Workplace Flexibility for Week Ending May 13, 2009
June 15th, 2009 | by admin
In the News
Work/Life balance issues (The City Wire)
Accenture surveyed 200 professionals in the U.S. and found that 79% said it is important to maintain a balance between their work and personal lives, yet 53% acknowledge that they work on vacation.
A better work/life balance is possible (Atlanta Journal Constitution)
In 2006, 53 percent of employees believed they had a good work/life balance. Only 30 percent thought so by the first quarter of 2009, according to research by the Corporate Executive Board. One reason might be that in today’s workplace companies and shareholders are expecting greater productivity with fewer employees
Whistle While You Work (Lawn & Landscape)
“Every employee must have certain needs met at the workplace such as safety, health, work/life balance and proper pay,” says Len Wysocki, a Connecticut-based psychologist, and representative of the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program. “And all companies should strive for those goals.” Wysocki says it’s not only the right thing to do, but a wise business decision, too. “It’s not just about being a humanitarian, but about improving your business,” he explains. “If an employee feels they are offered a chance for development in the company and a safe and stable place to work where their needs are being met, they are more likely to be both physically and emotionally present at the job – and that makes them better employees.”
Workplace Flexibility versus Unpaid Leave (National Center for Policy Initiatives)
The FMLA was enacted with good intentions: to help employees strike the right balance between their personal lives and careers without being penalized. Unfortunately, it adds to the cost of employment, reduces the ability of employers and employees to make flexible workplace arrangements, and makes small businesses less competitive in the marketplace.
Anxious Japanese Are Working Themselves to Death (BusinessWeek)
For sure, the culture of hard work, even when it risks worker health, runs deep. One government survey found that nearly 90% of workers say they didn’t even know what the term work-life balance meant. And 4 out of 5 say they would cancel a date if asked by a superior to work overtime, according to a poll by the Japan Productivity Center for Social-Economic Development, a Tokyo think tank.
Situation Re-evaluation: creating balance (Examiner)
Part of self-knowledge is the ability to achieve balance, and job-seekers rank work-life balance as second only to compensation, according to a 2009 Corporate Executive Board survey. The board surveyed over 50,000 global workers and results indicated employees who feel they have achieved work-life balance work, on average, 21 percent harder than employees who feel they have not achieved work-life balance.
Columnist Sue Shellenbarger answers readers’ questions (Wall Street Journal)
Fathers are taking more responsibility for child care, says a recent Families and Work Institute study of about 2,800 U.S. workers. The proportion of men reporting work-life conflict has risen sharply over the past three decades to 45%, surpassing the 39% of women who say they experience some or a lot of work-life conflict.
Economic Downturn Rattles Younger Workers While Older Employees Tough It Out, Boston College Study Finds (SOA World Magazine)
Looking across different generations of workers, researchers found employees of all ages reporting a drop in employee engagement, a measure of how invested and enthusiastic employees are in their work. While employees overall report declining engagement, older workers in this study appear to be weathering the economic storm better than their younger peers.
Seniors as Entrepreneurs: Their Time Has Come (Business Week)
A combination of economic volatility as well as the growing number of baby boomers with time, energy, and money on their hands has redefined the starting age for new startups and has led to a surge in senior citizen entrepreneurs.
Work-Life Balance a Challenge for Canadians (Canada.com)
Forty-four per cent of Canadians say their work has a negative impact on their family and interferes with the time they spend with their children, the report found, while 26 per cent of fathers and 33 per cent of mothers suffer excessive stress from lack of time.
Small Talk: Economy makes some company owners rethink vacation (Salt Lake Tribune)
How small business owners are grappling with whether they can afford to take a vacation this year or not.
How to keep working remotely during a transition (Examiner)
“I have been working remotely as an individual contributor for a company headquartered in San Jose for the past 5 years. The company recently announced that it will start to require all employee to work on-site a couple of days a week. Can they make me drive to San Jose to work? Help”
In the Blogs
SHRM COO China Gorman Set to Testify Before House Education and Labor Subcommittee (2009 SHRM annual conference blog)
SHRM is advocating a 21st Century workplace flexibility policy that meets the needs of today’s employers and employees. SHRM believes that employers should be encouraged to provide paid leave without new federal rules and regulations. Under SHRM’s proposal, employers that offer a certain amount of paid leave voluntarily would be deemed to have met all federal, state and local leave requirements. We believe this approach will lead to more paid leave for employees and more predictability for employers.
5 Barriers to Workplace Flexibility (Ezine Articles)
Here are five barriers to workplace flexibility that may be holding you and your organization back from fully embracing the flexibility you want and need.
Corporate Voices’ Study Demonstrates Benefits of Workplace Flexibility to Hourly Employees and Businesses (Sloan Work and Family Research Network blog)
When Michelle Obama attended the Corporate Voices for Working Families Annual Meeting in early May, she talked about the importance of work-life programs to working families and to the competitiveness of American business.
In conjunction with Mrs. Obama’s talk, Corporate Voices released a comprehensive study that looks at workplace flexibility options and programs involving hourly employees, Innovative Workplace Flexibility Options for Hourly Workers.
Jumping into the Get-A-Life Fray (Open Source WorInProgress Blog)
Review of the “Get a Life” conference targeting the law profession. Funny quote from blog: Diversity: The majority of lawyers in attendance were bankruptcy lawyers. Seems as if the first step into getting a life is to not practice bankruptcy law.
Press Releases
“Hollister has chosen to sponsor the Best Places to Work event since its inception in 2003 because we recognize the value in creating an attractive work environment. Today’s job seekers are looking to work for companies with personality and that put employees first when it comes to daily office life,” said Kip Hollister, Founder and CEO of Hollister, Inc. “The companies that the BBJ recognizes annually understand that each employee is integral to their success and therefore an asset. They are committed to nurturing a stimulating, positive work environment, as a means to retain and attract quality employees.”
Munger, O’Melveny, and Oaktree to Open Child Care Center for Employees
MTO associate Kate Anderson developed the idea for the center as she struggled to find quality child care for her twin daughters post-maternity leave. MTO’s managing partners provided resources and encouragement to help bring the vision into fruition. MTO also sought like-minded firms to partner with, and invited O’Melveny and Oaktree to join them. The center will serve the three firms, with limited public availability.
Events
How to Eliminate Stress from Your Work – Free Teleclass (Wed, June 17th)
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
