Module 4 Assignment: Dual Career Couples
Dual Career Couples
Module 4 Assignment
Empire State College Author Note: This paper was prepared for Human Resource Management, taught by Professor Berenson
Abstract In this module we were asked to read the case study about Dual Career Couples. In this reading we learned how corporations are accepting the hiring of both spouses and if that’s not the case they are in favor of both couples being providers and offer programs and services to help the working couples to be more successful at their jobs. I am going to make up a policy on this topic for my company and I will provide evidence of why I decided to choose my choices and I will use examples along the way. I will attempt to write this policy and give the pros and cons of hiring …show more content…
Dual Career Couples.
Review of My Research
Dual Career Couples Policy
Explanation of Dual Career Adults Policy:
*Either one or the other spouse, but not both shall accept the health insurance plan.
The non-participating spouse will receive a reward of 10% their salary each year for their cooperation.
*Weekly deductions from child-care will be available at the employees’ discretion. This program is strictly voluntary and the savings can only be paid out only to a participating child-care facility.
*Leave for child birth shall be granted to the father for a period of 5 days paid for by the company. Any longer time allotments shall fall under The Family Medical Leave Act. The mothers will be granted a period of 6 weeks for healing and nurturing with pay from the company. Any longer time allotments may be taken under The Family Medical Leave Act.
*A total of 5 sick days a year will be allowed for any parent for the use towards tending to a sick child at no charge to the employee towards the company attendance program. Vacation time will be allowed if the employee has the hours available and the company given 5 paid days is exhausted.
*Opposing shifts will be offered to couples employed in the same department to help provide the needs of coverage for the family at home.
*No persons of a dual career shall be placed in the department of his/her partner while that other person is in a position to manage the …show more content…
other.
*When overtime is deemed necessary, no two working spouses with children at home will forced to work this overtime during the same shift. The spouse who becomes exempt by rules of seniority must be the next employee (based on needs, qualifications and job certifications) to accept his/her force for the make-up of the exemption.
*No promoting or hiring shall be done for or by a spouse of the employee being considered for the hiring or promotion.
*Special consideration will be given in terms of vacation allotment with the consideration of seniority and years of service to spouses applying for vacation together for the same block of days.
Explanation of Analysis I decided to make my organization a unionized shop. I have been in this sort of environment for the last 18 years and feel most comfortable trying to relate a policy to that setting. So for the first issue in my policy I chose to mention about healthcare. It’s one of the fastest growing expenses a company faces today. I chose my policy to reflect the cost of health insurance and a way the company may save some money but still cover its’ employees. Now you may ask that, “If they’re married why would they have separate policies to begin with?” I answer that people may start a job as single or married to someone outside of the work place but things happen, feelings grow and co-workers hook up and get together time to time and in the factories I’ve worked in it seems more often than not it happens that way. So if the employees end up getting married one must drop their coverage and enroll into the other employees plan. The second issue on my policy I’ve chosen to address was because child care is another big expense for the employee and sometimes the employer also. As quoted in our text, “Each day at least 5000 parents fail to come to work or to find employment because they cannot find adequate and affordable child care.” (Ivancevich 2010, p.375) I would like to help parents with this issue and assure they can make it to work every day. I would also like to see this change made at my current employer because the program is in effect at my wife’s and it works out great. The little bit of money that gets deducted from your check each week may be a little hard financially in the beginning but after a while with the right adjustments to people’s life styles the deduction is hardly noticed. The third issue I’ve chosen to list dealt with the issue of child care. The company will give the fathers for 5 days and the mothers 6 weeks. I feel this is about the average times given by most companies and my company will follow a similar practice. I feel the sick time is generous and I chose to write it up in the policy this way because as mentioned in our text, “A liberal sick-leave policy can cause excessive absenteeism.” (Ivancevich 2010 p.367) I didn’t want to be too liberal but still wanted to be fair while keeping in mind that families will be called upon to tend to their sick children and I would like my organization to take this into consideration while being fair and not penalizing the parent for this uncontrollable yet inevitable event. I also chose to add in the part of my policy that the company will try to accommodate couples with opposite shifts of work when child care is an issue. This is another step that would help employees make it to work more often seeing how there will always be one parent home at all times. This will also help reduce and minimize the cost of child care for my employees. This next issue of no employee shall be under the supervision of their spouse on the same shift is a no brainer. This will keep down favoritism and nepotism in the work place. I’ve never worked in a plant where “forcing” of overtime was not present.
My current employer has no respect and takes in no considerations for forcing two members of the same family over to work the extra 4 hours the company is allowed to force. It is the most un-family friendly thing I’ve ever witnessed. Other places I’ve worked for took this into consideration and my current employer could care less. If your turn is up to be forced you either get someone to work your force, leave and get a strike and possible suspension, or suck it up and work. I would make my organization more family friendly and accommodating to dual career individuals I
hire. Again the next policy issue has to deal with the hiring and promoting of a spouse and it’s a no brainer. This eliminates the cause for nepotism and favoritism and gives everyone a fair chance within the system to be promoted and everyone on the outside a chance to get a job. My vacation policy is there to help families be able to spend vacation time together and we all know this is important to building a strong family and I would like to help with this by implementing a family friendly vacation allowance policy.
-
Resources
Book studies dual-career couples, employer policies. (2003, March). Retrieved from http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2003/D/20031945.html
Ivancevich, J. (2010). Human resource management. (11 ed., p. 634). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. http://www.yahoo.com http://www.google.com
Module 4 Assignment
Empire State College Author Note: This paper was prepared for Human Resource Management, taught by Professor Berenson
Abstract In this module we were asked to read the case study about Dual Career Couples. In this reading we learned how corporations are accepting the hiring of both spouses and if that’s not the case they are in favor of both couples being providers and offer programs and services to help the working couples to be more successful at their jobs. I am going to make up a policy on this topic for my company and I will provide evidence of why I decided to choose my choices and I will use examples along the way. I will attempt to write this policy and give the pros and cons of hiring …show more content…
Dual Career Couples.
Review of My Research
Dual Career Couples Policy
Explanation of Dual Career Adults Policy:
*Either one or the other spouse, but not both shall accept the health insurance plan.
The non-participating spouse will receive a reward of 10% their salary each year for their cooperation.
*Weekly deductions from child-care will be available at the employees’ discretion. This program is strictly voluntary and the savings can only be paid out only to a participating child-care facility.
*Leave for child birth shall be granted to the father for a period of 5 days paid for by the company. Any longer time allotments shall fall under The Family Medical Leave Act. The mothers will be granted a period of 6 weeks for healing and nurturing with pay from the company. Any longer time allotments may be taken under The Family Medical Leave Act.
*A total of 5 sick days a year will be allowed for any parent for the use towards tending to a sick child at no charge to the employee towards the company attendance program. Vacation time will be allowed if the employee has the hours available and the company given 5 paid days is exhausted.
*Opposing shifts will be offered to couples employed in the same department to help provide the needs of coverage for the family at home.
*No persons of a dual career shall be placed in the department of his/her partner while that other person is in a position to manage the …show more content…
other.
*When overtime is deemed necessary, no two working spouses with children at home will forced to work this overtime during the same shift. The spouse who becomes exempt by rules of seniority must be the next employee (based on needs, qualifications and job certifications) to accept his/her force for the make-up of the exemption.
*No promoting or hiring shall be done for or by a spouse of the employee being considered for the hiring or promotion.
*Special consideration will be given in terms of vacation allotment with the consideration of seniority and years of service to spouses applying for vacation together for the same block of days.
Explanation of Analysis I decided to make my organization a unionized shop. I have been in this sort of environment for the last 18 years and feel most comfortable trying to relate a policy to that setting. So for the first issue in my policy I chose to mention about healthcare. It’s one of the fastest growing expenses a company faces today. I chose my policy to reflect the cost of health insurance and a way the company may save some money but still cover its’ employees. Now you may ask that, “If they’re married why would they have separate policies to begin with?” I answer that people may start a job as single or married to someone outside of the work place but things happen, feelings grow and co-workers hook up and get together time to time and in the factories I’ve worked in it seems more often than not it happens that way. So if the employees end up getting married one must drop their coverage and enroll into the other employees plan. The second issue on my policy I’ve chosen to address was because child care is another big expense for the employee and sometimes the employer also. As quoted in our text, “Each day at least 5000 parents fail to come to work or to find employment because they cannot find adequate and affordable child care.” (Ivancevich 2010, p.375) I would like to help parents with this issue and assure they can make it to work every day. I would also like to see this change made at my current employer because the program is in effect at my wife’s and it works out great. The little bit of money that gets deducted from your check each week may be a little hard financially in the beginning but after a while with the right adjustments to people’s life styles the deduction is hardly noticed. The third issue I’ve chosen to list dealt with the issue of child care. The company will give the fathers for 5 days and the mothers 6 weeks. I feel this is about the average times given by most companies and my company will follow a similar practice. I feel the sick time is generous and I chose to write it up in the policy this way because as mentioned in our text, “A liberal sick-leave policy can cause excessive absenteeism.” (Ivancevich 2010 p.367) I didn’t want to be too liberal but still wanted to be fair while keeping in mind that families will be called upon to tend to their sick children and I would like my organization to take this into consideration while being fair and not penalizing the parent for this uncontrollable yet inevitable event. I also chose to add in the part of my policy that the company will try to accommodate couples with opposite shifts of work when child care is an issue. This is another step that would help employees make it to work more often seeing how there will always be one parent home at all times. This will also help reduce and minimize the cost of child care for my employees. This next issue of no employee shall be under the supervision of their spouse on the same shift is a no brainer. This will keep down favoritism and nepotism in the work place. I’ve never worked in a plant where “forcing” of overtime was not present.
My current employer has no respect and takes in no considerations for forcing two members of the same family over to work the extra 4 hours the company is allowed to force. It is the most un-family friendly thing I’ve ever witnessed. Other places I’ve worked for took this into consideration and my current employer could care less. If your turn is up to be forced you either get someone to work your force, leave and get a strike and possible suspension, or suck it up and work. I would make my organization more family friendly and accommodating to dual career individuals I
hire. Again the next policy issue has to deal with the hiring and promoting of a spouse and it’s a no brainer. This eliminates the cause for nepotism and favoritism and gives everyone a fair chance within the system to be promoted and everyone on the outside a chance to get a job. My vacation policy is there to help families be able to spend vacation time together and we all know this is important to building a strong family and I would like to help with this by implementing a family friendly vacation allowance policy.
-
Resources
Book studies dual-career couples, employer policies. (2003, March). Retrieved from http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2003/D/20031945.html
Ivancevich, J. (2010). Human resource management. (11 ed., p. 634). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. http://www.yahoo.com http://www.google.com