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Over time, it’s becoming more apparent that people’s personal and professional lives will occasionally overlap. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that 63 percent of families with children under the age of 18 had both parents employed. Add in millions of single parents trying to balance home and work responsibilities and you have a lot of employees who seriously value a family-friendly workplace. 

Managing work and family obligations can take a serious toll on people, which can have a direct impact on your business. Not only can this balance impact the quality of their work, but it can also lead frustrated mothers and fathers to look for more family-friendly workplaces. Fortunately, family-friendly policies are beneficial to employers as well as employees. According to the University of Kansas, a family-friendly workplace can help you:

• Make employees more productive
• Create a less stressful work environment
• Attract more top talent
• Retain quality employees

So what can you do to make your business more family-friendly? Here are four policies that can help your business appeal to existing and potential family-oriented employees.

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Entering through the glass doors of a corporate building, I expected nothing less than a dull monotony. However, I discovered upon closer inspection that instead of a boring office building, I had entered a comfortable, healthy, work environment. Rather than simply shadowing my dad on “take your kid to work day,” I took this as an opportunity to interview the employees of GMS on their thoughts about their work environment.

The response I received was overwhelmingly positive. One might expect Mike Kahoe, president of GMS, to speak highly of the company, calling it a “friendly, cheerful environment.” But what one might not always expect is for the rest of GMS to speak of it just as highly.

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As concerns pile up, employee morale can go downhill quickly. Losing employees can be very challenging. The domino effect is real and immediate. Employees can feel a broad range of emotions: overwhelmed, resentful, left behind, envious, mad, sad. It’s hard to think strategically when you’re in reactive mode, so what do you do to be in proactive mode? 

Leaders who embrace change set a positive tone for everyone. Turnover should be expected. By having a process in place, you can leverage departures as an opportunity to grow and learn. Take a look at these five steps that can prevent high turnover.

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A small act of recognition can make a big difference for an employee’s morale. When Forbes reports that nearly two-thirds of employees would "likely leave their job if they didn't feel appreciated," these gestures can help you retain happy, talented employees.

While recognition is a good goal, you also need to make sure that these efforts make sense for your bottom line. Fortunately, there are plenty of good rewards that won’t break the bank. Here are five low-budget ideas that small business owners can use to show employees their appreciation.

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Administrative professionals can be the gears that keep your business machine moving forward. Administrative Professionals Day is April 26, so we’d like to highlight a few high-profile assistants, secretaries, and other notable administrative workers throughout history.

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Employee training is an effective way to teach new employees and develop existing workers. However, employers may be concerned about related expenses, as employee training has been estimated to cost around $1,888 per employee for companies with fewer than 500 workers. 

That’s quite a bit of money, but the cost of training can be well worth the investment. Here are three big reasons why a commitment to employee training is a great financial decision for your business.

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Happiness can be very lucrative for a business. Unfortunately, unhappy employees can hurt bottom line and make it harder for businesses to grow. Employee morale can be affected by a number of factors, including work conditions, coworkers, and personal matters, but regardless of the reason, disengaged workers can lead to future issues for business owners.

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Let’s face it; employees don’t always want to be indoors during the summer. Having unmotivated, daydreaming employees can lead to unproductive work days, but some summer perks can help motivate your workers. Here are three ways that you can help boost team morale during the summer.

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A good administrative professional can really benefit a business. As Administrative Professionals Day is April 27, here are some gift ideas to treat the administrators, secretaries, and other similar employees at your office.

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Unhappy employees can make for an unproductive company. Sometimes the key to boosting morale is to make small changes in the office. Here are four things that may upset your employees and how you can help fix it.

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