Correlates between Family and Employees’ Work Life in Nigeria: The Need for Proper Integration

Abstract

The symbiotic relationship between the family and employees’ work life in Nigeria; and the need for proper integration of work and family life is the concern of this paper. The study looks at how family pattern affects organizational policies, workers health, social organization of work, age of entering the labour force, moonlighting/supplementary livelihood, socialization at workplace, retirement, and occupational mobility. The study x-rayed the effect of work on family especially in areas of marriage decisions, breadwinners, parenting, pregnancy, number of children, and the employment of domestic staff or the keeping of extended relatives to assist in domestic activities. The paper concludes that the correlates between the family and work life of the Nigerian worker is significantly high; and as such, the relationship should be carefully managed to avoid negative effects on each other. We suggested among others that the family should be structured and managed in such a way that it does not negatively affect the employees’ work life. In the same vein, managers should make policies that will have positive effect on the family, since the family is the sole supplier of labour in society. It was further recommended that government should make laws and regulations that will guide corporate entities in formulating policies that will properly integrate the family and employees’ work life.