These days most companies are understanding and even supportive of an employee’s need to fulfill family obligations. In the 21st Century, Generation Y thinks companies should be understanding and supportive of an employee’s life outside of work, even if they don’t have children.
In recent focus groups of Gen Y professional women, the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation found that these young women feel there is a double standard in business when it comes to work-life balance.
For Gen Y women, it’s not so much looking for an employer with work-life balance programs in place, it’s more of a work environment that adapts to their individual life. They don’t think they should have to neglect or forfeit other areas of their life in order to excel professionally. In fact, they think the work-life balance programs and policies most employers embrace are limited to only those with families.
Gen Y women think work-life balance is much more than just a family issue.
Many of the focus group participants felt like they were almost being punished because they didn’t yet have a family. They couldn’t use flex time because their desires for flexible hours are not usually driven by a child’s needs.
Gen Y women think there is a double-standard for work-life balance.
In the focus groups, many Millennial women said they felt questioned when taking a sick day, but working mothers are expected and encouraged to work from home if a child is sick. Some Gen Y women even felt they are given more work to do, not because they are good at it, not because it will help them advance their career, but because managers assume they don’t have responsibilities outside of work when they don’t have children.
Gen Y women in the BPW Foundation focus groups agreed that work-life balance should not just be reserved for working mothers. It is a right that should be guaranteed to all employees, male and female, regardless of their position in life or family situation.
When Millennial women talk about work-life balance, they aren’t just seeking corporations with telecommuting options, casual Fridays and onsite daycare (although those are definitely welcome).
Gen Y women, and men actually, are looking for more control, more autonomy at work.
These desires are not groundbreaking in that they are unique to Millennials; Millennials are just more vocal about it and aren’t afraid to ask for it.
Their Baby Boomer parents made them part of the family decisions for things like vacations or dinner menus. Even the way their parents incessantly hovered over them made Generation Y feel like they were in control.
It is natural for Millennials to now seek that familiar circumstance at work.
This doesn’t mean Millennials want to just have freedom to do nothing and get paid for it. Participants in this study talked about wanting to be evaluated on their results, on what they produce for the company.
Generation Y wants to work and be productive employees; they just want a little freedom while they do it, regardless of whether or not they have children.
Comments