Eslsca

WORK/LIFE BALANCE AT BAXTER

International Human Resources

Submitted to Dr. Hesham Mansour

Prepared by Moshir Aly

6/8/2012

1. What role, if any, does work/ life Balance play in the success of an organization? Explain.

A- Work/ life Balance affects organization productivity and efficiency of employees. Where employees become more creative and capable to take decisions on behalf of their mangers in their absence

B- Work/ life Balance affects organization profit and revenues and that is achieved by implementing work/life balance inside the organization which gives the employees alternatives and flexible time management which affect the employee’s satisfaction from work and leads to satisfaction at work and increased passion for it and has an impact on the employee commitment to achieve the organization goals

C- Work/ life Balance could be an excellent tool for attracting and retain top- notch employees who in return affect the organization productivity

D- Work/ life has a positive impact on staff retaining through providing Flexible working hours and consultative roistering arrangement to all employees including managers and supervisors.

E- Work/ life affects rate of absenteeism due to the flexible working time and working arrangement which gives the employee the possibility to work at home and achieve the assigned activities and tasks although he is absent

F- Work/ life decreases the work stress fall on the employees shoulders which has a direct impact on the firm productivity

2. How does diversity in an organization affect the organization’s work /life balance? What ethical considerations exist that may drive the organization to be more work/life balance?

A. The challenge is to make organizations more accommodating to diverse groups of people by addressing different lifestyles, family needs, and work styles.”

So diversity in an organization will raise the following issues which is affecting the life /Balance:

i. Need to attract and maintain a diversified work force that is reflective of the diversity in the general population.

ii. Work force diversity requires employers to be more sensitive to differences that each group brings to the work setting in terms of values, needs, life /work balance and family commitment.

iii. 24/7 electronic accesses to employees blurs the lines between work life and personal life.

iv. The organization must avoid any practice action that can be interpreted as being as being sexist , racist or offensive to any particular group and it mustn’t illegally discriminate against employees

v. The place one works and the hour’s one works, including how many hours, are also considerations when trying to balance work and family life.

vi. Employers will need more work schedule flexibility, especially with workers who value family and leisure over careers.

vii. The organization must avoid any practice action that can be interpreted as being as being sexist , racist or offensive to any particular group and it mustn’t illegally discriminate against employees

B. Ethics is a set of rules or principles that defines right and wrong conduct

– There are at least four elements which exist in organizations that make ethical

behavior conducive within an organization. The four elements necessary to quantify

an organization's ethics are:

1) Written code of ethics and standards which is an important tools to give the

employees an assistance to follow the

2) Ethics training to executives, managers, and employees

3) Availability for advice on ethical situations (i.e., advice lines or offices)

4) Systems for confidential reporting goo managers or leaders strive to create a

better and more ethical organization.

Restoring an ethical climate in organization is critical, as it is a key component in

solving the many other organizational development and ethical behavior issues

facing the organization, which enhance work/life balance as the employees knows

their rights, duties and responsibilities

– “Right” and “wrong” are often difficult to distinguish what is unethical could be legal

– Companies are increasingly adopting a code of ethics which is a formal document that states an organization’s primary values and the ethical rules it expects organizational members to follow it and that improve the life/work balance in the organization it self

3. How can organizations develop a culture that supports work/ life balance?

– Promoting and enhancing employees sharing responsibility in managing the daily demands of a career and family

– Alternate work arrangements can be a way to meet employees' needs for balance and flexibility, and that the employee should examine his/her own personal characteristics when considering a change in schedule.

– A guide for determining if alternative work arrangements would be a good fit for the employee's personality and career.

– Options like part-time work, job-sharing, compressed work week, and telecommuting are analyzed.

– Attitudes and cooperative manner of supervisors and middle management.

– High communication and education about work-life balance strategies.

– Leadership/management styles – The way that staff is managed and the emphasis on leadership in that organization. This also includes the ways decisions are made and problems are solved, whether collaboratively, individually, or with some combination.

– Reporting structure – The way the organization is arranged in terms of hierarchy. This could mean a tiered or flat system of reporting.

– Language and communication - The internal language or terms used and understood by staff. Also, specific terms or key messages the organization uses in external communication, as well as general communication style.

– Physical work environment – The space that the organization occupies, such as offices, cubicles, or open workspaces, and common areas like reception, a kitchen, or a lunch room.

– Staff diversity – The level of importance of diversity of backgrounds, experiences, or beliefs the organization values. Also, the level of importance that staff share racial, ethnic, or economic backgrounds with the communities the organization serves.

– Interpersonal dynamics – The way staff interact. Whether the environment is highly structured, intense, impersonal, or collegial, for example.

– Traditions and celebrations – This includes how the organization acknowledges personal successes and other milestones. This can be a range of social rituals institutionalized across the organization.

– Work pace – Whether work is done at a fast, moderate, or leisurely speed. This also relates to the work/life balance for staff.

– emphasises and rewards long hours and high organisational commitment

– Supportive working environment for employees with life commitments outside the organisation.

4. What role do human resources play in making sure work/ life practices are effective?

– Designing employee’s alternative and flexible work arrangement such as job-sharing, compressed workweeks, and telecommuting,

– Recruiting and selection of new staff( labor supply )

– Identifying the skills gabs which has an implication on the employees performance and their future satisfaction and their capability to avoid work load

– Rewarding system

– Training and Development

– Ethics and Employee Rights.

– Motivating Knowledge Workers. HR must structure jobs such that knowledge workers stay focused on the task at hand.

– Improve Communications and culture conflicts specially in diversified team

– Decentralized Work Sites. Companies must train managers how to establish and ensure appropriate work quality and on-time completion. They must also ensure that compensation and legal protections are appropriate in non-traditional work settings.

– Support quick adapt of new recruited employees to the organization

5. Take a look at the Baxter Web site "Careers" section (www. baxter.com). What does Baxter do that seems to support the goal of work/life balance

Baxter believes that managers and employees share the responsibility to achieve a healthy blend of work, personal and family life.

Baxter's global operations collaborate with external organizations, as appropriate, to develop and facilitate programs. While some of the work/life programs and resources listed below are available globally, all are available in the United States:

– Adoption assistance and reimbursement;

– Back-up/emergency child and elder care;

– Dependent-care flexible spending accounts;

– Educational assistance;

– Employee assistance and counseling programs;

– Elder-care management services;

– Lactation rooms;

– Resource and community referrals to local service providers for family, financial and work issues;

– Childcare support options;

– Webinars on topics such as stress management and parenting (in English but offered worldwide); and

– Alternate work arrangements.

– Alternate Work Arrangements

Alternate work arrangements help to meet employees' needs for flexibility while continuing to achieve Baxter's business goals. The company's Alternate Work Arrangement Proposal Kit assists employees and managers in reviewing the steps required for proposing and reviewing requests for flexibility within the scope of an existing position.

To determine the most appropriate alternate work arrangement, the following are typically taken into consideration:

– The requirements of the job;

– The employee's personal needs;

– The needs and goals of the business overall; and

– The employee's satisfactory work performance

Baxter support life /balance work through alternate work arrangement offered to its employees and although provide the most appropriate alternate work arrangement suitable to its employees and show some of the work/life programs and resources which are available either globally or are available in the United States helping its employees to now well services offered under such system