days a week.
- Arrange for flexible spending benefits such as Wage Works which allow pre-tax money to be taken out by the employer for commuting expenses and reimbursed at a later time.
- Have an arrangement with a car or taxi service or otherwise reimburse employees who typically commute via public transportation and need to leave work early unexpectedly (e.g., for family emergencies).
- Providing generous maternity and paternity leave to new parents (paid or unpaid or a combination of the two).
- Allowing employees flexibility in their schedules (as discussed above).
- Creating a pleasurable work-environment for working moms by (a) providing locks on office doors so that nursing moms can pump or, alternatively, having a dedicated room where nursing moms can pump, (b) possibly having on-site daycare or discounted daycare, and (c) having a formal program which offsets the cost of backup childcare should the primary caregiver (e.g., nanny or spouse) get sick or become otherwise temporarily unavailable.
- Having a company-sponsored picnic or other gathering on a weekend day or a weeknight where employees and their families and significant others can mingle in a social setting.
- Paying for a meal service for new parents or provide a stipend for a certain amount of meal delivery services.
- Sending a small gift to an employee who has just had a baby. Something like a rocking horse or stuffed animal with other goodies that can be used when the child is older might be a good idea, as every time that the employee looks at that rocking horse or stuffed animal, the employer is thought of fondly.
- Hosting a baby shower during lunch or after work if an employee is having a baby.