Disclaimer:  this is a special offer for employers…not a usual article

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We are excited to soon be offering a job board where employers who flex can promote their jobs and their employer brands.   But we have a few requirements…first, you need to flex, so please fill out this form and let us know how your company supports a balanced work environment or is moving in that direction.

This is not a democracy but it’s also not a tyranny.  If the form doesn’t work for you, please let us know – we’re  still tweaking.  Our goal is to build a better community/job board for both employers and those interested in working more flexibly.  We need your help to achieve this goal.  Please do not hesitate to give feedback, ask questions and air concerns.

Career Life Connection is an online community/job board focusing on research, discussion and job listings for people interested in workplace flexibility.

In the News

Workers with aging parents need resources, flexibility (Business Lexington)

Approximately one in four households in the United States is involved in caring for an aging adult. Kentucky statistics reveal that 1 in 6 adults provide care for an older or disabled adult. Two-thirds of these adults work, and trends suggest this percentage will increase in years to come.

Business work/life balance part I (Psychology Today)

I think of work/life balance as being like a healthful and delicious meal. To create such a meal you must have the right combination of ingredients in just the right amounts. I believe there are six essential ingredients in work/life balance: personal, physical, professional, social, spiritual, and avocational. Which of these ingredients and their quantities you need is up to you. But if one or more of the ingredients that are important to you aren’t present in your life, your life can’t be balanced.

Bad Economy Hasn’t Changed Gen Y’s Desire For Work/Life Balance (BusinessWeek)

Apparently students still value work-life balance above all else when listing top characteristics of an ideal entry-level employer, placing it well above other factors such as salary and meaningful work.  This according to Tracy Lynn Drye, the Senior VP of Employer Branding & University Relations at Universum USA, the research firm BusinessWeek partners with for the student data portion of our Best Places to Launch a Career rankings.

How Do We Measure Whether Our Work/Life Programs Make Employees More Productive? (Workforce Management)

There are many ways to study the quality of work/life for employees at your company, and it is well worth the effort. Satisfaction with work/life is highly correlated with employee engagement, which in turn boosts productivity and retention. We recommend a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to study work/life.

Milwaukee employers honored for flexibility (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Fuel Milwaukee, the talent development arm of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, has announced that 16 regional companies are among the national winners of the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility…Fuel Milwaukee noted greater participation in the program, despite the economic downturn. The number of award winners from the Milwaukee area rose from 11 a year ago.

“We also want to help our members learn how to balance their lives while leading successful careers in life insurance and financial services,” he continued. “As I have traveled the world visiting members, I have found becoming a ‘whole person’ is one of the most valued benefits of MDRT and we remain fully committed to it.”

Fear and Laboring in California (Reuters)

The statewide survey found that 51% of employed Californians are experiencing heavier workloads and 53% have less job security than they did before the
state's economic woes and recession took its toll...Three-quarters of Californians (75%) agreed that employers need to
make work/life balance more of a priority

Convergys call center accomodates workers’ needs (Kileen Daily Herald)

And once the employee lands at Convergys, they find a host of creative ways to foster flexibility. Employees who exhibit good work habits or go above and beyond the call of duty will be able to make their own schedules. And Haslam works hard to let his employees know it’s not the end of the world if they need to take a break to pick up a child from day care, for instance.

Afraid to take time off? Wisconsin Lawyer

Most of the law students I talked to were more interested in a healthy work-life balance. More experienced lawyers know all about making personal sacrifices to become professionally successful. It’s how many of them got to where they are today.  But many of today’s law school graduates see the world much differently. And while I’m as “old school” as anyone, I have to admit recent graduates might have the right idea.

More Canadians feel work is taking over their life (Financial Post)

A survey done on behalf of Everest College, conducted by Harris/Decima, had 78% of respondents saying it’s important to work less to have more time for one’s self, family and friends.  However, the same poll also had 34% saying that work dominates their lives. Almost as many – 31% – said that, as a result of the recent economic downturn, they are expected to put in longer hours at work for the same or less pay.  Another aspect pointing to a link between poor economic conditions and a population’s overall work-life balance is the fact that just 12% said work dominated their lives in a similar survey done a year ago.

Workplace Guidelines Released (Manufacturers’ Monthly – Australia)

The benefits of family-friendly workplaces, gender pay equity and good faith bargaining are among the issues canvassed in a series of new guidelines to help small to medium-size Australian businesses…The new guides cover Work & Family, Consultation & Co-operation, Individual Flexibility Arrangements, Employing Young Workers, Gender Pay Equity, Small Business, Workplace Privacy, Managing Under-performance, Effective Dispute Resolution and Improving Workplace Productivity in Bargaining.

Want good staff to stay? Balance life, work better (AsiaOne Business)

Findings by Deloitte show business leaders are increasingly focusing on staff turnover. Two-thirds are fearful of losing outstanding employees after the recession.  Work-life balance has become a deciding factor in employee job selection. More than half of the respondents surveyed by HR agency Robert Half and ACCA said they would take a job that paid less but had better work-life balance.

In the Blogs

Cash bonus swings the work-life balance for employers (Thompsons blog)

More than 25% of all companies in Singapore picked up a S$10,000 bonus by adopting flexible working arrangements in the first half of the year, according to the Ministry of Manpower.  That means S$5,750,000 in grants was paid out to 575 companies – 28% of the countries 2,053 companies that was an increase from 21% the year before.  To qualify for the payment, companies had to show they had put in place equipment or processes improving the work-life balance for staff.  One of the top indicators was changing systems to allow employees to work from home.

10 Tips for Managing Gen Y (The Glass Hammer)

Gen Ys believe they have more choice about work-life balance than previous generations, and if they don’t have it at your company they are likely to look for it elsewhere.

Knowing What’s Important (Key Group Consulting)

KEYGroup’s research team conducted a survey of more than 1,000 Millennials and asked them to rank the most important determinant of an attractive workplace. The results may surprise you.  Health benefits was listed as the highest-ranked factor followed by work-life balance, promotional opportunities and then salary.

Edelman’s HR Leader Realizes Sabbatical Benefits for Herself and Her Team (YourSabbatical.com)

By going on sabbatical, Smith stretched her team. “They knew that they had the opportunity to make some decisions themselves, as opposed to asking me what we should do. There were a few instances where they were tempted to call, but they didn’t. They talked it through as a team and solved problems together.”  When she mentioned to non-Edelman friends and acquaintances that she was on sabbatical, Smith realized the impact that having such a program has on Edelman’s brand as an employer. “I can’t tell you the number of people I encountered who said, ‘Oh my gosh, what company do you work for? Companies actually do that?’ It’s a huge statement about what kind of organization we are.”

4 Work/Life balance lessons we can learn from TV (Jobacle.com)

As a corporate-world escapee, artist, psychotherapist and freelance writer, I’d love to tell you that I’ve achieved this balance. Well, kind of. Has it been from years of diverse work experience, clinical training and vast amounts of self-help/biz-book reading? Nah, I’ve picked it up from watching too much TV – not brainy PBS-type TV, but sitcoms, reality shows, etc. Here’s what I’ve learned…

Reverse the female brain drain with workplace flexibility (Knowledge Network)

Somewhere around 42 percent of professional women voluntarily leave their careers, at least temporarily. And only 5 percent of highly qualified women looking to re-enter the workforce would consider working for the company they left. Organizations willing to rethink the traditional career model can reverse these trends and gain a competitive advantage…Unfortunately, the traditional workplace model does not allow for arc of career flexibility. Recruiters and employers remain suspicious of people who take time out. Continuous, full-time employment and long hours are still used to judge employee commitment and performance.

Inaugural list of top employers for working families in UK (Examiner.com)

The family-friendly organizations on the list have a reputation for helping to change the outcome for employees in the area of childcare, employee support and wellbeing.

Events

Cincinnati work life balance event to address one of top three challenges (Examiner.com)

“Finding and Keeping Your Balance”, a WE Share event, will take place on Thursday, September 17th at the Cintas Center.  WE Share events are intimate, roundtable discussions with some of Cincinnati’s most successful women business leaders.

Career Life Connection News and Events

Career Life Connection is excited to announce that IWearYourShirt.com’s September 10th show will be streamed live from their booth at the ERE Expo on Sept. 10th.  Stop by booth #205 to meet Jason Sadler and talk with him about how he achieved social media ROI success.

Career Life Connection at ERE Expo Sept. 10-11, Hollywood, Florida

Career Life Connection will be in booth #205 at the ERE Expo.  We will be talking about workplace flexibility and video taping interviews with companies and workers who flex.

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

(more…)

Happy Labor Day weekend.  If you are like many Americans you will be heading to a bbq or beach this weekend.  On the way there you will probably sit in a lot of traffic (especially today and Monday).  You will find yourself far from alone on the beaches and as you shop for your bbq groceries you will face crowded stores.

Why?  Because corporate America still insists on thinking like they did when Labor Day was first celebrated back in 1882…which was a time when many American workers toiled in factories for long hours in poor working conditions.  Our surroundings and working conditions certainly have improved but the way we work is still being dictated by others…without much forethought for what is best for workers.

Think about it.  Someone has decided we need to work on M-F from roughly 9-5 and that holidays should occur on Mondays.  And we all should go along with it.  What if we didn’t?  What if we worked as needed, met our deadlines with quality work and skipped the crowds?  Less rush hour, alarm clocks only necessary if you have meetings to attend to, if you are a night person work then, a day person work then.

I know this seems crazy to many of you, but some of us do it already.  More than 30% of the workforce are independent workers.  A number that has been growing 7X faster than traditional corporate employees since 2002.  I worked in TV for many years.  I never worked the same hours each day or each week.  My schedule was based on the work I needed to do and I almost never faced a rush hour or went on vacation with throngs of people, I worked traditional holidays and received comp. days for working them…so my holidays came when you all were in the office and I had the beach and roads to myself.

This post was inspired by a tweet:  “JanetAHutton - @leanneclc Instead of “Labor Day” – Labor “Way” – in the way we work celebrating open flexible work.”  And I thank Janet.  I hadn’t thought of it formally but it is the way I live my life: I take my little one out of school rather than vacation during traditional vacation weeks,  my husband and I celebrate “Valentine’s Day” on any day after Feb. 14th so we don’t have to pay an artificially high price for flowers, dinner or anything else and I love working traditional holidays…when I worked in an office it took me about half as long to get all my work done that day.

This may be one more generational shift happening in the work world.    X and Y aren’t going to do things “the way we’ve always done them.”  We’re going to think it through and do what makes sense for us as individuals.  That’s right, what’s right for “us”  as individuals, not what’s right for the corporation because they say so!  And this may be another reason why I’ve seen articles like this one asking if HR is fatally flawed.  And yes, I think it is…but not because it can be outsourced…because it is not “listening” to what is happening in the work world and changing with it.  Instead it is still thinking about traditional Labor Day-type practices and many of us are no longer interested in that.

HR – what do you think about changing the way we work?

Workers – Would you prefer to work traditionally or do you go for a less traditional approach?

This post is inspired by Don Hewitt and failure.

Don Hewitt was the brainchild behind and driving force of “60 Minutes.” He was a pioneer in TV journalism from his early days with Ed Morrow and CBS News to 60 Minutes.  I was a journalism major in college and I ended up being a TV producer by happenstance.  I am in awe of what Don Hewitt accomplished and the integrity he showed doing it.  When recently watching the tribute to him on his beloved show he talked about how he felt “60 Minutes” strength was that the show tells good, human stories.

And that’s what I hope this blog does…tells a good story regarding workplace flexibility and how careers and life need to help each other out in order for people to feel successful.   And I definitely feel my career and my life is successful.  It’s just that right now I feel my life is great and this website needs work.  Some of the goals I had hoped to accomplish by now…just haven’t happened.  And I need some more time to focus on that part (which I don’t enjoy as much) instead of writing (which I really like to do).

So I need to buckle down.  It’s also time to hear other voices on this blog not just mine.  And people have expressed interest in taking part…so let’s go.  Tell us all a story.

There are some parameters.  I will be the Don Hewitt of this blog.  They certainly can bend or even break as needed but here are my guidelines:

1) This blog is about how life and careers need to flex.  Your story must have that element.  It does not need to be the main element or even the most obvious element…but it needs to play nice with previous and future entries.

2) No salesy stories.  I am happy for you to promote your brand, product, etc. as long as you do so either in your brief bio or organicly in the story.  If you beat me about the head and shoulders you don’t stand a chance with me…or this great community.

3) Be nice.  Sarcastic…no problem.  Snarky…nope.  Think Kathy Griffin vs. Chelsea Handler.  One says what we are all thinking and the other can be downright mean.  And my philosophy is that mean people suck…

4) Be authentic.  You don’t have to bare your soul, but you need to be authentic and honest.

5) Don’t try to snow me…I have hired/fired/managed interns for very high-profile projects, I have produced TV shows where I had to decide who’s words and pieces got in and who got cut, I have written & edited a very successful corporate newsletter and webinar program with guest speakers/writers.  I can smell BS and I am not a fan.

What will I be doing while you are toiling?  Not lounging I can assure you.

• getting more members of the community to talk to each other on the forums, on this blog, on twitter and facebook and maybe even in person
• reaching out to employers to get them to promote their flexiblity and their jobs on the website…hopefully bringing a much more focused job board to those out of work in the community
• writing longer pieces on workplace flex and why it is where the workplace is headed
• video taping interviews with workplaces and workers about flex for posting/distribution (and yes, editing those videos…ugghh!)
• promoting awareness of this website and blog to build the community
• being a wife, mother, daughter, friend, sports fan, traveler and career woman never in the same order day-to-day.

So le’ts get to work!

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PS If you know any interns who want to help out…I’m hiring.  The pay is quite low (zero) but as my previous interns will tell you, good work will be rewarded.  If you live in Boston…I have a computer you can use.  Or you can live anywhere as long as you have a computer and a phone.  And you can work your hours anytime…as long as you get your work done well and on time.