Job security and workplace stability

Job Security

Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Return to Work

Balancing health, home, family, work:

With this purpose, this research paper probes into the methods, mechanisms that policies managers may utilize in the quest to facilitate employee leave and return to work. As this is a subject that deals with policies that may have a resounding impact on the welfare of both the company and it's employees, hence it is necessary that we take into account the psychological and emotional needs of individuals as discussed in the theories of Maslow, Herzberg and McClelland. This proposal shall demonstrate the beneficial aspects of leave policy implementation, as none exists at this point and prove that just a little consideration on the part of the management can turn any company's ventures into a roaring success.

THEORETICAL SUCCESS OF THE PROPOSAL:

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs:

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs states that each need must be satisfied in turn starting with the most basic physiological needs and proceeding to the higher order needs like safety, belongingness and love, esteem and Self-Actualization in the exact order as mentioned. I shall give an example, which would remain coherent through out the discussion of other theories to prove the theoretical success of my proposal even in situations where the organization is relatively small and does not have a sufficient population of employees. Consider the example of the company bookkeeper diagnosed with cancer, facing two months of recovery. The bookkeeper has no vacation available and is unable to work during that time. It is now the duty of the manager to help him through the first stage of the Hierarchy of Needs i.e. The physiological needs. This can be done by implementing the FMLA and planning the interim coverage and the bookkeeper's return to work. In doing so, not only will he be helping the employee attain the satisfaction of higher levels of the hierarchy but also the trust of other employees which can be an asset to any company. This trust would help him in not only earning the gratitude and loyalty of his employees but also substitutes eager to please the management that is concerned about the welfare of its employees.

Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory:

He identified

Motivator factors-which created satisfaction

Hygiene or maintenance factors -- which created dissatisfaction

In order to implement the Herzberg's theory we must begin with the hygiene factors that cause dissatisfaction, which are not to be confused with motivator factors that have an altogether different set of reasons for the satisfaction they provide. Company and administrative policies can be a huge source of frustration for the employees when they aren't accommodating enough. As in the example of the bookkeeper, allowing him a medical leave for a duration of two months would remove the hygiene factors causing discomfort and if in addition to this the employee is ensured of being taken back once he recovers then this would result in the increase of his motivator factors by making him feel that his work is important and meaningful. This would result in greater efficiency and satisfaction of the employee and a gloating success for the company.

McClelland's Theory of Needs:

McClelland's Theory of Needs states that a person's motivation or effectiveness in certain jobs is influenced by three factors, which are

Achievement,

Affiliation

Power

It's up to the management to measure the individual needs of different people and ascribe to each individual the task he's most capable of executing well. Returning to the example of the bookkeeper it is essential that he be understood by the management properly so as to assess his indispensability to the company. Once the assessment has been made, the steps that should be taken in order to keep an employee from running off to a rival organization become obvious. In such circumstances the leave provisions in accordance with the FMLA and assurance of a secure job can assure the loyalty of an employee towards his company.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES:

Advantages:

The implementation of such a policy is largely in the benefit of the employee since he gets the opportunity to relieve himself of the tension of his physiological needs surrounding him at work and thus apply himself whole-heartedly to the project at hand. Such concern and consideration on the part of management kindles great loyalty in the hearts of its employees, which pays off well in the end as the company reaps the benefits of the hard work of its employees.

Disadvantages:

One of the biggest disadvantages of this policy is that those who are insincere towards their work and the management could abuse it. In case a company does wrongly assess any of its employees it may have to face dire consequences.

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION:

The planning and implementation of the proposal requires study of federal law, traditional policy and established management theory make up the first portion of the manager's toolkit. Turning to personal experience, published articles, acknowledged best practices and other management methods, this discourse will evaluate, review and analyze commonalities, devices, obstacles, industry standards and organizational values.

Instituting a FMLA policy into a small business will require the acquisition of an essential skill set encompassing detailed preparation of departure planning, interim coverage and a return to work plan. For implementation of a supplemental leave policy to be successful and for both the employee and organization to benefit, the research has uncovered the advantages for responsive action and communication.