title: Benefits and work-schedule options in hospital pharmacy practice.
abstract: Hospital pharmacy directors were surveyed to determine whether their departments offered specific family-related benefits and work-schedule options and how their attitudes about these options compared with those of female hospital pharmacists. Questionnaires were mailed to 300 randomly selected hospital pharmacy directors to collect the following information: vacancy rates and male:female ratios in hospital pharmacy positions, which of 13 selected benefits and work-schedule options were offered, barriers that prevented the other options from being offered, and attitudes about the listed options. The options included in the survey were selected because they represent ways of balancing home and work (e.g., maternity leave, job sharing, day care). The pharmacy directors' responses were compared with those from a similar survey of female hospital pharmacists. The usable response rate was 50.3%. Position vacancy rates ranged from 5.5% for directors to 35.8% for clinical supervisors. All full-time positions had an even distribution of men and women except for director and assistant or associate director positions. Of 13 options, only maternity leave, part-time schedules, and flexible schedules were offered by more than half of the hospitals. These three were also the only listed options that the respondents considered important in recruiting and retaining pharmacists. Barriers to offering other options included the perception that current benefits and work-schedule options were adequate, lack of staff coverage, lack of funds, and the perception that some positions are not compatible with alternative schedules. Respondents' ratings of the importance of the listed benefits and work-schedule options were significantly lower than ratings given by female hospital pharmacists in a separate survey.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan (UM), Ann Arbor 48109-1065.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Gaither
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Diokno
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hoffman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017407:Family Leave; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016524:Parental Leave; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014931:Women, Working; D000078329:Workforce