Workplace Flexibility in the News for the Week Ending May 30, 2009
June 1st, 2009 | by admin
In the News
Shodor Recognized as a Workplace of Excellence (HPC Wire)
Shodor — a nonprofit serving students and educators nationwide — was one of six greater Durham area employers recognized as winners of the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. This is the third year Shodor has won the honor.
On the Home Front, a Twist of Candor (New York Times)
But since she arrived in the White House four months ago, she has told People magazine that her marriage isn’t perfect. She has told young women that she wonders whether she is doing what’s best for her children as she balances her work and motherhood.
Financial Careers Come at a Cost to Families (New York Times)
On almost every aspect of work-life balance, finance and consulting look pretty bad. People who take time off in those fields suffer large penalties, both in terms of money and career opportunities, once they return to full-time work. And part-time jobs are hard to come by, which often forces people to make a choice between working a 70-hour week and leaving a job entirely.
Valerie Jarrett’s Inside Take on First Lady Michelle Obama (US News)
But Michelle’s bright, she’s a quick study, and she had a clear idea of what her priorities would be in terms of the family and the kinds of issues that she was going to be involved in: work-life balance, military spouses, national service, nutrition and health, and the garden that she’s planted. These are all priorities that she’s had for a long time.
From the Mouths of Young CPAs (Accounting Tomorrow)
We were surprised that work-life balance was ranked as low as fifth (tied with benefits). It was ranked No. 1 last year. CPA firm partners commonly believe that work-life balance is as important as anything to the staff. When we probed this issue, the staff shared with us that, due to the recession, they weren’t as concerned about work-life balance as much as in the past. At this point, the staff were glad they had good jobs; many of their friends are unemployed.
Get a Life: Not very family-friendly (Federal Computer Week)
The new director of the Office of Personnel Management has his work cut out for him if he is as family friendly as his previous experience suggests. The 2009 Best Places to Work survey showed that employees gave agencies the highest scores for using their skills well and the lowest scores for having a family-friendly culture.
Report on flexible work arrangements sets the stage for national conversation, calls on federal government to lead by example (Aspen Publishers)
On the heels of First Lady Michelle Obama’s challenge to find ways to encourage employers to provide more flexibility to employees, Workplace Flexibility 2010, a Georgetown Law-based think tank, released a new report outlining the most comprehensive set of policy solutions to expand Americans’ access to flexible work arrangements (FWAs) such as compressed workweeks, predictable schedules, and telework.
Poor economy makes physicians less inclined to leave a practice (American Medical News)
An AMGA survey finds turnover has declined, and retirement is being delayed. But work-life balance remains a big issue.
Perfectionism Hits Working Women (BBC News – UK)
A study of 288 adults found that a higher proportion of women felt they did not meet their own high standards with family and workplace commitments. Such perfectionism can have a negative effect on the work-life balance, the authors said.
Employees praise advantages of working at home to family life (Wales News – UK)
WALES has the highest percentage of employees working from home, research published today has revealed. A study of more than 4,000 people provides a unique snapshot into the lives of British workers. It reflects a growing commitment to flexible shifts as nearly a third – 29% – of people working in Wales said that they operate from remote offices at home.
Working from home will leave you isolated, bizarrely dressed and a little bit crazy (Times Newspapers – UK)
Comic take on the downsides of working from home including dehydration…
Female executives battle on beneath glass ceiling (Singapore Enquirer)
Respondents cited the male-oriented nature of management and a shift in priorities towards attaining a better work-life balance as reasons for their pessimism about advancement opportunities.
In the Blogs
Women Redefining the Workplace (Corporate Voices for Working Families blog)
This article in BusinessWeek discusses how women are looking for creative and more manageable work schedules so they may tend to family needs and have better work/life balance. In “Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success” due out June 2, the two female authors cite studies that show the increasing impact of professional women on companies’ bottom lines and gives practical advice on how to create a more sane work life.
Report Highlights Benefits of Flexible Work Arrangements (JobsintheMoney’s CareerWire)
“…We believe the current crisis underscores the need for, and value of, flexible work arrangements,” writes the National Advisory Commission on Workplace Flexibility. “Flexible work arrangements give workers a fair chance to juggle the competing demands of personal life and work successfully, particularly during the time when older workers need to work longer to secure retirement and women’s labor force participation is on the rise.
The Best Career for Work-Life Balance (The Stash)
Finance, on this score, is worse than law and worse than academia. It is far worse than medicine, which emerges from the research as the highly paid profession with the most flexibility.
Flexible Work Public Policy Platform (MomsRising.org blog)
On May 13, Workplace Flexibility 2010, an organization at Georgetown University, released its summary report: Public Policy Platform on Flexible Work Arrangements.
Five Ways Millenials Can Prepare to Change the Legal Industry (Fearfully Optimistic)
We know that the lockstep compensation model is reeling. It’s possible that the up-or-out model is going to be under attack next. That means that there will be opportunities to choose between different types of work-life balance.
Press Releases
Work-Life Benefits Key to Employee Satisfaction, Retention During Credit Crunch
Many employees are feeling the pressure to work harder than ever in an effort to please managers and ensure job security. But as workplace anxieties rise and employees have less time for family and personal commitments, benefits that promote work-life balance play an increasingly important role in morale, productivity and ultimately the company’s bottom line.
Primitive Logic Ranked 2nd in The Business Times “Best Places to Work”
Primitive Logic, the San Francisco based employee owned, premier business consulting and technology services firm, was ranked 2nd in The San Francisco Business Times “Best Places to Work in the Bay Area” survey; in which employees complete an anonymous survey to qualify for the nomination.
As workers across the nation make plans to participate in the fifth annual Leave the Office Earlier Day, June 2, which is listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events, many of them are feeling the added stress of increasingly heavy workloads and responsibilities because of the layoff-laden recession.
Resources
Career Life Connection News and Events
Small Business Expo and Career Fair, May 21, Quincy, MA
Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection to speak on Social Networking: Linked In, Facebook and Twitter
Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar
Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue; summary of teleseminar discussion on Workplace Flex.
Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)
Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.
New Nanny Math (Forbes)
Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,
Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)
It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife
Career Life Connection on You Tube
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