Page 51 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 1

FAMILY-FRIENDLY PRACTICES
Given the changes in the family structure,
employers are making efforts to address this
aspect of their employees’ lives. By law, em-
ployers provide unpaid leave to employees
to take care of their sick children or parents,
or to give birth to, adopt, or take care of
newborn children. Many progressive busi-
nesses provide day-care facilities for the
young children of employees. Some employ-
ers provide flexible scheduling so that work-
ers can avoid commuting to and from work
PHOTO: © GETTY IMAGES/PHOTODISC. accommodate their family needs and lifestyle.
during hectic rush hour traffic as well as

Advances in communication technology in
the form of the Internet, e-mail, mobile
phones, and fax have led many businesses
to allow workers to telecommute. Telecom-
muters work from home or on the road,
staying in contact with their employers
electronically.

Telecommuting is becoming
more common in the U.S. CHECKPOINT
What are the advantages
to employers of allowing Describe how employers are reacting to changing societal issues.
workers to telecommute?

Natural Resource Issues

A growing population means more people to buy more things. More purchases
mean more packaging, boxes, and worn-out products to throw away. Discarded
plastic, chemical, and metal products take many years to break down in landfills.
Moreover, some products (such as medical waste) may be harmful if not disposed
of properly. The increasing demand for products places great pressure on natural
resources, such as land, water, air, minerals, and forests. It also affects the habi-
tats of wild animals and the lives of native peoples. Both
business note MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT
business and society have to address these resource issues.

Preserving the natural environment and properly disposing
Personal values have a direct impact on of consumer and industrial waste have become major con-
the type of jobs a person will take and how cerns in our society. As landfills become full, we have shifted
managers run their businesses. List the values our focus to reducing the growth of waste and to recycling—
you find important. Identify how they may reusing products and packaging whenever possible. We
change over time. List the jobs you think will are trying to conserve nonrenewable resources, such as
match your personal values and why. oil, natural gas, and iron ore. At the same time, we are
using more renewable resources, such as electricity gener-
ated from the sun (solar power), from water, and from wind.

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