Work/life news for the week ending 2/13/10

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.