Such programs allow employees to access necessary services and, to some extent, customize benefits. They are a strategy for increasing company productivity and profits. A survey of nine employers in the Smart Valley Initiative in California found telecommuters to be 25 percent more productive on the days they worked at home and 20 percent more productive overall. A Xerox customer service center turned decisions about work schedules over to employees. Employee work teams now control the scheduling, resulting in improved morale, better customer service, and a 30 percent reduction in the absenteeism rate.
Many benefits are potential cost savers.
When implementing family-friendly benefits policies, senior management must support the programs and standards for measuring program success. This means basing performance measures on production and results, rewarding quality of output rather than physical presence or hours worked. Such programs can be effectively monitored by applying essential performance standards. They are a strategy for increasing company productivity and profit. Mr. Harrington has been involved in management consulting since 1989 and received a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University.