In the News

We did it! (The Economist)

Demand for female brains is helping to alleviate some of these problems. Even if some of the new theories about warm-hearted women making inherently superior workers are bunk, several trends favour the more educated sex, including the “war for talent” and the growing flexibility of the workplace. Law firms, consultancies and banks are rethinking their “up or out” promotion systems because they are losing so many able women. More than 90% of companies in Germany and Sweden allow flexible working. And new technology is making it easier to redesign work in all sorts of family-friendly ways.

It’s 9am? Time to go back to bed (Irish Times)

IMAGINE A world without alarm clocks. A world where you could choose to work when you were at your most productive. A world where the results of your labours were what counted, not how long you spent at your desk. Sounds idyllic? If Danish activist and entrepreneur Camilla Kring is right, it may be the future for all of us.  She’s the founder of B-Society, an organisation with more than 8,000 members in 50 countries, which aims to create a more flexible world. “We all have different forms of family, different ways of working, different biological rhythms,” says Kring.  “But society only supports the ‘A-Persons’, who work best from nine-to-five. I really think we need a revolution in the way we organise society so we can support diversity in the way we work and live.” This new society would include schools, childcare facilities and universities running on later schedules.

Best Practices for Rehiring Laid-Off Workers (Human Resources Executive)

The employee you let go previously may now have different career goals from when they were last in your employ. There is nothing like the wake-up call of a layoff to remind people about the need for proactive career management.  Further research we’ve done in this area highlights that people are attracted by career-development opportunities, attaining work/life balance and working for an innovative company culture. If management doesn’t provide employees with these opportunities, then workers are going to take their knowledge and skills elsewhere.

Learning the Art of Retaining Talent (Emirates Business)

Following some key principles within your organisation will help to put you on track to providing an environment which fosters a philosophy of the need to retain talent…- Nobody wants to compromise a comfortable work life balance in the long term. Ensure that your working practices reflect the opportunity for your employees to create this balance, and make any violation of this an exception to the rule.

Doctor: Cardiac-related stress problems hard to diagnose, treat (TampaBay.com)

A few hours after the Gators’ loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 5, Meyer was hospitalized with chest pains. He was treated for dehydration and released Dec. 6.  Meyer said he has not had a heart attack but has continued to experience problems. He was advised to figure out a better work-life balance for his health.

Vols’ placekicking plans still up in the air (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Kiffin also commented on Florida head coach Urban Meyer, Kiffin’s occasional foil who rocked the SEC with his announce to step down after the Gators’ appearance in the Sugar Bowl.  “I think it’s very tough [to maintain work/life balance], as competitive as it is nowadays, especially in this conference,” said Kiffin, speaking before Meyer clarified his plan as a leave of absence. “It’s tough to see because he’s obviously a great football coach and the conference will miss him and college football.  Asked about his workload, Kifin said, “I don’t know any different, so to me it seems normal. I have to remind myself of other people outside of this world, who weren’t raised in this world, how different it is. Being around the NFL as a kid and coaching in it, you work all the time. You don’t really know much different. I have to remind myself of that a lot.”

Working to find the balance (The Telegram)

First released in 1996, the novel “Shattering Glass” by Nancy-Gay Rotstein, has been re-released in a new Canadian edition. The fiction book, based around the intertwining stories of three women, explores the difficulties encountered in the attempt to balance work and home life, personal aspirations and responsibilities.  “Shattering Glass” explores the lives of: Judy, a single mom also working in international finance; Barbara, a housewife and full-time mom who finds success as a writer; and Dede, an MP’s wife and mother of two.  All of the women encounter anxiety or guilt in relation to their work-life balance, Rotstein said. In a recent interview with The Telegram, the author said she was inspired to write the tales of the three main characters following her own work-life challenges.

In the Blogs

Tipping the work-life balance scale in my favor (The Baby D Story)

After five months of working full-time and attempting a frustrating and tiring balancing act, I’m happy to say the scale is tipping in my favor. Effective January 1, I will be a part-time attorney at my firm! I feel so fortunate to work for a progressive firm that makes it possible for women to practice law while working part-time. Mostly, I thank the Lord for directing my steps and softening the hearts of all the decision makers.

Press Releases

Employers Expect Uptick in Hiring in the New Year, CareerBuilder’s 2010 Job Forecast Finds

Flexible Work Arrangements: Companies plan to continue providing employees with greater flexibility in hopes of maintaining a better work-life balance. Thirty-five percent of employers say they plan to provide more flexible work arrangements in 2010, compared to 31 percent last year. These arrangements include:

• Alternate schedules – come in early and leave early or come in later and leave later – 73 percent
• Telecommuting options – 41 percent
• Compressed workweeks – work the same hours, but in fewer days – 32 percent
• Summer hours – 18 percent
• Job sharing – 13 percent
• Sabbaticals – 6 percent

Two-Thirds of Employees Haven’t Taken All Their Vacation

Right Management surveyed 667 people in December 2009 via an online poll and asked “Have you used all of your vacation time this year?” The results were as follows:

• 66% – No
• 34% – Yes

“All employees should make it their New Year’s resolution to use allocated vacation during the year. Not doing so can lead to increased stress and related health issues, negatively impacting performance and productivity,” said Douglas J. Matthews, President and Chief Operating Officer at Right Management. “Conversely, taking vacation can boost creativity and rejuvenate overall energy and focus.”

Events

Wake Up, This Is the Reality!: A Fem2.0 Campaign to Shift the Public Narrative Around Work/Life

From January 25 to February 5, 2010, Fem2.0 will present a blog radio series – one program a day, each zooming in on how today’s work environment and policies are impacting a particular community. The series’ purpose is to demonstrate how work/life is NOT just a women’s issue but everyone’s issue. There will be more details about each segment very soon.

Workplace Flexibility: Flexibility in a Multigenerational Workforce

Ann Arbor IT Zone
330 E. Liberty
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104

“Work, Life, Balance: No Excuse!” February 4 Lunch Program – Century House Hotel & Conference Center,
997 New Loudon Road – Route 9 Latham, NY 12047

A Conversation on Workplace Flexibility Research Pt 2 (Georgetown Law event)

Research Reports/Papers

Teleworking and workplace flexibility: a study of impact on firm performance

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between teleworking adoption, workplace flexibility, and firm performance….

Findings – Firm performance is positively related to the use of teleworking, flexitime, contingent work and spatial decentralisation. Teleworking firms use more flexitime, have more employees involved in job design and planning, are more intensively managed by results, and use more variable compensation. The relationship of teleworking and external workplace flexibility is not so conclusive. Measures of external flexibility like subcontracting or contingent work are not associated with teleworking but spatial decentralisation is positively associated.

Career Life Connection News and Events

What is a Mommy Blogger? (TheMamaBee)

Earlier this week Babble came out with it’s list of the fifty best “mommy bloggers.” In a lot of ways it’s a great list — I read many of these women and have linked to some of them, notably The Mommy Blog and Silicon Valley Moms Blog.  But the list also left me a little conflicted because almost none of the blogs listed were issues-oriented…And yet, I would have loved to see a blogger like Morra Aarons-Mele (Women and Work, MomsRising), Joanne Bamberger (PunditMom), Kami Lewis-Levin (The Fence, A Blog for Working Moms), Leanne Chase (Career Life Connection) or Cali Yost (Work Life Fit) make the list.  All are moms, all are successful bloggers, all write about issues core to mothering — and yet, somehow, they are not in the “mom blog” space.

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.  Also be sure to check out the career fair raffle where Career Life Connection will be looking to put more balance back into your life with a one-hour massage gift certificate to Bella Sante.

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.

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.