Dive Brief:
- Society has shown a certain bias against those who are childness, by choice or not, and that stigma is evident in the workplace, according to an article at Fortune.
- Author Laura Carroll writes that the “life” aspect of work/life balance typically refers to parenting, as many employer cultures still see caring for one’s children as the most valued personal time outside work. As a result, non-parents' personal time does not get equal value.
- Carroll says that thinking has created the unfair notion that non-parent employees can, will and should cover for "parent colleagues" when necessary. It's unfair and it should not happen, Carroll writes.
Dive Insight:
In an email interview, Amy Blackstone, a sociologist at the University of Maine, told Carroll that for employees with no children “there’s very little that protects their time to care for themselves and their families and enjoy work-life balance.” Blackstone believes "employers could do more to show they value all employees, not just those who are parents."
One emerging solution, Carroll says, is shifting to a paid time off (PTO) strategy, where days off can be used for any number of reasons. Stephanie Deleon, manager of HR services at Insperity, which provides HR and business performance solutions to small and mid-size companies, told Carroll that her firm oversaw a shift from traditional vacation and sick leave policies to PTO policies. After a year on the job, full-time employees receive a specific number of PTO days they can use however they want.
"If we let go of misconceptions about the childless and childfree in the workplace, and if more companies continue to create policies that treat all employees equally regardless of their parental status, it will reflect a growing acceptance of those without children in the workplace," Carroll writes.
