In the News
More Employers Should Adopt Flexible Work Practices Says Families Commission (Voxy News – New Zeland)
“While the Commission’s own entry was not a winner, it is great news that increasing numbers of employers are recognising the value of helping their employees achieve a good work-life balance through the imposition of flexible working programmes,” Mr Curry says. “Supporting staff to achieve work-life balance saves employers money, creates a more productive workplace, leads to higher productively and improves staff retention levels. The EEO’s research points to this conclusion, as does our own experience of flexible workplace practices at the Commission.”
Utah saves millions on four-day week (CBC News)
Only a slim majority of state employees endorsed the shortened worked week initially, but that number grew as the year progressed. “What we saw was 52 per cent of employees were favourable. They liked the idea of a 4/10 (workweek) before it started,” said Hansen. “But then there was this very big group that weren’t sure.” “But half way through the year, we did the same survey, same type of questions and that number went up to 70. And then when we got to the end of the pilot period, one year, that number went up to 82 per cent,” said Hansen.
Not Being There (Better, Faster, Cheaper – Harvard)
Report Reviews Use of “Telework” by Federal Agencies
Koskinen notes the benefits of TIGTA’s use of telework and sees more to come: “The real value of telework is not just the work/life balance that it promotes. By creating the policy and technical framework to ”tele-enable” all TIGTA employees we’ve been able to work with ourselves and our constituents at a level of responsiveness and productivity that was heretofore impossible. We see “mere telework” as a phase to go through in order to reach the tipping point on creating a much more nimble government organization. It’s not just about working from home that matters–it’s about working from anywhere with anyone at any time.”
Balancing Work and Life (The Age)
These so-called ”potentialists” – some in their 30s but usually in their 40s or 50s – are consumers happy to put up with an old bomb of a car or a smaller television in order spend their extra income on hobbies or developing skills, with cooking and writing the most popular, that could help them to swap careers.
French women don’t get fat, but they do get work-life balance (The Globe & Mail)
Every time I lectured in America, women would approach me afterwards to suggest I write a book of just this kind: not a business textbook but a guide to balancing work life with life life. This is why my business book, while covering important workplace skills and strategies, also covers style and food and wine and entertaining: because you can’t disassociate work from life. The book I wrote is as much about ‘art de vivre‘ as it is about getting ahead.
Pay gap a problem for both sexes (Sydney Morning Herald)
‘Until more men access workplace flexibility, these arrangements will continue to be seen as ‘solutions’ to the ‘problem’ of women’s employment rather than a means of supporting employees in managing their full range of responsibilities,” said Ms Steele.
Workplace health may be declining — what to do (CNN)
According to the report, one of the biggest predictors of feeling healthy is a balance between work and personal life. “If someone has difficulty with this balance,” says Endlich, “then they’re going to be cutting back wherever they can,” including on important components of a healthy lifestyle, like getting enough sleep, shopping for and preparing healthy food, and exercising.
Zappos CEO Hsieh: How to build a company culture that delivers happiness (VentureBeat)
A lot of other companies talk about figuring out work-life balance. For most companies, that implies that work must suck so you need a life on the outside. At Zappos, we’re more focused on creating a lifestyle.
In the Blogs
Workplace Flexibility: An Issue for Both Genders (Young Women Misbehavin’)
To build on “A Woman’s Nation” the cover story of last week’s Time Magazine entitled “The American Woman” included a poll that asked men and women their thoughts and opinions on a whole host of issues. Included in the poll was a question around whether businesses have done enough for modern families. The poll found that “Eighty-four percent of Americans agree (53% strongly) that businesses haven’t done enough to address the needs of modern families. Asked what would have to change to make it easier to balance work and marriage and children, 54% of women and 49% of men said more-flexible work hours or schedules; 15% of women and 17% of men said more paid time off; and 13% of women and 12% of men said better or more day-care options.”
Fancy a four day working week? (Manchester Confidential)
The success of the trial of a 10/4 week (that’s working 10 hours a day, four days a week) initially received stalemate feedback from workers in the state, with only 52 per cent in favour, but by the end of the year this figure had risen to 82 per cent. The experiment also proved favourable when it came to the governor’s state issues. Utah saved around $5m in total during the trial which included $500,000 less to heat and cool buildings and $250,000 less in janitorial services.
Employees target better work-life balance (Ashdown Group)
A study by telecoms firm O2 has found that 71 per cent of workers think Britons have reassessed what makes them happy because of the recession. It also suggested that people are less willing to sacrifice their home lives for monetary rewards, with 58 per cent of respondents stating they would choose to earn less cash if they could work for a firm which gives them time to pursue their own interests.
Work-Life Balance? The Mantra That Balances What Matters (Huffington Post)
Balance is about identity. It’s knowing who you are and what matters most so that you honor your priorities in the way you want and need to honor them. We sacrifice so much of ourselves to things that don’t matter. The mantra isn’t “Work life balance.” It’s, “I know what matters and I honor that truth.”
Speakers Highlight Research Studies On Health Benefits of Workplace Flexibility (Twiga Foundation)
Looking at the health characteristics of workers in relation to the openness of supervisors, Berkman found that those workers whose supervisors were more open and creative regarding workplace flexibility were less likely to exhibit risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure or cholesterol. Workers whose supervisors were less flexible, meanwhile, were more than twice as likely to exhibit those factors, Berkman said.
California: An Example of State Action on Workplace Flexibility (Huffinton Post)
Five years ago, California became the first state in the nation to provide wage replacement to workers who take time for family and care giving responsibilities. Since October is National Work & Family Month, we should note of this important anniversary. I hope that light can be shined on the importance of creative public policy to help workers balance their lives through workplace flexibility.
Work/Life Balance Is Not a Woman’s Issue (The American Prospect)
Men need family-friendly workplaces, too. So why is this issue framed as something only mothers should care about?
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.
Prepare your work flow for a snow day (lifehacker)
Don’t let a snow day—or any other kind of inclement weather day—throw your work week out of whack. A little bit of preparation and planning can ensure a snow day is a fun chance to work from home instead of a headache that follows you through the rest of the month. The following advice would serve you well all year long, but especially when a winter storm could keep you home bound.
As Europeans struggle with work/life balance, British Airways offers flights to business travellers (Emportal)
With more than a third of Europeans working an average of 50 hours a week₁, it’s not surprising that almost half (43 per cent) have a work/life balance that falls short of making them happy, according to a British Airways survey of 6,000 Europeans (commissioned by YouGov₁).
The Art of Productive Laziness (BestManagmentArticles.com)
Lazy does not mean Stupid. No I really mean that we should all adopt a more focused approach to project management and to exercise our efforts where it really matters, rather than rushing around like busy, busy bees involving ourselves in unimportant, non-critical activities that others can better address, or indeed that do not need addressing at all in some cases.
Science behind the laziness – being focused
Management in the Bravo generation (JoonAng Daily)
For Bravos (Gen. Y), work life is considered part of life as a whole. Having more free time and improving their quality of life are their main goals, rather than sacrificing their personal life for the sake of the company. The survey results showed that only 48 percent of Bravos felt a sense of ownership of their company, compared to 73 percent for the previous generation. In addition, the “work-life balance” is an important standard that they adhere to when choosing a job.
Some things to know if you want it all (livemint.com)
These days, everyone makes work-life balance decisions—from working mothers and fathers to single people. Work-life balance means making choices and trade-offs and living with their consequences. It’s that simple, and that complex. Just remember, you are not in this alone. Your company also feels the impact of your choices and actions. With that in mind, let’s take a work-life balance reality check from your boss’s point of view.
Work-Life Tip Sheet for a Successful Workplace (Corporate Voices for Working Families)
Throughout October – National Work & Family Month – we have been looking at a variety of issues and topics affecting working families. Deborah Frett, CEO of the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation, recently wrote an article for The Huffington Post that makes suggestions to help all workplaces become more aware and in touch with their employees. “The Work-Life Tip Sheet: 10 Steps to a Successful Workplace” features flexibility, an important aspect of Corporate Voices’ work, as one key to developing a successful workplace:
Motivational Speaker Bureau Speaker Spotlight 0708 (The Raleigh 10)
The Water Coolers are a musical comedy troupe who portray the Working Class in corporate America. Do you ever feel like you have got all your eggs in one basket, six balls in the air, 2 kids waiting to be picked up from soccer practice, and 7000 emails to return? Well gather ’round. THE WATER COOLERS™ delivers a high-powered, laugh-out-loud combination of sketch comedy and music about what we go through just making each day happen – life, work, kids, husbands, wives, travel, technology – and trying to balance them all…more on Corporate Entertainers and Musical Comedy Group, The Water Coolers
Vacation days around the world (Americablog)
Last week I spent a few days in Copenhagen for business and was quite interested in their work-life balance attitudes. Many arrived at the office earlier than I wake up in the morning but they also were heading out by 3PM or 4PM….Danes were very keen to strike a comfortable work-home balance.
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.