Corporate Responsibility to Provide Work-Family Programs

Defining and determining the responsibility of business organizations to provide and assist employees with work-family programs and initiatives (e.g., employee assistance programs, parental leave extensions, childcare, elder care benefits, flextime, compressed workweek, and telecommuting) is a current critical issue that has ignited controversy during the past few decades. The author argues that work-family programs (at some level) should be a part of every company and should be strongly linked to employer benefits. To expand and implement work-family programs and services in companies today,she argues that training and educating business leaders about work-family options and benefits is the bestsolution. This paper presents the author’s opinions as she discusses and defines work-family programsand services, presents arguments in favor and against incorporating work-family programs, and offers suggestions and conclusions regarding how to find a balance