• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.147-161
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• 2014

This study explores the factors influencing employees' use of family-friendly programs. Although recent years have witnessed an increasing number of family-friendly programs offered in the workplace, many studies have reported a lack of their actual use. This study considers various socio-demographic and workplace characteristics such as attitudes toward gender roles, and the perceptions of the work environment to better understand the reason behind this insufficient use. For this, data from the 2nd National Korean Family Survey in 2010 were employed. The results based on a total of 408 employees with diverse occupations indicate that among the four family-friendly programs evaluated(flexible working hours, child care, dependant care, and employee wellbeing), child care programs were most frequently provided by employers. In addition, the factors influencing employee participation in family-friendly programs were associated mainly with workplace characteristics or attitudes toward gender roles. The work environment including the employee's perceptions of how comfortable it is to accept assistance from family-friendly programs was also a key factor. Personal characteristics such as age and attitudes toward gender roles except for family needs had significant effects on employee participation in family-friendly programs. Future research should examine the effects of various environmental factors on employees' responses to family-friendly programs and investigate additional factors that can further enhance the effectiveness of such programs.

• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2010

This study examines how frequently employers offer family-friendly corporate programs and how frequently employees use the programs. This study also seeks to discover whether the implementation and utilization of family-friendly corporate programs results in an increase in employees' childbirths. Data were collected from 377 married full-time employees working in private sector companies located in Seoul and GyeongGi-Do. Frequency analyses of the employees' responses showed moderate rates of implementation of family-friendly corporate programs and much lower rates of employees' utilization. The hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the implementation of family-friendly corporate programs significantly predicted employees' childbirths. However, this was ineffective, having no significant influence on employees' childbirths, when their utilization of the programs was entered into the model. Higher rates of utilization of family-friendly corporate programs predicted more childbirths after employment. This study suggests that the implementation of family-friendly corporate programs per se is not a complete solution to get employees to have more babies. Rather, what matters is the usability of those programs. Finally, the implications of the study results are discussed.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.17-35
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• 2014

This study analyzes the transition of the Family-Friendly Index from 2007 to 2012. This index was developed using a questionnaire survey that is distributed to listed companies and public institutions every year by the Ministry of Gender Equality & Family(MOGEF) and the Family-Friendly Support Center. The Family-Friendly Index contains an introduction to and the practical use of family-friendly regulations and programs, such as flexible working systems, parental leave, family leave, EAP, and family-friendly culture. The number of companies involved in the Family-Friendly Index is increasing every year, and has increased from 41.7 in 2007 to 58.9 in 2012. In particular, family-friendly companies testimonialized by the MOGEF are using more family-friendly programs than other company.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.81-101
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• 2008

The purpose of this study is to examine support policies regarding work and family reconciliation, to suggest plans to improve workplace policies, and to suggest directions for further studies. This study looks at OECD's work-life reconciliation policies as well as family friendly workplace policies in Korea to find a way to enhance business' receptiveness and implementation of the policies. By examining women's labor conditions, this study finds that family friendly workplace policies are necessarily imminent in our society of low fertility and ageing. Along with the evaluation of benefit level and the effectiveness of current policies, this study uses data from interviews with working mothers who have had the experience of family friendly benefits. The results of the analyses suggest that the government should focus on improving the workplace environment in companies that do not show bias against the use of family friendly policies. In order to farm more successful policies, future studies are needed to analyze the changes of fertility, working conditions, support programs, and benefits.

• Journal of the Korean housing association
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.29-38
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• 2005

Housing consumers prefer high-rise mixed-use apartments because of one-stop living style, and high quality of life. This study investigated the residents community with the residents who lived in the apartments and the future residents who will live in the apartments to investigate the usage of the public spaces and the influence of the space to form housing culture of residents family community. All data were taken from the response of two hundred forty three questionnaire to be gathered during 20th of June through 24th of August in 2003. Data were analyzed with percentages, means, t-test, and variance analysis using SPSS/PC+. Residents in four high-rise mixed-use apartments feels that the public space in the apartments were mainly provided by their convenience of the construction companies not for the residents. Physical conditions of public space in high-rise mixed-use apartments should be environmentally friendly housing space in which nature and human can be coexisted. It also should be high-tech system housing with which SOHO can be operated. And different custom-made spaces which the residents' needs can be satisfying should be provided. The public space should be recommended to be multi-purposed room because the space will be differentiated with the circumstances of the area, the residents' age differences, and the variety of the family's life style. Moreover, the various programs should be supplied to run the public space efficiently.

• 한국사회복지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.3-19
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• 2002

The problems and needs of families in Hong Kong are becoming more complex. Traditional family structures and functions are rapidly eroding. Moreover, family problems are further exacerbated by a growing number of socio-economic issues including rising divorce rates and extra-marital affairs. continuous family reunion migration from Mainland China, emotional and financial cost of caring for the older people and the changing economy which has pushed more families into hardship. In effect, more and more families are becoming vulnerable to risk. Traditional family services in Hong Kong are varied in mode, operation and provision, often overlapping in service boundaries with other family-oriented programs. In many instances, family service centers are stretched far beyond their capacity. As a consequence, they become too reactive, remedial and casework dominated. The University of Hong Kong Consultant Team recommended that family service programs have to protect vulnerable families and strengthen family capacities to promote maximum independence. The direction of family services is summarized as: strengthening families; child-centered, family-focused and community-based. New integrative family service centers aim at attaining the principles of promoting accessibility to users with minimum physical, psychological and administrative barriers; early identification of needs and intervention before the further deterioration of problems; integration of services cutting across program boundaries, and partnership between service providers to achieve efficient and effective use of scarce resources. Under the new model, multi-skilled teams can respond more proactively to a wide range of social needs, rather than addressing needs in isolation. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the new model, the consultant team has been commissioned by the government to evaluate the performance of these two-year pilot projects. More importantly, a coherent and family-friendly social policy should be formulated to strengthen family capacity against family-related problems.

• Journal of Family Resource Management and Policy Review
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.93-116
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• 2011

This qualitative study focused on the dual earner families' work and family life to explore the possibility of ideal work-family balance. Seven employed married women and two men were interviewed about their work-family balance during two months in 2010. We described four representative cases of having difficulty in work and life balance. And we identified the three dimensions to make their work-family balance difficult. They are motherhood ideology, ideal worker, and the limit of men's housework participation. For ideal work-family balance, we suggested alternatives. First, the companies should make various work-life balance programs and allow their workers to use them actively. Second, the government should support the needs of work-life balance and carry out various family-friendly and child care polices. Third, husbands have to participate the housework much more and the model of 'good' parents need to be modified.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.396-407
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• 2023

Background: This study investigated the awareness and utilization of maternity protection and work-family balance support policies among dental hygienists in dental hospitals and clinics. Methods: We surveyed 200 dental hygienists. Twenty-two who did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded, leaving 178 participants for analysis. The self-administered 48-item questionnaire gathered information on demographics, workplace details, policy awareness, government knowledge, and suggestions for improvement. Results: Awareness of maternity and family support programs significantly differed with age, marital status, number of children, and clinical experience. Dental hygienists in general hospitals and university hospitals reported greater ease of utilizing these policies compared to those in dental clinics. Among the participants, 27.7% took pre- and post-maternity leave, 26.6% took parental leave, 16.9% had reduced working hours during pregnancy, 15.8% had reduced working hours during childhood,and 8.5% during family leave. To promote program uptake, participants suggested mandatory implementation across workplaces (68.4%), expanded support for substitute workers (48.6%), and increased education and promotion of government support (42.4%). Conclusion: While most dental hygienists were aware of the Maternity Protection and Work-Family Balance Assistance Policy, utilizing it proved challenging due to several factors. Organizational policies or practices may not fully implement this policy, while workplace culture could discourage its use. Unfair treatment and the lack of available substitutes further hindered access. To prevent career interruptions for dental hygienists due to pregnancy, childbirth, childcare, and family care, and to maintain career continuity, the dental community and government should establish a multifaceted social support system. This system should prioritize several key areas: strengthening policy promotion, fostering a family-friendly atmosphere, improving management and supervision of policy implementation and developing a robust support system for substitute personnel.