Essay Sample on Gender and Work-Life Balance

Introduction

The Solution Group was contracted by the Fig technologies to carry out microenvironmental research on the gender and work-life attitudes in its offices in both the Miami, Florida, and the Kansas City, Missouri. The company needs to understand the importance of a diverse population on its productivity and success. Most employees are concerned about the harmful effects of working with increasing intensity and working for long hours to the point that the company overlooks their non-work areas. As a result, Fig Technologies need to find techniques of keeping and retaining employees to ensure the company functions smoothly. The Solution Group evaluated interviewed employees in the two offices at the Miami, Florida office and the Tyler, Texas office to determine what the company needs to add and improve including the child and elder care services, flexible schedules, and gender gap pay.

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Fig Technologies was evaluated to determine the attitude of gender roles on company expectations, pay, and positions. The gender of managers is a critical role in most companies as men dominate around 70% in the field (Henderson & Stackman, 2010). Most female employees at Fig Technologies consider that they are not offered similar opportunities as their male counterparts. Although women have more responsibilities and initiative roles in the company, it takes a longer time for them to be promoted. Besides, about 20% gap exists between employees with women taking the least share capital. The company policy stipulates that each employee have a similar opportunity to get promotions. However, there is still a gender gap even on projects women receive and men get in the company (Henderson &Stackman, 2010).

Flextime and flexible schedules are both advantages and disadvantages to both employees and the employer. They increase employees' ability meets both their family needs and needs (Bell, 2017) such as attending to their family needs, reducing traffic, get kids to school and adjust some of their schedules. On the other hand, they benefit employers through a convenience factor that reduces tardiness, turnover rate, intentions to quit, job satisfaction, and absenteeism (Bell, 2017). Therefore, flexibility reduces work stress and leads to a positive influence in the company. However, flexibility also has disadvantages such as employees may feel they work a lot thereby leading to lack of togetherness among employees. This makes some employees feel they are overworked than others leading to hostility. The major disadvantage for employers involves missing meetings and critical information about the company, which may make employees take advantage of some situations that, may affect the company negatively (Bell, 2017). It is recommended that Fig Technologies need to implement policies that can coordinate work responsibilities and schedules.

There is an increasing concern for companies to offer elderly care and childcare for its employees. This benefits the human resources thereby marketing the company's flexibility. This gives the importance of care services in the company based on the cost of care and services. Besides, providing care services also an advantage and attracts current and new employees. The care services also help with the employee finances and allow for efficient work production rather than trying taking care of the child. Therefore, it is recommended that the Solution Group that Fig Technologies implement child and elder care services to bring a positive vibe in the working environment (Henderson &Stackman, 2010).

Most employees at Fig Technologies are satisfied, but there is a percentage still struggling with the pressure at work and family. Female employee considers that they handle more pressure with family and work than male employees. To maintain balance policies need to be implemented by the company to ensure employees accommodate both life and work balancer to reduce stress and turnover rates. A company that can provide more advantages to its workers can have employees who are more productive and feel valuable and a sense of worth.

The Solution Group recommends that Fig Technologies needs to revisit the pay gap disparity between male and female employees. The 20% pay gap needs to be bridged to ensure the companies achieve its goals and objectives. Policy balancing and flexible schedules need to be implemented to ensure the company looks into employee concerns (Henderson &Stackman, 2010). Employees can only be productive and stay in firms that value their concerns and respect them. Thus, by implementing such strategies, Fig Technologies will remain more competitive, and retain valuable employees that will ensure organizational success.

References

Bell, M. (2017). Introduction. In Diversity in organizations (Third ed., pp. 2-28). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. Retrieved from https://ereader.chegg.com/#/books/9781337655705/cfi/1!/4/[email protected]:1.14

Henderson, L. S., &Stackman, R. W. (2010 ). An exploratory study of gender in project management: interrelationships with the role, location, technology, and project cost. [Journal]. Project Management Journal. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20175