Family friendly workplaces respect and value people's family commitments. They adjust working patterns to allow employees to combine work with other responsibilities. As the workforce changes, businesses that provide these options will have the competitive edge in attracting and retaining skilled, motivated and productive workers.

Some common strategies for helping people balance work and family are:

• offering flexible conditions that allow employees to respond to family needs. These commitments can be planned and regular, for example, collecting a child from school or taking an elderly parent to a doctor�s appointment, or unexpected such as those caused by a sudden illness in the family or a family member being admitted to hospital
• providing paid or unpaid leave to enable employees to deal with sickness of a child or other family member
• introducing flexible arrangements such as tailored start and finish times, part-time work, job-sharing, flexible rosters or working from home
• recognising different types of caring responsibilities. For example, care of children, older family members or those with a disability
• making provisions for the emergencies that everybody has from time to time
• being a leader and a good role model by using flexible work arrangements to help with your own work family balance

More provisions are listed in Ideas that work, Glossary or Model Work and Family Policy (Word 39kb).

For information about your legal responsibilities see the Rights, responsibilities and entitlements section.

Common Misconceptions

• Work is no place for 'personal problems' 
  Very few of us are able to compartmentalise our lives to isolate work from family. Flexible employers have found that staff who are better able to balance their responsibilities at home are more productive while at work.
• Presence equals commitment
  Spending long hours at the workplace doesn�t necessarily equate with productivity � the best testament to an employee�s performance is what they are achieving, not the hours they put in.
• Give them an inch and they'll take a mile
  Some employers may be concerned that staff who are offered flexible arrangements will exploit the system and put business objectives at risk. In practice, flexible employers report that staff more than repay the business with their motivation and loyalty.

More information

Industrial Relations Victoria�s Work and Family Balance Manual (PDF 741kb) includes information on legislation, examples of strategies and policies as well as a step-by-step guide to creating a family friendly workplace.

The Work/Life Association has developed an online resource called Signposts to assist decision-makers to implement family friendly policies and practices. It contains a comprehensive process to follow as well as tools and case studies.

Business Victoria's website provides Tips on Creating a Flexible Workplace and Motivating Staff.

Workplace Flexibility is a website created by private management consultancy Aequus Partners that has articles, tools, surveys and a small business portal.

See also, Flexiblity around child care arrangements - what are employers rights and responsibilities?