Will the economy hurt family friendly work?

It seems that in the midst of my busy Fall, I missed the publication of Working Mother Magazine's list of the best companies. While I believe this list does do some good in publicizing the efforts of some organizations, it does only focus on larger organizations, so it is not always a useful tool in your job search. It does, however, list some of the family friendly benefits and policies that many organizations have which is useful to understand what to ask for if you are seeking a more family friendly work environment.

What is interesting this year is how these troubled times are affecting family friendly work opportunities. As noted by Lisa Belkin in her NY Times column, some of the companies listed this year aren't doing so good. Listed are companies we've heard about in the news such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers and others.

The troubling point that Ms. Belkin makes, is that often in the times of financial troubles, family friendly programs are the first to be cut. Companies tend to be more rigid in all management aspects when challenged. Further, when the labor market works in favor of employers, employees have little leverage to negotiate for more flexibility. That is, when facing a high unemployment rate, companies can more easily fill open positions and don't feel the pressure to provide flexibility.

I think that employers must consider the more important returns on providing flexible work. Research has consistently shown that employees with good work/life harmony tend to be more loyal and more productive. When resources are limited, dedicated and hard working employees are an asset to any company.