Expert Advice Single, Childless Employees

Take a few hints from single, childless employees. Learn a few lessons from companies who balance their practices well.

• Maureen Mack, HR consultant, Union Bank of California:
  “It’s almost like a double-edged sword at this point for companies to develop some family-friendly types of policies and programs without totally alienating employees who don’t have any advantage in that.”

• Donna Manning, personnel technician, Wake County Government:
  “People who get married and have children, that’s their choice. But single people are considered not normal, sort of. We’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing. People say: ‘Well, one day it will all work out for you. ‘”

• Martin Johnson (a pseudonym), insurance industry professional:
  “It’s the kind of thing where if you challenged somebody on it, they’d say, ‘Yeah, you’re right.’ But we’re not conditioned to think that way in society—look at the political arena. The thing they’re saying is that we’re going away from these family values and we need to go back.”

• Leslie Lafayette, founder, ChildFree Network:
  “It’s downright discriminatory for an employer to offer more or better benefits because you have children. Different is one thing. Companies that have a menu of benefits are the companies that are really knowledgeable and humane.”

• Monica Brunaccini, director of HR, Consolidated Group, a HealthPlan Services company:
  “Benefits tend to be the focal point for people when it comes to how you define single or married. A lot of companies are offering domestic-partner benefits, for which you don’t have to define your status. The playing field needs to be more even. It’s going to be interesting to see how it all pans out.”

• Mike Morley, senior vice president and director of HR, Eastman Kodak Co.:
  “You have to believe that diversity is a business imperative. Once you get those fundamentals in place, some of the activities important for your organization will become pretty obvious.”

• Terri Ireton, manager, work and life programs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts:
  “I don’t think people realize here who’s single and who’s not. I think the ones with children just take better advantage of employee programs.”

• Linda Foster, director Midwest region, Work/Family Directions:
  “A lot of companies have put in flexible-work practices more as an accommodation [to employees with dependents], not really seeing the business strategy behind them. Those [companies] aren’t as successful [with their programs].”

• Donna Klein, director work/life programs, Marriott International:
  “What we’re trying to do is manage the life cycle. I think people who don’t have dependents have an equal number of challenges in this complex society we live in that need to be addressed. Ours is a very realistic approach.”