Last week I wrote a Worker’s Bill of Rights. And I’m sticking to it.  I think these are common sense rights that actually do not cost companies money but strengthen the employee/employer relationship, increase productivity and the bottom line.  To that end I think employees need to understand that while these rights may be “self-evident” they are not without obligations and responsibilities.

So here is the corporate side of things.  A pledge of allegiance to the company you are working for currently.  It is not one that is binding forever.  But if you are expecting them to treat you as an adult…you need to be an adult.  So here is what I propose the pledge to include:

We pledge to do our work well and turn it in on time

We pledge to act like adults when representing our employers

We pledge to be available when we say we will

We pledge to be flexible if we are needed extra now and then as they pledge to be flexible in slow times with giving us back some of that extra

We pledge not to abuse sick, vacation, disability policies

We pledge to work as members of a team, no matter where we physically work

We pledge to be productive employees that enhance the company’s bottom line

We pledge to discuss any complaints we may have with the company first before airing them out publicly

We pledge to treat other employees, customers, bosses as we would like to be treated

Simple enough, right?  That’s what I think.  Again feel free to add to this pledge, complain about it, berate it.  But let’s get the conversation going and hopefully we can get flexibility at work flowing!

Today’s guest post echos something I say a lot: you can have it all…just not all at once.   And I truly believe that.  I also believe that in today’s more typical two-parent working families there are choices that do need to be made for the family.  They do not have to be forever and it is probably best if they are equitable, one person sacrifices for a time, than another.   So your family and your chosen workplace need to have the flexibility to make it work.  Like Greg and his family have realized and live.

You can do anything you want in life. You just can’t do everything you want.

This sage advice was given by my father-in-law to my wife when she started medical school.  No phrase better sums up the reality of work / life choices.  Our careers and family responsibilities constantly force us to make choices on what we won’t do, in order to do the things we must or want to do.  Our progression through our careers and early family life has provided countless examples of this universal truth.

Four years ago, we felt we had reached equilibrium. Our careers were advancing, and our two boys (two and under-one at the time) seemed to be in a good routine with daycare.  We had built our dream house a year earlier, and other than lengthy commutes that made getting to daycare on time sometimes an event (though we were never late), life seemed to be moving along smoothly.  My wife was thinking of cutting back some on her work hours to spend more time with the boys, and we felt we had the financial flexibility to do so.

Then, as our eldest son was approaching his third birthday, it was becoming clear that he was not going to be ready to move to the next class in the daycare.  The local school psychologist was brought in, and what had always seemed just “developmental delay” became “autism” overnight.  Daycare was no longer an option, and we enrolled our son in an early intervention program in our public schools.

The preschool ran from 8:30 – 2:30, so we needed help after school, and cutting back that much time was not an option for my wife.  Thus, we needed to hire a nanny, an unexpected financial shock which, when combined with the costs of upcoming therapies, set back indefinitely any plans for my wife to cut back on her hours (and numerous home improvements we had planned).

After a year or so, we had recalibrated our lives and were again in a decent routine.  I took a new job at a company three hours away which required (ideally) spending a few days a week in the office.  While the travel was not ideal, it was a real growth opportunity.  Then, another of life’s little surprises came our way, as we discovered my wife was pregnant with child #3 (another boy). This unplanned event once again threw off our balance; my wife had c-sections with each child, and it would be impossible for her to watch all three boys on her own for the first few months after delivery.

So the sacrifice this time involved cutting back on my time at the office significantly, with a corresponding loss of momentum, visibility, and impact in my role.  No matter what you may hear about the growth and attractiveness of telecommuting, it is not a widely accepted practice in traditional industrial companies. Even after my wife recovered, having a house full of three boys aged five and under is not conducive to a busy travel schedule.  But we persevered, and my trips to the office settled in at an every-other-week pace.

Eventually, however, that was not enough for the company.  Times were tough, and strong, visible leadership was needed.  I was asked to spend most of my time in the office.  In return, I’d be on a rapid path to a general manager role.  The other alternative was to work out a negotiated layoff.  I only had a few days to decide in advance of the next board meeting.  While never having faced the prospect of being without a job, and knowing that my leverage in finding a new position would be slim without an existing job, I nevertheless worked out terms of my departure, as moving or spending more time away from home were not viable options given my wife’s career development and our family situation.

In the ensuring scramble to find a new position, I was fortunate to have several offers.  Knowing the realities of our work/life situation helped me keep my priorities straight.  I ended up turning down a Chief Marketing Officer role in favor of one that gave me more flexibility and a slightly shorter commute, even though the CMO position offered >50% better pay.  The deal-breaker was when I asked at the last minute for clarification of travel expectations, and was told that I’d need to spend a week per month in Europe.  While I would have loved the role, it just wasn’t viable in face of our daily realities.

In no way have I or my wife lost sight of our dreams, be it continuing to advance her academic career or running a company.  But we do know that life and careers are long, and making the right sacrifices now while continuing to build the skills, relationships, and processes we will need to be successful in the long run is the best choice we can make.  We have learned to keep “the next sacrifice” in mind, whether its on the daily decisions (who takes the sick child to the doctor) or in the face of life-changing events (a parental illness).

Greg Strosaker is a marketing executive at Mayfran International in Cleveland, Ohio.  His wife is a pediatrician at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, and they have three boys aged seven and younger, the oldest is autistic.  Between work, family, and marathon training, Greg still finds time to maintain the Constant Cogitation blog on marketing, strategy, leadership, productivity, parenting, and running.

In the News

Employees Healthier when Boss Is Flexible (MedPage Today)

The 10 studies included 16,603 participants.  Overall, the researchers found that situations that gave the employee more control over scheduling have positive effects on health and well-being, particularly with regard to blood pressure, sleep, and mental health.  One study showed improvements in mental health, sleep quality on the day shift, sleep duration on the night shift, and alertness during the night shift when employees had more control over their schedules, the researchers said.  Another study reported significant reductions in sleepiness during the night shift when workers had more choice, although it reported on the effects of multiple flex interventions, not a single one.  A third study found significant decreases in systolic blood pressure and heart rate for workers with flexible scheduling, Bambra said.

IndustryWeek’s 2010 Salary Survey: Down But Not Out (Industry Week)

“I think employers and employees might be focused more on the total value proposition,” says Griffith. The total value proposition, which includes such components as benefits, career advancement opportunities and workplace flexibility, may help offset the sting of a pay freeze or cut, she suggests. Her suggestion is backed by comments from several respondents.

Why Flexible Hours and Telecommuting Are On The Rise (Business West)

In 2003, about 4.4 million Americans were telecommuting, to some extent, instead of showing up at the office. In 2010, that number is expected to surpass 100 million. At the same time, the trend toward allowing employees to work flexible or non-traditional hours has also risen sharply in recent years. Why the surges? As it turns out, even during a recession, companies still value their best talent and are increasingly willing to let them craft a workday around their personal and professional needs. Employers say they benefit because happy workers are productive workers.

In the Blogs

Don’t forget the ‘life’ in work-life balance (MayoClinic.com)

The walls of our homes no longer protect us, however. Because we’re always “connected,” we never really leave work behind. We’re now impaled by “weisure” — being on the clock even on our leisure time. Even a paralyzing snow storm, such as the East Coast recently encountered, doesn’t close the virtual office. So much for enjoying a “snow day” from work or school….So what can we do? The answer is really very simple: We’re individuals who can make choices and, at some point, we have to say “enough is enough.” We have to carve out time to simply chill and recharge our batteries. Only then can we go back into the arena with energy, focus and commitment.

Study: Women Rock As Small Business Owners (Fox Small Business Center)

Women are proving themselves to be a powerful small-business force to be reckoned with.   Not only are women-owned firms contributing $3 million annually to the U.S. economy and accounting for 16% of all jobs, but new research shows women entrepreneurs will create 5 to 5.5 million new jobs across the U.S. by 2018 – more than half of the total new small-business jobs expected to be created during that time, and about one-third of the total new jobs anticipated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Business Impacts of Workplace Flexibility and Effectiveness (Salt Lake Chamber)

Business leaders increasingly recognize the positive effects of workplace flexibility and effectiveness on retention and other bottom line impacts. For example, McKinnon Mulherin, a local Utah company explains, “We have to provide a flexible work environment that allows all of our people to succeed both personally and professionally. Ten years ago, women were leaving the firm at a faster rate than men. Today, our retention rates for men and women are the same, thanks to our family friendly policies and flexible culture. Without question, McKinnon & Mulherin and several other progressive Utah companies’ people policies and culture are generating terrific success from both an economic and strategic perspective.”

Educational Flexibility Offers Options to Advance Careers, Maintain Life Balance (Saint Louis University)

Matthew Grawitch, Ph.D., chair of the organizational studies program at Saint Louis University’s School for Professional Studies, believes that workplace flexibility options during the past decade have been well received and continue to grow.  “Many companies have developed programs and initiatives that focus on providing greater workplace flexibility in where people work (telecommuting), when people work (flexible scheduling), how many hours people work(part-time options) and how many days people work (compressed work weeks),” Grawitch said.

Find your work/life Rhythm (Life Beyond the List)

The solution? Well, i can’t pretend to have it licked, but I’ve experimented over the last week with getting to work a full 30 minutes early. This is easier than getting up 60-90 minutes early in order to work out at the gym, believe me! And those first 30 minutes can be really productive. Often disproportionately so. Coupled with taking my own healthier lunch to work, it means i can be more focused during the day, and leave on time (when i can), to make it to the gym at a more reasonable hour. 6:30pm say, rather than 7:30 or 8:00pm. My energy level is just about still high enough, and i can work out before enjoying the rest of the evening, as well as checking in on any urgent emails.

Better work-life balance boosts the bottom line (Governance Focus)

The study, by consultancy Morgan Redwood, found that companies which actively promote good work-life balance have annual net annual earnings per employee of £32,769 compared to £26,557 for other organisations.  Needless to say, the difference arises because better work-life balance results in reduced absenteeism, improved wellbeing and thus greater productivity.

Is Work/Life Balance Your Top Priority in 2010? (SimplyHired Blog)

In January we polled visitors to SimplyHired.co.uk about their career plans for 2010 and found that work/life balance will be a major theme. Thirty-six percent of you ranked work/life balance above salary (31%) as the most important consideration when looking for a new job. Furthermore, 40% of you cite improving work/life balance as a top career resolution for 2010.

Redrow meets the needs of home-workers (Easier Property)

As more people choose to work from home every day, Redrow is offering the perfect solution for those striving to improve their work / life balance.  A selection of homes at The Glades, in the Wiltshire village of Downton, have been expertly designed to feature self-contained home office space over the garage, with a separate entrance and kitchenette. It’s a move that should help meet the needs of home workers escaping the rat race.

Moms balancing work and family (Today’s THV)

The pressure of finding that balance, especially during this tough economy can be difficult.  Employees across all demographics are feeling the pressure of doing more with less. However, sometimes this means working moms have to spend more time at work and less with their families.  With these trying economic times, they are also fearful of losing their jobs, which adds more pressure and stress.  Here are five tips to help find balance

Beyond Business as Usual: More Working Moms in Part-Time Positions (The Glass Hammer)

The global study, which was commissioned by Regus, surveyed 11,000 corporations across 15 countries and found that 44 percent of companies worldwide plan to hire more mothers for part-time jobs over the next two years. Among U.S. companies the numbers are even higher, with 46 percent reporting plans to recruit more mothers into 2012.

West Region Vice President for Regus, Sande Golgart, believed this study to be of particular interest to Regus because many of their clients are working mothers and he believes providing part-time work to women with children can assist them in managing the work/life balance issues that plague so many women. “We think that there is much work to be done in making the transition from maternity leave back to the workforce as smooth as possible. Allowing mothers to take advantage of workplace flexibility demonstrates an understanding of the challenges that they face and paves the way for them to be more productive and less stressed at work,” Golgart said. “One of the most significant factors in improving employees’ work/life balance is offering the flexibility to work remotely, either full or part-time.

Press Releases

CORPORATE VOICES TOOLKITS PROVIDE TIPS AND TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTING WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY WITH AN HOURLY AND NONEXEMPT WORKFORCE

Events

Fully Engaged:Achieving Work/Life Balance and High Performance – February 23rd, 8:30-4:30p, Kent State Stark Prof. Education and Conf. Center, North Canton, OH.

Workplace Flexibility Best Practices – February 25, 2:30-4:30 – University of Kentucky, Lexington Campus – free

Recognition Roundtable presents Shameless You! and Workplace Flexibility – Feb 24th, 12:00, Everett, WA

Shameless You! encourages employees to drop their shame so they can live, work, and play with confidence and integrity. This program helps individuals build personal strategies by identifying, acknowledging and accepting their strengths, preferences, and values. Tracy will lead us in a discussion about how a shameless workforce can lead to better alignment of personal and organizational values, one of the components of a flexible, effective workplace.

Work Life Conference – March 25-26, Washington, DC

Join us on March 25–26, 2010 for our annual thought–leader conference for work life, HR, diversity and talent management professions. This year we will explore the “New Normal” in the Global Economy: What is it and what are the implications for work life and talent management?

The Work. Life. Me! Balancing Retreat for Working Mothers – March 27-28, Lewiston, NY

Unlike many other “getaway weekends” geared towards women, this retreat acknowledges the juggling act working mothers live out each day – and the extreme difficulty many have with feeling deserving of time and money investment in themselves. This is reflected not only in the affordable registration rate, but also through workshops which will give participants takeaways they can apply immediately toward more balance in their lives. Workshops include an introduction to the Law of Attraction, Organization 101, Kicking Super Mom Syndrome to the Curb, Eating for Mind Body Balance, and Finance for Women. Presenters are not only experts in their fields but working moms who bring real-life understanding to the table.

Workplace Flexibility Summit – April 7, Dallas, TX

Planning Your Post-Career Career: Work/Life Balance After Age 50 – April 14, Hartford, CT

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)

Video

Flexible Work Arrangements as described/discussed by Kathleen Greer of KGA

Kathleen Christensen, Ph.D. Discusses New Book “Workplace Flexibility” on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
Kathleen talks about workplace flexibility and the idea that the workplace structure should adapt to the changing needs of workers. She also responded to telephone calls and electronic communications.

Career Life Connection News and Events

Creating buzz, one day at a time (Boston Globe)

Work/Life balance and the Community Manager – March 3rd – discussion for members of The Community Roundtable, led by Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection

Work Life Balance Strategies on Career Life Balance Radio featuring Leanne Chase, Founder and President of Career Life Connection.

Success: Advancement and Caregiving–Challenging Work+Life Fit Roadblocks (Fast Company)

Really challenge what a good mother looks like for you personally.  Not what your mother says it is.  Not what the media says it is.  What do you say being a good mother looks like to you, based on your unique work and personal realities that are unlike anyone else’s.  Here are some of my favorite resources broadening the conversation about what it means to be a “good” mother:

• The Mama Bee Blog
• Morra Aarons-Mele at WomenandWork.com
• Joanne Bamberger at PunditMom.com
• Kami Lewis-Levin at The Fence, a Working Mom’s Blog
• Leanne Chase, CareerLifeConnection.com
• Chrysula Winegar at Work.Life.Balance

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.

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.

Apparently I am suspiciously well balanced and lack an identity according to a quiz I took recently about whether my life was happy or interesting.  And the verdict.  It is neither.  It is somewhere in the no man’s land in between.  Now I do not put much stock in these kinds of tests.  They are often too generic to give any real meaning to people…they just give people angst.  And so I wouldn’t be thinking much about this, except that the angst already exists.  And honestly this verdict feels absolutely correct to me.

You see I was brought up in an age where it was understood you would work.  No matter your gender…you worked.  And it was wonderful to know that.  I went to college, I started a career, I got a Master’s degree, my career flourished, I was interesting and often happy.  But there were also those conversations that I was having with my girlfriends.  We talked about how you can’t have it all.  How we didn’t want to be go-go career women at the expense of time with our children.  How we would make different choices than the generation of Hilary Clinton.  We would be hybrids.  Career women with children who understand something has to give.

And in theory it sounds great, doesn’t it?  We get to fly high in careers, then we get to take a step back and embrace our children.

The problem lies in the reality.  And the crash landing from a-type, goal setting to playing Candyland.

And maybe this is just simply a case of timing.  You see the Olympics are on.  And probably the most interesting career move I ever made was to produce Opening & Closing ceremonies for the 2002 winter games for TV.  It was a challenging and very frustrating gig but man it sure was interesting.  And it followed other interesting gigs like working on Red Sox games for TV, being on the field at Fenway Park when Ted Williams came out during the ’99 All Star Game,  being a gatekeeper at the Sundance Film Festival for press pass seekers.  All super interesting, some even made me happy, others did not.

Then after all these highly interesting gigs…I took a breath and went for a trip with my husband…around the world.  Yep we took a year off, traveled the world together and we were happy and interesting.

We came home.  We settled down.  We had a baby.  And we began living the traditional American Dream.  And a few years later I’m not sure who I am anymore.  Yes I have extremely happy moments like sledding with my little one the other day in the middle of the day.  Or watching her mind work as she figures out puzzles,  or dancing in the living room with her with all my might.  And I have very interesting moments – like starting my own business and debuting it at a conference.  Like being asked to share my expertise with really smart people.   But honestly these come in fits and starts.  On a regular basis I’m not sure I’m either happy or interesting.

Because you see I’m also not a fan of getting on the floor to play cars and trucks endlessly.  And because in order to attain this hybrid life – I needed to strike out on my own and leave the corporate workforce.  So I work alone…a lot…with no companionship or collaboration.  And I’m not really sure how to think of who I am – a mom who once was a career girl who is now over-qualified for any position I may apply for, which apparently is a bad thing.

Recently I read this article about men adjusting to women being the breadwinners.  And I’ve seen many articles about whether women are happy or not.  But this is not about my gender.  This is about working and parenting and doing what is right for your family.  And I think Penelope Trunk’s original article and quiz summed it up best for me.  I have achieved a hybrid life…it’s just neither very interesting or overly happy.

Today is one of those days when I don’t have all the answers.  I have my truth and my journey.  And I’m working on it…

Today’s guest post by Paul Geffen is a wonderful reminder…about being a whole person.  To work, to have outside interests, to learn, grow and change over time.  And it is an example of how you can find work/life happiness by turning your passions into your career.  So whether you work in engineering for a very large corporation or in marketing for non-profit focused on music your interests and your work are connected and may lead you somewhere new.

My career has at least one remarkable feature for the field I’m in.  In twenty-five years as a software engineer, from 1984 when I started at Lotus until I left IBM in 2009, I only changed employers once.

How do I explain this?

I’ve been fascinated by technology since I was a child.  I played with radios, tape recorders, and simple computers before I started high school.  At my first startup in 1971 we noticed that the RFI (radio frequency noise) from our DEC minicomputer could be heard on the radio.  We created timing loops in machine code that were tuned to specific pitches and used these to create melodies. We experimented with a simple form of electronic music.

While I’ve worked in engineering and technology since my teens, it’s only part of what I do.  The other part is my second career in music.  I’ve pursued continuing self-education in the arts.  I take my work as a musicologist seriously and make a daily investment of time and attention.  It is like a second job that has helped provide continuity and stability in my career and in my life.

Many times in my career I’ve noticed that some of the best engineers and developers were also musicians. I’ve known first-rate violinists, pianists, rock guitarists, drummers, and opera buffs — all colleagues at work on software products.  While I can find my way around a keyboard and guitar, most of my own work in the field has been collecting and cataloging recordings.  My engineering skills have helped me to create a web site that shares some of this information with the world.

My pursuit of continued education has led me to listen to nearly all the works of the major European composers.  I’ve written reviews of classical recordings and performances.  I sometimes turn pages at recitals.  Today I am the Marketing Director for the Boston Wagner Society and work with vocalists, pianists, conductors, and composers as we plan our programs and organize events.  I have been able to apply and extend many of the management skills that I developed at IBM to my work for the Wagner Society.

I find that music is a valuable complement for my engineering work.  The computer field moves very fast, and while that is stimulating, it is also unpredictable.  Music is stable and relaxing for me, both as a listener and a student of its many forms.  The history of music is long and the evolution of musical styles is gradual.  I find it truly wonderful that the best compositions of two or three hundred years ago are still performed and that we continue to find something new in them.  The field is inexhaustible.

To learn more about Paul Geffen and the link between engineering, technology and music  and social media check out his website www.trovar.com and his blog.

This will be a rant…yep a real, honest to goodness, can’t stop myself, toddler temper tantrum rant.

Workers of the world unite!  Unite and get the sort of flexibility you want in the workplace.  That is the ONLY way it will happen.  That means all generations, all genders, all races, all religions, those with children, those without children, those with grandchildren, and so on, and so on and so on.  Stop separating yourselves to advance your particular agenda at the expense of the whole.

What on earth am I talking about?

Well let’s see, there are women who are being slighted constantly.  Older workers who need to start a revolution.  Families who just can’t make work work. Younger workers who are misunderstood.   Then there was this podcast series that separated everyone from moms to dads to Latinos to seniors to…well everyone.

There are movements and conferences and isms that continually pit workers against one another.  And you know what, it’s working…the corporate work world isn’t really changing…instead they’re watching workers duke it out with each other for more attention to their particular segment of the population.

I have an idea.  How about instead we talk about the similarities in what we all seek and we work together to make it happen?  I know…crazy…right? Here goes:

We the People of the World of Work, in Order to form a more perfect Workplace, establish Justice, insure business productivity and growth, provide for ourselves, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the World of Work.

Workers Bill of Rights:

Autonomy over our schedules – whether we work hourly or are on salary

Freedom to work where and how we want as long the job gets done

Right to be treated like the adults we are

Right to have outside interests and take time for those regardless of what time of day they occur

Ability to work at the level we’ve achieved and be compensated accordingly even if we work less than 40 hours/week

Right to receive raises, promotions, and bonuses based on the merit of our work instead of on the amount of face time put in at the office

Right to ask for more flexibility at work without being discriminated against

Right to work without discrimination when we have children, have reached retirement age, are just out of college, or need to care for sick loved ones

Right to fall ill and not be financially penalized or fear for our jobs

Right to take time off for ourselves that we have earned and not be categorized as “shirkers”

This is not dictatorship but a democracy so please feel free to propose your own amendments.  I don’t think these are unreasonable…but I do think that unless we ALL work together this World of Work Constitution and Workers Bill of Rights will never be realized.

In the News

Change coming in the workplace (The Mercury)

Here are a couple of recent headlines that caught our eyes: “Women now a majority in American workplaces” and “Increasingly, wives earn more than husbands.” They follow on one a few years back: “Women now the majority of U.S. college graduates.” Here’s a headline we’re still looking for: “Companies adapt to caretakers in the workplace.”  It’s as if the people running the country’s businesses haven’t been reading the same news stories that we have, or looking around their buildings at who’s working there. They seem to think that it’s still Dad at work, fully concentrated on the job, while Mom’s at home taking care of the family. That’s a big problem for working women and their families, but it’s likely to become an even bigger problem for American productivity and competitiveness if the most educated people in our society — women — find the workplace so hostile that they either opt out or underperform.

Work-life balance: Flex appeal (Guardian)

“What is happening is a longer-term trend which has been accelerated by the recession, and one that is led by small businesses which are always more nimble and innovative.”  Both the public sector and small businesses in the private sector are moving towards flexible styles of working, according to Andy Lake, editor of the online journal flexibility.co.uk. “In the public sector, more and more contractors are being taken on,” Lake says. “There’s evidence that things are working in different ways. In the private sector, the biggest growth area is small businesses, which are keen to grow turnover but not personnel.”

Even larger firms echo this sentiment. As Adobe’s Brook says: “Due to the uncertain economy, we wanted the ability to ‘dial up and dial down’ our commitment based on available budgets and levels of work.” This “flexing up and down” of the workforce may be key to the future of industry, opening doors for more people to pursue ultra-flexible styles of working.

Will ‘Snowmageddon’ Thaw Federal Resistance to Telework? (IT Business Edge)

in September, I wrote about a report that John Berry, head of the OPM, was looking at Google and other Silicon Valley companies for ideas on how to make federal workplaces more attractive to employees. Specifically, Berry was interested in improving telecommuting programs. Steve O’Keeffe, executive director of Telework Exchange, a telework advocacy group, told The Washington Post this week’s weather might help his organization’s cause to help promote telecommuting.  In August an OPM report found management resistance to teleworking was one of the biggest obstacles to its spread in the federal government. But managers stuck at home out of necessity this week might now be convinced it’s possible to accomplish tasks away from the office.

Balance means business (BtoB Magazine)

There’s an old saying “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”  Not to mention Jill a very dull girl. And dull works make for poor productivity and unhappy clients. Poor productivity and unhappy clients make for a very bad bottom line… Flexibility is very important in today’s world where both parents work and melded families often have numerous schedules they need to take into account.  If employees can adjust their hours or telecommute once in a while, they’ll be happier at work and at home.

Many workers find a way to get to the job, even in a blizzard (The Washington Post)

Sia Gbolie deposited her teenage son with a neighbor and camped out with a friend who lives near her job as a home care nurse….She can’t afford to miss even one night of work because of the weather, said Gbolie, 49, who earns $25 an hour as a licensed practical nurse caring for an elderly man.  “If you don’t work, you don’t get paid,” said Gbolie. She has a 17-year-old son and a daughter in college. Everything depends on what she earns. “You have to make every effort to go to work.”

For Telecommuters, It’s Not About Going To Work (NPR)

There’s no longer anything novel about the way Laura Schoppe does her job. Each workday, she goes upstairs to her office above the garage of her rural North Carolina home. And surrounded by her two dogs, Zoey and Bella, she runs a multimillion-dollar company called Fuentek that helps its clients commercialize new technology.

New Family-Friendly Options for Faculty, Staff and Students (University of Pennsylvania Almanac)

he University is also addressing the need for last-minute care for dependents of any age through an in-home backup-care program available through a partnership with Parents-in-a-Pinch. If Penn faculty and staff have an unexpected interruption in their regular dependent-care routine and need to get to work, they can access expert child and adult caregivers to provide short-notice, temporary-care services. Penn is also providing a subsidy to help make these services more affordable.  “Balancing work and home responsibilities is never easy,” said Jack Heuer, vice president for human resources, “but when you have an emergency or your regular care option isn’t available that balance is even more difficult. What if you have an important meeting and your child’s day care center closes down because the heat doesn’t work? Or your elderly mother slips on the ice and can’t be left alone? Backup care provides a safety net that lets you keep up with both your professional and personal responsibilities.”

Keeping valuable female employees from leaving (KSL)

A new [Harvard University] study shows how financially valuable women are to the workplace. So, how can employers keep them from leaving the company?  Most experts say the biggest thing for women is flexibility at work.  “They value workplace flexibility more than anything because they often do two jobs: one at the workplace and the other at home,” says Lavanya Mahate with the Salt Lake Chamber’s Women’s Business Center.

Are you fit for London 2012? (EGov Monitor)

For some, flexible working could be a key proponent in business planning. However the survey found that only 32 per cent of public sector organisations have a fully-implemented flexible working policy in place. Of those that do not have a policy, two-fifths are unsure whether it is achievable to install flexible working technologies in time, so that staff could work from home or elsewhere during the Games. However unlike some private sector counterparts, the public sector has embraced flexible working. 90% of public sector organisations have policy of flexible working, a fifth more than private sector counterparts. In addition, they are more likely to have had this in place for a long time, and a third of staff work flexibly on a regular basis.

Job-sharing can boost work-life balance, cut practice expenses (American Medical News)

Dr. Stahl and Dr. McNulty each provide clinical care for 2½ days a week in the office and carry beepers to handle emergencies. Paperwork and various nonclinical duties are carried out elsewhere after their own children are put to bed or during other opportunities, such as a child’s gymnastics class. Some tasks are divided based on skills and interests. Dr. Stahl carries out most of the accounting and marketing; Dr. McNulty handles human resources as well as establishing and maintaining the information technology systems. This means that both physicians work between 30 and 50 hours a week, but they also are there for their families.

The Mothers of Invention (Wall Street Journal)

When these women saw a need for healthier children’s fare, they decided to become entrepreneurs. And they’re making their mark on the food business…For many of these women, entrepreneurship represents a chance to achieve a work-life balance they never found in the corporate world.  “As entrepreneurs, we’re working harder than we did, but we’re doing it on our timetable,” says Denise Devine, of Froose Brands LLC, who left a job as a financial executive with Campbell Soup Co. to develop a line of fiber-rich kids’ juice drinks.

In the Blogs

Finding the Right Fit: Helping Employees Manage Work and Life Demands (Good Company by PHWP)

Conflict between work and other life responsibilities can diminish the quality of both work and home life for employees, which in turn can affect organizational outcomes. Effective work-life practices can improve morale, increase job satisfaction and strengthen employees’ commitment to the organization. Additionally, the organization may reap benefits in terms of increased productivity and a reduction in absenteeism, presenteeism and employee turnover. The items below represent some of the ways organizations can help employees better manage multiple demands.

Work-Life Redefined – a Blog Carnival of Ideas (About.com)

I’m thrilled to be part the Feminism 2.0 effort to promote discussion about work-life issues in our communities. If you haven’t visited Fem2pt0.com, it’s well worth listening to the just-concluded blog radio series, which included dynamic groups of speakers on everything from caregiving and work to how work-life issues impact minority groups.  Today, I’m hosting a work-life blog carnival as part of the rolling Fem 2.0 blog carnival this week. I’m thrilled to feature some of my favorite bloggers on the topic. We’ve got a variety of voices and opinions for you, so without further ado: step right up to the carnival!

Making Flexibility Work (All About Business Strategy)

The success of Flexible Work Arrangements is a shared responsibility between the employer and the employee. Communication is critical and both parties must be willing to commit to regular discussions on how the arrangement is working and make adjustments when necessary.  The workforce of the 21st century is extremely diverse. Gone are the days of treating everyone the same. Employees have different needs, expectations and preferences and a one-size-fits-all approach just does not work. Companies that embrace these concepts have the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage by employing a more aligned, engaged and productive workforce. Now, what company doesn’t want that?

Striking A Balance (BostonMamas)

This time last week I was at Blissdom, where I had the honor of moderating a panel on work/life balance. Panelists Deb Rox, Megan Jordan, Carmen Stacier, and I wanted to foster a candid conversation, free of “achieve balance by getting up earlier and getting more organized!” type advice, and I think we conveyed a realism that was very different from typical balance panels. Here are the key takeaways, some of which have served me extremely well this week while I’ve been playing catch up with work:

Corporate America vs. Work/Life Balance (Balance blog)

Great description of the message current corporate “cube life” sends to workers…and the ramifications of that.

Work/Life Stories:  A new kind of Dad (Work. Life. Balance)

Still a statistically small group, stay-at-home-dads are becoming more prevalent and represent a unique corner of the work life balance milieu.  I asked Stephen de las Heras, one of my daddy friends who is parenting and balancing a freelance photography career, if he would share his story.  “I’d clawed my way up through the publishing ranks as an Editor and suddenly saw what my career would look like thirty years down the road.  It wasn’t a bad future, but I practically ran screaming from the building, determined to build a more meaningful life. This was a major turning point for me. In hindsight quitting was somewhat immature and maybe foolish. It would have helped to have the option of scaling back a bit rather than cutting loose completely. But part-time workers were seen as little more than glorified interns, so I’d calmly punched the red button and nuked my humdrum publishing career.

Flex Workers Perform Better (Divine Caroline)

The good news is that there is a proven, low cost way to boost engagement: workplace flexibility.  A recent study showed that workers who had flexible hours tended to work more intensely—that is higher productivity and longer hours—than their counterparts with more rigid office hours.  Published in the journal Human Relations, researchers surveyed more than 2,000 multinational corporations. They found that employees who worked remotely one day a week and workers who had fewer required office hours tended to report higher job satisfaction, lower stress and higher loyalty than those who weren’t able to flex.

Snowbound: A Working Mom’s Musings on Snow, Sanity, and Work-Life Conflicts (CurrentMom)

I’m thinking more about people like grocery checkers, hotel clerks, and janitors. People who won’t get paid- and may lose their jobs – if they don’t work.  The Washington Post reported yesterday on this “army of service workers” – cashiers, security guards, home health aides – who have done everything from sleep in the store to drive “backwards” on icy roads to make it to their jobs.  In many ways, the divergent blizzard experiences of white collar workers, like me, who can work remotely, and pink and blue collar workers, who have to be physically present, mirror other disparities in the workplace.  A few weeks ago, the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California and the Center for American Progress put out a groundbreaking report about “The Three Faces of Work-Family Conflict: The Poor, the Professionals, and the Missing Middle.” In it, the authors paint vivid and sometimes devastating pictures of work-life conflict for three groups of women -  the poor, the professionals, and the missing middle (the 53% of American families who are neither rich nor poor).

Workplace Flexibility (Institute for a Competitive Workforce)

Employers grappling with a shrinking labor force and a growing demand for skilled workers need to consider innovative strategies and resources when developing recruitment and retention policies. Workplace flexibility can be a powerful tool in the recruiting, retaining and advancing of qualified employees while enhancing businesses’ competitive ability in a global economy.

6 traits of a good job (Subbu’s Corner)

Work life Balance: Life without balance is just like a machine.. After all why do we work? To live a better life.. So if there is no time for fun, whats the point of working. Hence, work life balance is very important.

Understanding The Impact Of Flexible Working (Fresh Business Thinking)

This, in turn, increases the need for flexible working. It is easy to understand how employees can benefit by having a better work-life balance, but how can employers gain by introducing a more flexible approach?   Firstly, employers who are committed to family friendly arrangements are more attractive to people looking for work, hence increasing the recruitment pool. Offering more flexible working arrangements also brings further business benefits, for example, enabling smaller companies to remain open for longer hours. Ultimately, treating staff in a fair and professional manner gains loyalty and helps reduce staff turnover.

Is Work-Life Balance a Myth? (E-Zine)

I keep hearing about companies who encourage work/life balance in their employees, but I don’t see it in action. Do these companies really exist? What is the point of offering work/life balance programs and solutions if they are not put into action and actually used? Sure, the concept of enabling a worker to spend time at home working from a home office sounds great, but in reality, how many are actually doing it? How many executives are really going home earlier to spend time with their children and enjoy hobbies?

Work-life balance responsibility of employees, say workers (The career management organisation)

MacKinnon argues that senior figures in a business can set an example to other staff when it comes to balancing work and home life. “If the management population is walking the talk then employees will feel better about asking for flexible working and the like.”  A total of 39% of those surveyed said they’d had to sacrifice some aspect of work-life balance to keep their job during the recession, and less than half (44%) feel this balance will improve after the downturn.

Business Impacts of Workplace Flexibility and Effectiveness (Salt Lake City Chamber blog)

Research shows that there is a return on investment for organizations that offer workplace flexibility as part of an effective business strategy.  Positive business impacts of workplace flexibility and effectiveness include:

Scotland Is Top UK Choice For Global Jobseekers (Freshbusinessthinking.com)

The findings also revealed that job satisfaction (89 percent), salary (84 percent) and work/life balance (83 percent) are the most important factors for those considering a new place to work and live.

Discussions

How can we reframe work/life balance to be inclusive? a LinkedIn discussion

This is a continuing conversation based on an article I wrote for the Huffington Post entitled ‘Work / Life Balance: Refocusing a Flawed Concerpt’ (bit.ly/c19opp). I would love to open this discussion up while researching my next article / blog series – please share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences. I truly appreciate your in-put.

Events

Fully Engaged:Achieving Work/Life Balance and High Performance – February 23rd, 8:30-4:30p, Kent State Stark Prof. Education and Conf. Center, North Canton, OH.

Workplace Flexibility Best Practices – February 25, 2:30-4:30 – University of Kentucky, Lexington Campus – free

Work Life Conference – March 25-26, Washington, DC

Join us on March 25–26, 2010 for our annual thought–leader conference for work life, HR, diversity and talent management professions. This year we will explore the “New Normal” in the Global Economy: What is it and what are the implications for work life and talent management?

Workplace Flexibility Summit – April 7, Dallas, TX

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)

Video

Flexible Work Arrangements as described/discussed by Kathleen Greer of KGA

Kathleen Christensen, Ph.D. Discusses New Book “Workplace Flexibility” on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal
Kathleen talks about workplace flexibility and the idea that the workplace structure should adapt to the changing needs of workers. She also responded to telephone calls and electronic communications.

Career Life Connection News and Events

Work/Life balance and the Community Manager – March 3rd – discussion for members of The Community Roundtable, led by Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection

Work Life Balance Strategies on Career Life Balance Radio featuring Leanne Chase, Founder and President of Career Life Connection.

Success: Advancement and Caregiving–Challenging Work+Life Fit Roadblocks (Fast Company)

Really challenge what a good mother looks like for you personally.  Not what your mother says it is.  Not what the media says it is.  What do you say being a good mother looks like to you, based on your unique work and personal realities that are unlike anyone else’s.  Here are some of my favorite resources broadening the conversation about what it means to be a “good” mother:

• The Mama Bee Blog
• Morra Aarons-Mele at WomenandWork.com
• Joanne Bamberger at PunditMom.com
• Kami Lewis-Levin at The Fence, a Working Mom’s Blog
• Leanne Chase, CareerLifeConnection.com
• Chrysula Winegar at Work.Life.Balance

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.

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.

A reader recently asked:  Do you connect people with meaningful part-time work as part of your business?  I have experience, I have education, but I don’t want to work 40 hours a week as I’m incubating my own business and share school bus duty with my spouse.  But I also don’t want to work as a customer service representative or an administrative assistant or in retail.  Can you help?

I get asked this a lot.  And the answer is no.  That’s not what I want the answer to be, mind you.  I want the answer to be yes.  But I can’t find these kind of jobs, let alone pass them along to any of you.  That’s what led me to start this website.  And yes, recently this site launched a job board so you would think I would have lots of flexible jobs for you to pick and choose from.  But the truth is companies don’t advertise them.  If they exist I’m not sure how anyone knows about them.  I have companies on my job board who have employees working flexibly, yet if you look at their job postings you would think everyone there works a traditional job with a traditional schedule.  No where in the postings does it say a job could have reduced hours, a compressed work week, be a job share, is available for telecommuting.  No where.

You can check out the job then click through to the employer website and slog around on their career page and somewhere you will find something like:  “Our culture supports diversity, professional advancement, and workplace flexibility.” And yet none of the job listings indicate that they are the least bit flexible.

I learned all of this in my year of developing this site. I have talked to recruiters about this and they think I’m crazy to want flexible job postings.  After all they’re happy to talk to someone about flexibility…but only after they really get to know them and feel they are good candidates for working flexibly.  They certainly aren’t going to advertise their jobs as being flexible because then *gasp* people may want to work that way…right from the start…imagine.

So what to do.  Well you could search the other sites out there…mine is not alone.   But a recent check on the kinds of jobs listed as flexible on Indeed.com did not inspire much hope:

Daytime Admin Asst

Full-time Nanny

Service Representative

Occupational Therapist

Not exactly something someone with a degree or two and 10+ years of work experience is interested in applying for.

So while corporations talk about how they are excited about flexibility it is up to the job seekers to guess what they mean by that…and which jobs exactly offer the specific type of flexibility they’re looking for.  Then candidates must approach the company about being flexible only to be told that you need to “earn” that.  Well…now they’ve lost me…and they’ve lost the person who asked this question.  We are not going to work full-time first to go down to flexible hours.  We will simply take our talent elsewhere.

And we are not alone. Recently I watched a webinar given by Kevin Wheeler of the Future of Talent Institute on workforce trends. On it he talked about how more and more workers are leaving the corporate world.  They would rather put together 2 or 3 contract/consulting/part-time jobs and cut out the rigidity of the corporate structure.  He believes more companies must offer more meaningful flexible work or risk losing their most talented workers.  This is also what I’m hearing from this community…I just wonder if anyone in the corporate world is listening…or cares.

Today’s guest post is quite timely as I spent yesterday afternoon listening to a radio show where parents discuss how work/life stress affects kids and how that stress is somewhat self-imposed and how guilt plays into it.  It was quite a lively discussion with Ellen Galinsky, Lisa Belkin and Joshua Coleman and is definitely worth a listen.  My take is that parenting is wonderful and also very hard and also simply boring.  I try very hard not to do guilt as a parent…it’s unproductive.  And I’m lucky to have very supportive friends who understand and know the realities of parenting and are happy to be honest about it.  And I’m brutally honest about it…to the point that some would prefer I sugarcoat it.  But that only perpetuates the myth that fuels the guilt.

Now yesterday’s parents were all talking about very mundane work/life issues.  Hiring babysitters, whether to choose to work or to stay home, who does more around the house moms or dads.  Knowing today’s author personally, I’m guessing she would have welcomed those kind of mundane issues in her first year as a mother.  And I’m also guessing there are plenty of parents out there today that are away from their children as they go about their jobs in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Japan, Germany and more…that struggle with guilt.  Here’s hoping they can all learn to let go of it as Tammy Colson did:

Managing work and home are difficult for anyone. This is the story about how I learned to manage work and home while leaving the guilt behind.

I was an active duty Marine for six years. When my daughter was 3 months old, I was deployed overseas. I had signed a contract and had a job to do. It was painful, but I had no choice but to give temporary custody of my beautiful daughter to my mother for a year because my husband was also active duty, and was constantly gone. I missed a lot of things I wish I hadn’t. This was before flip cams, and the internet, which make long distance communication so easy. Not shortly thereafter, I divorced, and I was on a path to raise my daughter solo. Along the way,  I discovered some things about myself and my daughter, things that got me through the next 16 years of parenting.

I found that we could survive. It might not be pretty, it might not be easy, but babies are resilient creatures. I had to learn that I could rely on other people to protect my daughter. Just as I had to learn later that she needed to learn to protect herself. I discovered that you build networks that help create balance in your life. Friends become family, and you ask for help. The decisions I made weren’t always easy, but that year away made me realize that I was doing what needed to be done, and the best thing I could do was not feel guilty. Guilt wasn’t going to change the situation.

Raising her, there were times I wished I could have been there more. But I’m told by her, that I was there for the important things. I made mistakes, there is no manual, and you make best choice in the moment. I got babysitters so that I could go out, and I felt guilty about that, making up excuses about work to the sitter. Then it dawned on me, occasionally going out was good for me, and good for my daughter. Again, that guilt wasn’t doing us any good.

The lesson I learned that year, was that sometimes duty comes before family. And that’s okay. If you put the support in place, if you stop yourself from feeling guilty, just get the job done, and enjoy the time you have when you are done, if you realize that you don’t have to be perfect, that you just need to be present in the moment when you are there, amazingly, the kids will love you anyway.

My daughter is almost 19 years old, and she’s a good kid, despite my mistakes. I don’t feel guilty for doing what needed to be done, because the guilt never changed a thing. It just made me feel guilty.

Tammy Colson is an HR Consultant with 15 years of experience in all facets of human resources as a solo practitioner. She is available for consulting and speaking in the areas of HR and Social Media. She can be found on Twitter at @TLColson and writes at http://www.junkyardhr.com,  – Where old HR goes to Die. When not in the HR space, she is the proprietor of Southern Wine Trails, a wine and hiking experience in NC and VA http://southernwinetrails.blogspot.com/ – where she shares the beauty of the southern mountains and their wines with her clients.

In the News

Accountability Resources president still her own woman (Austin Business Journal)

“I realized that I wanted it all, and knew I could have an exceptional career and be a great mom,” Arsenault said. “I knew I was extremely efficient and talented at recruiting, but also that to be successful, you didn’t have to block off 8-to-5 Monday through Friday. I felt that would have me miss too much time with my kids.”  Arsenault had professional reasons urging her to make a change as well. She had reached a plateau, it seemed, which left her feeling bored.  “Working for someone else lacked challenge and creativity for me,” she said. “So I walked away from a hundred-thousand-dollar position to follow my dream.”

Innovation on a dime (Business Lexington)

Businesses reap large rewards for little to no cost:  Through offering employees greater flexibility in scheduling and telecommuting, Moloney said, “our firm has found that we can take care of our business and  our employees by allowing them to be more fully productive at their work but also involved family and community members.”   Frankfort Regional Medical Center, another 2009 award winner, offers flexibility to employees through self-scheduling, flexible hours, and job sharing. Chip Peal, CEO of Frankfort Regional Medical Center, stated, “Flexible scheduling has allowed us to align our hospital’s goals with the career goals of our employees, creating a healthy environment that fosters growth and prevents burnout.”   Providing a flexible work environment also allows Frankfort Regional Medical Center employees to take advantage of a tuition reimbursement program. This program has not only enlarged the pool of employees who can be promoted but also offers them greater career flexibility.

Diversity – Law Firms:  Practicing Diversity: A 25-Year Tradition At Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel)

Life/Work balance is indeed a very challenging issue for the legal profession. We have maintained our focus on our flex-time program for associates, counsel and partners, and we have expanded our parental policy to cover both women and men who are new parents, including adoptions. Our goal is not only to have policies on the books but to ensure that we have a culture where attorneys can utilize these programs without fear of stigma.

In the Blogs

Workforce Flexibility Just Makes Good Business Sense for Desautel Hege (Greater Spokane Incorporated)

Our founder, Jim Desautel, knew the importance of work-life balance, particularly ensuring one had time for an appropriate amount of golf.  All kidding aside, we work in a demanding business and have high expectations of all our team members.  Our work often includes evening and weekend commitments and periods of converging deadlines.  We have always felt strongly about providing our team with flexibility, both because it’s the right thing to do for our people AND because it makes good business sense.  Our team members have full lives, with families, interests, volunteer commitments, hobbies and passions outside the workplace. We believe that supporting them in their ability to balance these things with their jobs is good for our company—it creates satisfied employees, happy clients and a more productive workplace.  Over the years we have developed programs ranging from flex-time to modified work weeks, we have created training and continuing education programs, supported team member’s pursuit of degrees and professional credentials and have worked to create a family-friendly and life-friendly work place.

The imbalance of work-life Balance (Balance)

To achieve work-life balance in any organization or institution, a work-life balance initiative must be based on three levels: the programmatic level, the cultural level, supported on an individual level.  Here’s an overview of what a holistic approach to work-life –Net initiative similar to this:

A Super-Scientific Study on Work-Life Balance (The Hip Mom’s Guide)

So I did a super-scientific study based on lots of empirical evidence started paying attention.  I watched and listened and I asked lots of questions.  The stunning results are in: each of us thrives—and breaks—under different levels of stress.  (We’re talking good stress here.  Let’s leave bad stress for another time.)  The key is understanding what these levels are for ourselves, and not worrying about what everybody else is doing.

America’s Unhappy Workers – Inclusion, Creativity, Flexibility Key to Turning Things Around (The Inclusion Paradox)

A truly flexible organization embeds this value reciprocally with its employees, applying flexibility to its job design, hiring policies, career management, and benefits. This flexibility can prove vital in attracting and retaining talent by supporting employee aspirations. HR needs to be more creative in coming up with a genuine menu of options in these areas. After measuring the organization’s demographic and cultural profile, HR should drive experimentation. One area where a more flexible approach is needed, for example, is in recruitment and talent management. Typically, individuals are hired to fit a job description. Companies might achieve better outcomes if they try to identify individuals with a history of achievement, intellectual and emotional intelligence, and the commitment and alignment to become a good employee.

Top Priority: Good Jobs (Huffington Post)

Here’s what I mean by that: a good job supports a family by increasing incomes, narrowing the wage gap, and allowing workplace flexibility. It is safe and secure, and gives people a voice in the workplace. A good job is also sustainable and innovative (for example a green job), helps rebuild a strong middle class, and provides access to a secure retirement and adequate and affordable health coverage. If it’s not already clear, making good jobs the norm is one of our top goals.

The Interview with Giovanna Bertazzoni, Head of Impressionist and Modern Art in London (Christies.com)

You have had a leadership role in the Work/Life initiative – tell us a little about that project? I understand as well as anyone the challenges in balancing a role as a mother, a wife, a daughter and being a professional. There are real pressures at home and being the head of Impressionist Art in London is a challenging and pressurized job. The project I undertook with the team on the Work/Life initiative has been an incredibly exciting and rewarding one. We spoke to colleagues of all ages, both sexes and from all over Christie’s to get their input on what Christie’s could do to support Work/Life balance and to date we have helped support the introduction of a global Flexible Working policy and this week we see the launch of Emergency Dependent Care in the UK for all employees. I also work to help support working mothers going on maternity leave and returning to work as much as possible, as it is a lot to juggle!

Baby on Board (Chambers President’s Blog)

In addition to all the activites we do a the Chamber, we also try to be a bit of an experiment tank for the business community.  We have an employee (Dot) who “telecommutes” with a flexible office schedule to accomodate taking care of her two children under five.  If you have employees that could make this model work, it is great andwe are more than happy to answer questions you might have about it.  And if that isn’t enough, we are starting a new experiment.   [Bringing] Tess (newborn) to work with her (the employee) for the first six months.  Are there times when it could be a distraction? Sure.  But probably no more than we encounter on a daily basis around the office.  As I considered this idea before I asked Katie about it, it really occured to me that it is a new day in the work world.  Today’s parents really do focus on the work-life balance.  If we can accomodate that focus and work with it instead of against it, there is a win-win scenario.

Overworked, Under-Protected, and Under-Funded (Care.com)

When you break things down by salary, there are three types of families in America today: low, middle, and upper class. Parents in all three groups face different (but equally huge) challenges while trying to balance work life with child care responsibility. What’s more, things aren’t getting better. In fact, over the past 30 years, the challenge of providing child care has gotten harder for American families. “Work-family conflict is much higher in the United States than elsewhere in the world,” reports The Three Faces of Work-Family Conflict, a new study released this week by WorkLife Law and the Center for American Progress. “Not only do American families work longer hours; they do so with fewer laws to support working families.”

What running can teach you about the work-life balance (Startup Cafe)

Ultimately, everyone wants to get ahead. This is understandable since we’re constantly told that few startups survive. The statistics are against us. We need to move quickly, react and keep moving. Driven by the sense of urgency, we want to go fast, often working long hours and little time for R&R.

Work/Life Policies Can Enhance the Bottom Line — Fem 2.0 Wake Up! Campaign (PunditMom)

I think we’ve all pretty much figured out by now there is no such thing as work/life “balance.”  It would really be nice, but with the pressures of work, and trying to make sure we keep our jobs in this difficult economy, and the ever-increasing demands of our families, balance is elusive at best and non-existent at worst. But that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be evolving work/life policies to ease up on everyone, including paid maternity/paternity leave, paid sick leave and the ability to work more flexibly.

Is Work/Life Balance Possible In Social Media Careers? (Brazen Careerist)

Look at all the social media A-listers. They’re blogging–frequently. They’re tweeting constantly. They’re traveling all the time, doing speaking engagements. They’re getting book deals. They’re reading masses of stuff–blog posts, books, articles. They’re on pretty much all the time. How do you live that life and have time to devote to family or friends or spouses or kids.  I’m nothing close to a social media A-lister, but I do have a social media career and I’m here to tell you that finding a way to work 8 hours a day, blog, read, socialize either online or off and just stay on top of the things I need not only to do my job now to the best of my ability but also hopefully ensure that I stay gainfully employed for the next 25+ years in what’s becoming an increasingly lucrative and competitive field….it’s exhausting.

‘Young’ may be a label, but smart firms covet Gen Yers (Democrat and Chronicle)

Employers also are looking beyond the jeans and faux hawks and tapping into the strengths of younger workers. Some companies even tout things like “small company feel” and “workplace flexibility” to attract and retain Gen Yers. In the recent Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, companies like Wegmans and Marriott — which encourage and reward employees for developing innovative approaches to workflow — have won over the Millenials.At Xerox, it isn’t uncommon for a Gen Yer to help a colleague (old enough to be his dad) learn to use interoffice instant messenger to make communication more efficient, says Maribel Zayas, manager of the Xerox internship program. And without knowing it, the older work force at Xerox has helped Gen Yers realize the importance of face-to-face communication and feedback — something Millenials don’t get much of in this age of texting and online gaming.

Discussions

Interesting Q & A on LinkedIn about how to know when you are allotting enough time to family vs. work.

Also on LinkedIn: How can we reframe work/life balance to be inclusive?

Events

Fully Engaged:Achieving Work/Life Balance and High Performance – February 23rd, 8:30-4:30p, Kent State Stark Prof. Education and Conf. Center, North Canton, OH.

Workplace Flexibility Best Practices – February 25, 2:30-4:30 – University of Kentucky, Lexington Campus – free

Work Life Conference – March 25-26, Washington, DC

Join us on March 25–26, 2010 for our annual thought–leader conference for work life, HR, diversity and talent management professions. This year we will explore the “New Normal” in the Global Economy: What is it and what are the implications for work life and talent management?

Workplace Flexibility Summit – April 7, Dallas, TX

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)

Video

Career Life Connection News and Events

Work Life Balance Strategies on Career Life Balance Radio featuring Leanne Chase, Founder and President of Career Life Connection.

Success: Advancement and Caregiving–Challenging Work+Life Fit Roadblocks (Fast Company)

Really challenge what a good mother looks like for you personally.  Not what your mother says it is.  Not what the media says it is.  What do you say being a good mother looks like to you, based on your unique work and personal realities that are unlike anyone else’s.  Here are some of my favorite resources broadening the conversation about what it means to be a “good” mother:

• The Mama Bee Blog
• Morra Aarons-Mele at WomenandWork.com
• Joanne Bamberger at PunditMom.com
• Kami Lewis-Levin at The Fence, a Working Mom’s Blog
• Leanne Chase, CareerLifeConnection.com
• Chrysula Winegar at Work.Life.Balance

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.

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.