HR IN SMALL BUSINESS: Babies Welcomed at T3

Question 1

Creativity of the workforce is achieved when the working environment allows enough flexibility in employees’ timings and proper work-life balance. The employee benefits that allow for a flexible working environment includes bringing babies to work, paid-for holidays and vacations, and brining employees’ dogs at the work place. The female employees who bring their babies to work are able to manage their parental role without a disruption in the roles they have been performing. In their effort to make the arrangement a success, the employees learn ways of handling different tasks simultaneously. The culmination of this arrangement is the capacity for the employees to handle their tasks any disruptions that arise in the process. Moreover, the new mothers are not distracted by too much worry about their babies, which gives them enough space to concentrate on their work once the babies are asleep. They extra flexibility needed to take care for their babies while working affords them an opportunity to embrace the principle in their tasks. The paid-for holidays allows employees to relax and refresh mentally since their minds are diverted away for normal work and routines. Employees vacation allows for a period of lowering stress level and preventing burnout, while the psychological detachment enables employee to divert their conscious attention away from normal tasks, which is important for creative thinking (Daft, 2011). Additionally, by bring their dogs to the work place, employees are also able to divert their focus from their normal tasks, and enhance creativity.

The T3 and Under Policy enhance flexibility, creativity, and productivity in the business. Flexibility is achieved when employees are given a chance to engage in different activities at a go, and this eventually facilitates creativity in the business. Improved creativity ensures that the level of productivity among the employees increases. However, risks that may arise include a possible neglect on important aspects of the job for the mothers, or employees misusing the granted flexibility to serve their personal interests. The company can address the risks by putting in place boundaries on the freedom accorded to employees, and thus, ensure that they remain focused to the goal of the organization.

The policy of “bringing your baby to work” can also be applicable to companies that allow employees to undertake their maternal-care roles and job-related tasks at the same time. Hence, firms such as Financial Institutions, banks, and other services related company can employ the policy, especially if mothers are given enough space to be flexible.

 

Question 2

The policy of “bringing your baby to work” has continued be embraced by many organizations after the implementation of “T3 and Under”. More mothers are extolling the various benefits that comes with bringing along their babies to workplaces, and increased number of employers are allowing them. The policy is consistently being seen as a way of lowering stress for the parents and infants. The extent of adoption of the policy can be seen by its acceptance even among the political class as people become more knowledgeable about the place and significance of family relations to individuals and the society. However, there are issues that the case does not highlight, in terms of the varying reasons for allowing the policy. Business organizations perceive the policy from a work point of view, while an employee is concerned with the interest of the baby and that of hers. The organization is weary of losing crucial employees and the incurring huge costs to train and retain others for replacement. On the hand, the employee may be weary of high cost of employing caregivers for the babies. Hence, the policy should be adopted in accordance with specific need of the organization. It is important of employers to harmonize their own interest and that of employees in order to have mutual benefits.

Reference

Daft, R. L. (2011). Understanding management. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. 419-421