Work-Life news for the week ending November 7, 2009

In the News

Can layoffs be good news? Maybe (Fredricksburg.com)

Most of the 12 survey respondents described the layoff in positive terms. It made them rethink the kind of jobs they wanted, and focus more on family and friends. They were more apt to target new jobs that offered meaning, security and a better work-life balance. Salary was less important than quality of life.

Don’t Get Strapped to Your work Desk (Santa Monica Daily News)

Balancing life’s requirements comes down to making clear choices about what’s important to you. In other words, it’s about you defining your values and making commitments to those values. Our values often shift throughout life.

Work/Life Balance Is Not a Woman’s Issue (American Prospect)

For all of our progress on framing the issue, however, one challenge remains largely unmet. We have yet to figure out a way to tag these issues as critical to both women and men. We have to stop using “work/life balance” as coded language for “working-mom stress.” Despite ample evidence that men are served by investing more time and energy outside the workplace and “coming out” as fathers while in it, there are very few men who are taking on this issue in a substantive, political way.

Part-Time Lawyers: Clients Accept Us (Law Week)

A reduction in office hours doesn’t always mean a reduction in success.
Lawyers and their law firms can flourish with successful “balanced-hours” programs, challenging the stigma that part-time arrangements are what the study’s authors call “bullets to the hearts of lawyers’ careers,” a recent study in Denver and two other cities has found.

40% of women won’t achieve a work/life balance due to stress at work (Consultant News)

With National Stress Awareness Day taking place next week (4th November) these recent findings just underline even further how stress at work is affecting women in achieving a work / life balance. The study was designed to determine to what extent women of working age in the UK agree or disagree with a range of attitude statements and determine their levels of contentment towards life, work, relationships and future prospects. Throughout the study women frequently experienced negative and stress related feelings, with 39% highlighting this fact further, by saying they are constantly feeling anxious.

Uncle Sam tends to federal families’ well-being (Government Executive)

Employees usually are encouraged to leave their personal lives at home when they go to the office. But these days it’s unrealistic to expect employees to lead perfectly bifurcated lives, particularly given the challenges associated with raising a family, caring for aging parents or coping with disease.  It’s much less taboo now for employees to ask for help in balancing the demands of home and office.

Balance key to employee satisfaction (Emirates Business)

There are many variables that influence an individual’s career choices. The balance of motivations is unique to every individual; some people relish highly challenging positions, while others are more focused on job stability and the work-life balance.  Higher compensation does not automatically equate to high job satisfaction. We have encountered many candidates who were well rewarded financially, but were unsatisfied with their jobs for other reasons.

Business Forum: Growing within the corporate lattice (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Job security is a thing of the past; workloads continue to increase by the hour, and loyalty to one company seems an anachronism. Add in the need for a better work/life balance and a multigenerational workforce with differing perceptions of success, and it becomes obvious that a new model for career growth is overdue.

Wanted: More Women in the Workforce (Asia One)

Hence the need to woo more women back to work. The female labour force participation rate here is only 56 per cent, compared to the average of 78.6 per cent in Scandinavian countries. This lower female participation rate pulled down Singapore’s position in a global competitiveness ranking – from third to 84th place.

‘I had it all, but I didn’t have a life’ (The Guardian)

Gaby Hinsliff, political editor of the Observer, has resigned to spend more time with her two-year-old son. She explains why she can’t juggle work and family any longer

Within weeks, both the government and the opposition will begin unveiling their plans for families, ranging from better quality part-time work to more leave for fathers. The coming election will confirm that our work-life balance is a political issue no serious party can now ignore.

In the Blogs

Military Families and Workplace Flexibility: The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Work and Family Blog)

At the bill signing ceremony, President Obama noted that this law “reaffirms our commitment to our brave men and women in uniform and our wounded warriors.” This is just the first of many laws that President Obama will likely sign that reaffirm this commitment and provide military families with access to additional time off and other types of workplace flexibility. We can also expect the President to fulfill his campaign promise to support the needs of all workers as they struggle to find a work-life balance. Stay tuned for more action from the Obama Administration in the months and years to come. In the meantime, employers should revise their FMLA policies to reflect the NDAA 2010, as well as notify employees of these changes.

On Achieving Work-Life Balance (Humingbird 604)

As we were making our way to the parking lot, it struck me really hard: when I work hard in what I love doing, I feel incredibly alive. I love consulting, I love teaching, I love research.  I am able to do all of that and maintain a social life. And I’m really enjoying it. All of it. I guess that is why I feel I have a work/life balance.

The Quest for Work-Life Balance (AAUW Blog)

I never finished that blog. Why? I got busy with work. I had to take time to go to the doctor and dentist. I had to deal with responsibilities around the house. I had to get my car fixed.  Compared to most women, my life is easy. I have no kids or other dependents; I have a good job, health insurance, and safe housing. But that doesn’t mean that work-life balance is something that even I can accomplish. It still seems like I am always juggling too much, trying to make sure none of the balls drop.

Obama Marriage: Balancing Competing Demands of Two Careers (The Juggle)

I’m far from being president of the United States, or of anything else, but my career decisions have largely led in my marriage, too. I’ve wanted to be a journalist since I was 6 years old and have never seriously considered doing anything else, even though it’s not a wildly lucrative profession for most people. My wife’s respect for my avocation has led her to wrestle with career choices much more than I’ve had to, ending up with her as our family’s primary breadwinner—while she’s remained, in most instances, the first responder on the home front as well. Finding ways to even out that balance is one of my big challenges.

Working Families welcomes government proposals on more family-shaped jobs (Women’s grid)

“It is great that the government is recognising the value that families put on time together, which often constrains the kind of jobs which parents can take on. Most parents who are job-seeking, are looking for part-time work. But there are far fewer part-time jobs available than there are part-time job-seekers. So new ideas to help employers fill their vacancies by creating more family-shaped jobs will help everybody.

7 Steps to Work-Life Balance (NorthStar News)

Achieving balance in your work and family life is about having a clear and focused mind, so that you can be free to give 100% in each area. You are free to be creative and make sound decisions, unhampered by outside stressors. Here are seven things to keep in mind

New Work-Life Balance Survey Live (Richard McKinnon)

As regular readers will know, I’m conducting research into Work-Life Balance for my Doctorate. I’ve just launched a new survey on the topic, which examines the perceived impact of the present economic downturn on employees’ Work-Life Balance.

Press Releases

Illinois-Based Mann. Weitz & Associates Joins List of 2009 Best Accounting Firms to Work For

“Fifteen years ago, our vision was to create a firm that would be large enough to provide clients with leading edge solutions but small enough to offer personalized attention and service to our specialized client base,” explained Leonard Weitz, managing partner and one of the founders of the firm.   “Critical to that vision are our employees,” added Mark Mann, another founder of the firm. “Over the years, we have responded to the changing needs for a family-friendly work environment and work-life balance. For example, about half of our staff works part-time, and our full-time employees receive flexibility for family needs. This strategy has paid off – our associate retention rate is an enviable 95 percent. We’re pleased to receive this national recognition for our commitment to our employees,” Mann concluded.

Prestwick House Remains a Top-Notch Place to Work Despite Economic Climate

In addition to offering a benefits package that includes matching 401k contributions and health, life, dental, disability, and vision insurance, Prestwick House encourages a healthy work-life balance and collegial atmosphere, according to the survey results.  “With options such as telecommuting and a flexible work schedule, tuition reimbursement, and paid time off for community service opportunities, employees are able to really build their own experience and grow in their field,” says Prestwick House copywriter Annie Rizzuto. “Prestwick House doesn’t just contract employees, they actually take the time to invest in our futures and make us an integral part of the team.”

Career Life Connection News and Events

Social Recruiting Summit – November 16 – NYC

Social media is rapidly becoming more than just another tool in a recruiter’s toolbox — it’s an important part of the future of the talent acquisition profession. The goal of #socialrecruiting summit is to have an industry conversation about these tools, talk about tactics and strategies that are already in the field and working, not pie-in-the-sky ideas.  Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection will be part of that conversation.  If you are attending the Social Media Summit or just in NYC and would like to talk about social media, workplace flexibility or work/life happiness with her contact her at chase at careerlifeconnection dot com.

Career Life Connection will be attending the OnRec/Kennedy Information Recruiting Conference in Chicago November 3 & 4th.  If you’d like to meet Leanne Chase and talk work/life with her contact her at chase at careerlifeconnection dot com.  You can also catch her and many HR professionals talking about how to fail spectacularly in business at this fun industry event.

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection spoke about #work/life with Human Resources Professionals during the October 8th Episode of HR Happy Hour:  The WorkLife Show.

Career Life Connection will be exhibiting at the Massachusetts Conference for Women on December 10, 2009 at the Boston Convention and Exhibit Center:  Come on by and talk work/life balance/flexibility/fit at the annual conference where women can connect, be motivated, network, get inspired and build their skill base.  Last year the event brought together more than 5,000 women for the day.

ERE Interviews:  Career Life Connection (JobRadio.fm)

Last week we stalked some of the job search vendors at the ERE Fall Expo in Hollywood Florida. This is the first of several interesting interviews from the expo floor. Meet Leanne Chase from Career Life Connection, an online community all about finding flexible work.