Employers becoming more flexible: Survey

65 per cent of companies help out working parents

Canadian companies are realizing that juggling work and family can be stressful for many parents and are increasingly offering policies such as telecommuting and flextime to help them out, according to a new survey.

The survey of 100 senior Canadian executives by staffing firm OfficeTeam found 65 per cent of Canadian companies have made policy changes to better accommodate working parents' schedules in the past five years.

“Programs that support work-life balance are attractive to professionals, especially members of the ‘sandwich generation’ — those caring for both children and elderly parents,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam.

“For smaller firms that may not have as much flexibility in adjusting salaries as larger organizations, offering these types of benefits can level the playing field.”

Working parents aren't the only ones who benefit from perks such as telecommuting, flextime, extended family leave and elder care. Companies that advertise these programs in job postings are more likely to attract the kind of employees they want, said Domeyer.

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