Dive Brief:

• Work-life balance is a hot topic these days, and employer's are searching for ways to keep employees happy. Yet, according to the Wall Street Journal online, few employees are taking advantage of work-flexibility perks.
• According to a new LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Co. Women in the Workplace study, for example, work-flexibility and development programs can deliver positive impact when they are used. 
• However, the study found, such programs remain underused with no more than 12% participating in flex options such as part-time or reduced scheduling or programs focused in improving maternity-leave transitions.

Dive Insight:

So, what gives?

Kimberly Elsbach, a professor of organizational behavior at the University of California, Davis, Graduate School of Management, told the Journal that people typically don't use flexible workplace benefits because they are worried that they will appear to be less career committed.

"They fear the perception that they're a burden to their colleagues, whether they are actually a burden or not," Elsbach said.

To boost participation in work-flexibility offerings, employers must build cultures where people feel safe taking advantage - a daunting task. The Journal article features two employers — Audax Private Equity, Moody's — who are trying to meet that challenge.