KEY POINTS:
A minority of employees feel guilty or dependent about making use of increasingly family-friendly workplace policies, a Waikato University researcher says.
Jarrod Haar, of the university's management school, said that he studied more than 200 government employees.
He found about 10 per cent were reluctant to make use of policies such as flexitime or paid parental leave, and it was having a negative effect on their working environment.
Dr Haar said policies including time off in lieu, paid parental leave and childcare subsidies were becoming more common as businesses competed to attract and retain good employees in a tight labour market.
"Some also resent their co-workers taking advantage of these options," he said.
"Negative feelings like these lower job satisfaction and support, and can create a worse working environment for everyone."
Dr Haar called it the "dark side of helping".
"People think 'I don't want to ask the boss for special treatment because I'm afraid it will damage my career'," he said.
He said management and employees needed to be aware of workplace policies and how people felt about them.
Despite some negative feelings - which came mainly from working fathers - Dr Haar said employees with a positive mindset were able to override feelings of guilt and dependence.
- NZPA
