Creating a family friendly workplace can be a balancing act. Maintaining employee satisfaction can reduce stress and create happy, productive and loyal staff. But a line has to be drawn where family commitments become a problem for the company. Apart from maternity and paternity leave, employers are under no obligation to pay staff members when they take time off work to perform everyday family duties like picking up children from school. Even paying employees when they are attending funerals or caring for sick or injured family members is not compulsory. In the real world, good employers generally do care about their relationships with employees and also have enough human compassion not to cause traumatised or grieving staff members even more distress by cutting their pay. But allowing people too much paid time off to care for relatives and children, especially for seemingly trivial or frivolous reasons, can cause friction with other employees when it becomes prolonged or regular. The whole subject is a maze of legal and moral obligations, and finding the right balance is key to creating a productive workplace. Peninsula Business Services can provide advice and assistance on any aspect of creating a family friendly workplace. Contact us today - call 0800 0282 420, or use our callback form to arrange for us to get in touch at a time that is convenient for you.
