Importance of Work-Life Balance and Influence by Legislation
A work-life balance is essential due to psychological reasons and productivity of the employees. An employee, who spends enough time with the family, is more motivated to work and aims at higher goals. In turn, he/she experiences less stress and pressure and reaches higher results in any organization (Bloom & Reenen, 2006). The legislation can have a dramatic influence on maintaining work-life balance by controlling the maximum working hours, time for the extra work, night shifts, and holidays. In turn, another important aspect is the ability of the employee to take statutory paternity leave, as the legislation underlines that the mother needs additional help from the father of the child (Clutterbuck, 2003). It is one of the ways to maintain the work-life balance during the crucial periods of life of an individual. Additionally, the other laws and policies can be introduced to encourage parents to spend more time with children due to the high significance of the early children education.
Five Areas of Legal Support for Employees as a Family Member
Firstly, the employees have a right to leave work for up to twelve weeks due to the health issues of the family members, pregnancy, and while having serious health problems (U.S. Department of Labor, Wage, and Hour Division, 2013). In this instance, it covers four areas such taking care of the individual health, close relatives, child, and pregnancy. It allows spending time with the family during the critical times, as the individuals tend to seek support and care from the relatives and friends. Additionally, providing flexible working hours is another way to motivate the employees by encouraging achieving higher organizational performance while spending time with the loved ones. In turn, substantial attention is paid to the paternity leave, as the mother requires significant time and support due to the critical condition before and after the birth of the child (Clutterbuck, 2003). Lastly, the monetary compensation and insurance are also crucial since these matters assist in covering the costs while not being able to perform the duties at work.
Four Reasons for Treating Employees Fairly in Relation to Pay
Firstly, the pay stimulates the employees’ desire to work, as individuals tend to reach higher goals due to the dependence of their performance on the amount of salary Furthermore, the additional payment can inspire the workforce to create innovative solutions (Curran & Walsworth, 2014). It encourages the employees to enhance their productivity while reaching individual and organizational goals simultaneously. Secondly, treating the employees fairly cultivates the trusting relationships between the management and its subordinates, as the qualified workforce is the most vital asset of the organization. Thirdly, the violations of the payment regulations might lead to the problems with the legal authorities. Consequently, the last reason is the fact that the negative attitudes of the employees and public can influence the company’s image in the labor market adversely. In this case, the organization will not be able to develop sufficiently due to the inability to attract the experienced and prospective personnel.
Six Areas of Discrimination Legislation
The legislation prohibits any of the acts of discrimination of different matters such as race, pregnancy, national origin, equal pay/compensation, harassment, and retaliation (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 2015). Despite the race and national origin, the employees have to be treated according to the legislation and the standards of the workplace. In turn, the pregnancy cannot be considered as the primary aspect of hiring, promotion, layoffs, and so on. In turn, the employees have a right to receive the reward for the performance and work disregarding the race, national origin, and sex due to the presence of the principles of equality in American society. Furthermore, the harassment related to genetic information, race, and other matters is prohibited in any form in the workplace. Lastly, the retaliation related to firing, hiring, or promotion is also considered illegal due to the unethical nature of this matter. It could be said that the presence of any acts of the discrimination is prohibited by law and has to be reported to the court.
The Good Practice That Supports Organizational Policies and Psychological Contract
Firstly, the good practice has to promote and maintain the work-life balance among the employees, as the productivity and their psychological condition is dependent on the ability to spend time with the family and relatives. In turn, the organizational policies have to comply with the legislation, which supports the employee as a family member by providing paternal, maternal, and other kinds of leaves related to the health issues of an individual or his/her relatives. Additionally, the organization has to assure the fair treatment of the employees in terms of payment due its ability to impact organizational performance, relationship-building, and social perception of the company in the labor market. Lastly, the management of the company has to cultivate the understanding that any acts, which discriminate other members of the team, are illegal and are punished by the law. In the end, a combination of these principles describes the positive practice, which is based on the organizational policies and the psychological contract.
References
Bloom, N., & Reenen, J. (2006). Management practices, work-life balance, and productivity: A review of some recent evidence. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 22(4), 457-482.
Clutterbuck, D. (2003). Managing work-life balance: A guide for HR to achieving organizational and individual change. London, UK: The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Curran, B., & Walsworth, S. (2014). Can you pay employees to innovate? Evidence from the Canadian private sector. Human Resource Management Journal, 24(3), 290-306.
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage, and Hour Division. (2013). Employees rights and responsibilities under the family and medical leave act. Web.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Laws and guidance. (2015). Web.
