Download The Business Invitation Letter

Download Annual Review Form

Download Committment Letter

In an annual review provided by the Education Partnership Committee, your business must be able to document that you have successfully completed any number of the practices listed below:

1. Recognize student employees or the children of employees who do well in school (attendance, academics, and special honors).  Public recognition shows the importance you place on education and instills pride in the employees.
   
2. Provide scheduling flexibility to allow time for employees to actively participate in a child's education (volunteer work, parent-teacher conferences, mentoring etc.)
   
3. Provide opportunities for employees to attend seminars and classes on parenting skills and other related issues.
   
4. Set up an education information center, bulletin board, or web page in your place of business.  Relevant information could include parenting tips, school calendars, recognition, announcements, etc.
   
5. Encourage and recognize employees who take on leadership roles in the school system (PTC officer, room mother or father, school board member, booster club member, etc.).
   
6. Help schools communicate with parents by providing space to display school announcements, upcoming events, and other information.
   
7. Encourage employee to become “lifelong learners” through recognition of tuition assistance (GED attainment, continuing education, and higher education classes.)
   
8. Hire high school students on a part-time basis only during the school year and don't schedule them to work past 10 PM. 
   
9. If hiring non-high school graduates, encourage high school completion or require attainment of GED within a reasonable time. 
   
10. Serve as an advocate for education and for the school system (Junior Achievement Program, Small Business and Education Partnership).
    
11. Provide educational scholarships or sponsorships for employees and their children.
    
12. Support and participate in specific educational activities (career days).
    
13. Provide financial support for specific educational activities.
    
14. If hiring an active student, review report cards/progress reports to check for attendance, grades, and course of study.  Only hire those students who are advancing success.
    

          Recognition of businesses who participate will be found not only in chamber media, but also in local media outlets.  The Seguin Gazette and Seguin Daily News will feature articles on the business participants as well.  Finally, an Outstanding Family Friendly Business will be recognized at the annual banquet of the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce.  Additional plans for recognition are in the works and will include area churches recognition of Family Friendly Businesses through Sunday bulletins and/or monthly newsletters and public access cable television to feature segments of the approaches area businesses have implemented to facilitate Family Friendly Business practices.

          The timeline for implementing the Family Friendly Business plan is as follows:

Annually about August timeframe, the EPC invites the chamber members to participate in the FFB program for the upcoming year (via chamber letter, chamber paper, and email).  

Bi-Monthly from about August through June, the EPC will Advertise the FFB to chamber member, offering encouragement to keep up with the FFB program. 

EPC annually solicits to the Chamber Members to complete their Annual Review Form in about the June through July timeframe.

Annually about August timeframe, EPC reviews and rates the returned forms and approves the participants and selects an outstanding FFB award recipient. 

EPC annually acknowledges the FFB award recipients at the Annual Chamber Banquet.

EPC annually acknowledges the FFB award recipients through other noted media. 

          Research has found that family-friendly businesses produce happier, more productive employees.  Families with supportive workplaces are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction along with added commitment to the success of their businesses.  Happy workers produce productive businesses.

Furthermore, programs that address employee wellness outside of work can help curb absenteeism and create employee loyalty resulting in a competitive edge when employers are recruiting potential workers.

In conclusion research has found that:

1.  family-friendly businesses produces happy employees
   
2.  reduced absenteeism
   
3. and increases productivity.