Abstract

This study explores the factors influencing employees' use of family-friendly programs. Although recent years have witnessed an increasing number of family-friendly programs offered in the workplace, many studies have reported a lack of their actual use. This study considers various socio-demographic and workplace characteristics such as attitudes toward gender roles, and the perceptions of the work environment to better understand the reason behind this insufficient use. For this, data from the 2nd National Korean Family Survey in 2010 were employed. The results based on a total of 408 employees with diverse occupations indicate that among the four family-friendly programs evaluated(flexible working hours, child care, dependant care, and employee wellbeing), child care programs were most frequently provided by employers. In addition, the factors influencing employee participation in family-friendly programs were associated mainly with workplace characteristics or attitudes toward gender roles. The work environment including the employee's perceptions of how comfortable it is to accept assistance from family-friendly programs was also a key factor. Personal characteristics such as age and attitudes toward gender roles except for family needs had significant effects on employee participation in family-friendly programs. Future research should examine the effects of various environmental factors on employees' responses to family-friendly programs and investigate additional factors that can further enhance the effectiveness of such programs.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call