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Family-Friendly Working: What a Performance! An Analysis of the Relationship Between the Availability of Family-Friendly Policies and Establishment Performance

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  • Helen Gray

Abstract

This paper uses the Management and Employee Questionnaires from the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey (WERS98) to consider whether the performance of workplaces which offer a range of family-friendly policies are superior to that of workplaces without such practices. It is found that in almost all cases where there is a significant relationship between the use of a family-friendly practice and workplace performance, this relationship is positive. In addition, it appears that workplaces which offer an extensive range of family-friendly policies are much more likely to have above-average performance than those with no such practices. The paper moves on to consider whether employers offering policies which enable employees with families to maintain a full-time presence in the workplace e.g. a workplace nursery, have better performance than those which offer policies which result in reduced-visibility e.g. working from home, part-time work. The evidence from WERS98 suggests that this is indeed the case.

Suggested Citation

  • Helen Gray, 2002. "Family-Friendly Working: What a Performance! An Analysis of the Relationship Between the Availability of Family-Friendly Policies and Establishment Performance," CEP Discussion Papers dp0529, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp0529
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Virginie Pe´rotin & Andrew Robinson, 2000. "Employee Participation and Equal Opportunities Practices: Productivity Effect and Potential Complementarities," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 38(4), pages 557-583, December.
    2. Sue Fernie & Helen Gray, 2002. "Its a Family Affair: the Effect of Union Recognition and Human Resource Management on the Provision of Equal Opportunities in the UK," CEP Discussion Papers dp0525, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    3. McNabb, Robert & Whitfield, Keith, 1998. "The Impact of Financial Participation and Employee Involvement on Financial Performance," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 45(2), pages 171-187, May.
    4. Addison, John T & Belfield, Clive R, 2000. "The Impact of Financial Participation and Employee Involvement on Financial Performance: A Re-estimation Using the 1998 WERS," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 47(5), pages 571-583, November.
    5. Robert McNabb & Keith Whitfield, 1998. "The Impact of Financial Participation and Employee Involvement on Financial Performance," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 45(2), pages 171-187, May.
    6. Sue Fernie & David Metcalf, 1995. "Participation, Contingent Pay, Representation and Workplace Performance: Evidence from Great Britain," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 33(3), pages 379-415, September.
    7. Melanie E. Ward & Peter J. Sloane, 2000. "Non‐pecuniary Advantages Versus Pecuniary Disadvantages; Job Satisfaction Among Male And Female Academics In Scottish Universities," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 47(3), pages 273-303, August.
    8. John T. Addison & Clive R. Belfield, 2000. "The Impact of Financial Participation and Employee Involvement on Financial Performance: a Re‐estimation Using the 1998 Wers," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 47(5), pages 571-583, November.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nick Bloom & Tobias Kretschmer & John Van Reenan, 2009. "Work-Life Balance, Management Practices and Productivity," NBER Chapters, in: International Differences in the Business Practices and Productivity of Firms, pages 15-54, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. John S. Heywood & Laurie A. Miller, 2015. "Schedule Flexibility, Family Friendly Policies and Absence," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 83(6), pages 652-675, December.
    3. McGinnity F & Russell H, 2011. "Workplace Equality in the Recession? The Incidence and Impact of Equality Policies and Flexible Working," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT200, June.
    4. Rebecca Riley & Hilary Metcalf & John Forth, 2013. "The business case for equal opportunities," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 216-239, May.
    5. Monojit Chatterji & Karen Mumford & Peter N Smith, 2007. "The Public-Private Sector Wage Differential: Gender, Workplaces and Family Friendliness," Dundee Discussion Papers in Economics 202, Economic Studies, University of Dundee.
    6. Fang, Tony & Lee, Byron & Timming, Andrew R. & Fan, Di, 2019. "The Effects of Work-Life Benefits on Employment Outcomes in Canada: A Multivariate Analysis," IZA Discussion Papers 12322, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Monojit Chatterji & Karen Mumford & Peter Smith, 2011. "The public-private sector gender wage differential in Britain: evidence from matched employee-workplace data," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(26), pages 3819-3833.
    8. Rebecca Riley & Hilary Metcalf & John Forth, 2013. "The business case for equal opportunities," Industrial Relations Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(3), pages 216-239, May.
    9. Chatterji, Monojit & Mumford, Karen A. & Smith, Peter N., 2007. "The Public-Private Sector Gender Wage Differential: Evidence from Matched Employee-Workplace Data," IZA Discussion Papers 3158, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Maria João Guedes & Maria Eduarda Soares & Pilar Mosquera & João Borregana, 2023. "Does it pay off to offer family-friendly practices? Exploring the missing links to performance," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 667-690, June.
    11. Andrea Bassanini & Danielle Venn, 2008. "The Impact of Labour Market Policies on Productivity in OECD Countries," International Productivity Monitor, Centre for the Study of Living Standards, vol. 17, pages 3-15, Fall.
    12. Manuel Denzer & Philipp Grunau, 2021. "The Impacts of Working from Home on Individual Health and Well-being," Working Papers 2106, Gutenberg School of Management and Economics, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Family -friendly; part-time; equality; business case.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • M12 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Personnel Management; Executives; Executive Compensation

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