The issue of work-life balance continues to be the center of attention as more millennials enter the workforce. The transportation industry is no exception. Fleets are reporting that increasing home time is eliminating a main source of dissatisfaction among drivers.
For fleets that specialize in over-the-road operations, increasing home time means increasing the number of night’s drivers are home. For fleets focusing in LTL and last-mile delivery, with less overnight routes, it is important to focus on other ways to build a family-first environment that will attract and retain quality drivers.
Flexibility within policies and procedures
Policies and procedures are what define a company’s culture. In a family-friendly workplace, policies and procedures need to be flexible and accommodating, allowing employees to take care of their families if an issue should arise.
Do you have maternity or paternity benefits that go beyond what the law requires? Do you offer daycare arrangements? How about sick days or days off? Working with a recruitment partner like Centerline can help you ensure your operations are covered when full-time employees take advantage of these benefits.
Benefits for everyone
Family issues, such as illness or even education, can cause stress for your employees. Consider providing access to family counseling or creating programs that support and promote education through scholarships or tuition assistance.
Programs that help the entire family will help employees feel as though their job is a family affair. If your company already offers these programs, make sure your drivers are fully aware of their benefits – consider listing them in your job descriptions to help increase the number of qualified drivers applying to your open positions.
Celebrate families
Does your company celebrate Driver Appreciation Week in September? Do you throw an annual holiday party or have a summer barbeque? Consider making these events family friendly. This will increase the number of employees who attend the event, as they won’t feel pressured to choose work over family.
Creating a family friendly workplace demonstrates a sense of caring to employees. While increased home time is important, driving does not always allow it. Changes to policies and procedures can send the same message, and can help attract and retain highly qualified drivers.
