Family-friendly entrepeneurship

A good work-life balance reduces stress and burn-out. The term is a recent phenomenon, due in part to technological progress (with smartphones and e-mail) blurring the lines between one's professional and private life. But focusing on a decent work-life balance for your staff takes effort and can at times expose you to organisational challenges as an employer. These include the complex regulations with many exceptions, the extra administrative burden, searching for a replacement for a pregnant employee or worrying about the planning that could be jeopardised.

Despite these valid arguments, experiences from organisations that have consciously implemented a family-friendly policy and are focused on a decent work-life balance have shown that this delivers a great many advantages for their employees. Employees are more committed and productive, there is less sick leave and staff turnover drops. In the battle for talent, your organisation will be viewed as an attractive organisation for future employees and you can retain talented staff.

But getting the balance right, especially now it has become normal for women to be participating (full-time) in the labour, is important. For now, women are often continuing to undertake the majority of care tasks at home. This situation must change, on the one hand by helping women find this work-life balance, and on the other by encouraging men to get more involved in these tasks. More and more fathers are wanting to have greater involvement in their family, but too often are still finding themselves without the ability to combine this with their work. That means you can also serve the societal interest as a company!