Events happening this week

The Care Summit - March 11, Washington, DC

Join the work/life dialogue along with other organizations on the cutting edge of family
care giving issues.

In the News

“Although Krislite is not a family-run business, we inculcate a family spirit among our people,” explains Mr Teo.  The company encourages a work-life balance where it can, and facilitates connections on both social and business levels to maintain the team spirit.   The strategy has worked well, with the company managing to retain its best people.   “It can be expensive,” comments Mr Teo, “but we balance costs with flexible wage solutions and a performance-based incentive structure.”

Civil servant unions pushing back on feared cuts to pensions (The Montreal Gazette)

But Duxbury said pensions aren’t the big draw they used to be for the “creme de la creme,” those young high-flyers who don’t see themselves in one career. Today’s big lure for all workers of all ages, is work-life balance, which the government is ideally positioned to offer.

Survey: Work-life balance difficult when family business is your life (Central Valley Business Times)

As a result, 56 percent of owners are constantly trying to improve their work-life balance, according to the survey.  According to the survey, 44 percent of family business owners always or often discuss work at home, and 28 percent always or often discuss home life at work. Nevertheless, surprisingly few find it to be a concern. Sixty percent say their discussions of work at home rarely or never cause problems, while 75 percent say discussing home at work presents no difficulties.

In the Blogs

Japan’s Local Government Offices Start Introducing ‘Telework’ System (Bernama.com)

As maintaining a work-life balance and tackling global warming have both become key issues, the Japanese government is promoting a ‘teleworking’ system in which people are able to work at home using computers and the Internet, and reduce emissions at the same time by not commuting, Kyodo news agency reported.  In 2007, the government laid out a plan to increase the number of teleworkers to 13 million by 2010, twice the figure in 2005, hoping to promote the system in both public and private entities.

Latest Book by California Western Professor Explores How Married Lawyers “Share the Pants” (California Western News)

“Work-life balance is not just a woman’s issue,” writes Slotkin. “Men also seek a work-life balance. Significant numbers of Gen-X and Gen-Y male professionals are demanding balance for themselves and their families.”

Through a collection of first-person essays by the husbands of women lawyers, Slotkin offers readers lessons and suggestions for achieving work-life balance and building lasting relationships.

BlackBerry adds 10 extra work days a year (Into Mobile)

These studies are always a bit overblown in the same way we see those stories about Facebook costing businesses billions in lost productivity. It would be foolish to say that the work/life balance hasn’t changed but I think that’s okay because the 9-to-5 schedule is antiquated. Sure, you may now be on the hook to respond to work e-mails on the weekends but that same ability should enable flexibility to take off in an afternoon if you need to do things like pick up your kids.

A Flexible Work Arrangement May Have Health Benefits (Emax Health)

The review also found that flexible work schedules was associated with improvements in alertness and heart rate, as well as secondary health outcomes such as perceived social support in the workplace and a sense of community.

Time spent at the workplace is often greater than the time spent with families and in personal pursuits. The consequences of losing an overall work-life balance can result in conditions such as obesity, heart disease, and certain cancers due to factors such as increased use of packaged and convenience foods (ie fast food), decrease in the amount of time spent doing physical activity, and the lack of sleep from anxiety.

Workplaces can use this study to their advantage. A worker who gets the appropriate amount of sleep, for example, is less tired and more productive during working hours. Having time to dedicate to one’s health can reduce overall healthcare costs for employers as well. And happy employees are often more engaged with company activities.

A (Very) Non-Millennial Working Mom’s Thoughts on Tattoos, Piercings, and Work-Life Balance (Current Mom)

Even more compelling is recent data from the consulting firm, Accenture, about Millennial (and Millennial-plus) professional women (here, women aged 22-35). Despite the recession, the vast majority of the 1000 women surveyed by Accenture - 94% – believe they can achieve a balance between a satisfying professional life and a gratifying personal life.  And nearly half of them – 46% – actually reported having an equal balance between their work and personal lives. (Hmm. I wonder how many of them have kids right now. Or whether they’re simply balancing work with leisure-filled weekends.) Significantly, 59% of these Millennial women defined success as “doing meaningful work while maintaining a work/life balance” as opposed to achieving a certain job title or level (37%) or being seen as an expert in their field (38%).

The Imbalance of Life and Work Balance (Expense Report)

Did you know the following?

* Health Care expenses are almost 50% higher for Workers who report high levels of stress

* People who experience work/life imbalance are three times more likely to suffer from heart problems, infections, injuries, mental health problems and back pain, and five times more likely to suffer from certain cancers

* Workers who have to take time off work because of stress, anxiety or a related disorder will be off the job for about 20 days

As these statistics show, work/life balance is still an important (and costly) issue both for individuals and organizations.

Events

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.

Developing an innovative workplace using flexibility – April 1, Lexington, UK Campus, ES Goodbarn

Learn how flexibility can be used as a strategy to motivate and engage employees who are having to do more with less, forego salary increases and deal with the challenges of work and life in the 21st century.

Workplace Flexibility Summit – April 7, Dallas, TX

When Work Works – April 8, Chandler, AZ – The Chandler Chamber of Commerce will hold its launch breakfast and forum for the 2010 When Work Works Alfred P. Sloan campaign to promote flexibility in the workplace from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. April 8 at the Courtyard by Marriott/Fairfield Inn at 1100 S. Price Road, Chandler.

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

Work Life Balance (as seen from Stanford Biz School grads)

Kevin Roberts interview in Paris (amplified) < He’s the man! #branding #sorted #follow

Recently had need to drag this out of the archives so thought I would share it with you. My favourite part of this is…‘It’s not about work/life balance; it’s about work/life integration. I don’t want to balance my life, I want to blast it to the max’

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

ERE Expo – Career Life Connection will be exhibiting at ERE Expo on March 16 & 17 in San Diego, Ca.  Come by booth #317 to plug in, grab a drink, grab a seat and generally re-charge

SXSW, March 12-14 – Leanne Chase from Career Life Connection will be at SXSW in Austin, TX.  To meet up @leanneclc on twitter, send email to chase at careerlifeconnection dot com

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.

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.

First things first, thank you China Gorman of SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) for including me in yesterday’s conversation that led to the great title for this article.

Apparently some Human Resources professionals found themselves working on a Sunday and talking to each other about it.  What was the deal?  Why were they working on a Sunday?  Were they doing what needed to be done…or going the extra mile…or were they giving the company of their free time and making the rest of us look bad?

It brought me back to a conversation I’d had a couple of weeks ago.  Where I posed the question whether or not people were willing to pay (out of their own pockets) for more scheduling flexibility in the workplace?  And if those who were willing to pay more were simply giving their company something they didn’t deserve or even expect.

When I originally posed the question on twitter I received two immediate responses from Gen Y.  They both stated how they essentially work all the time based on their current jobs and aren’t sure that workplace flexibility exists or could be put into a workplace policy.  They admitted they didn’t always work in an office setting but did work a whole lot.  I don’t think the fact that they were both Gen Y influenced these opinions…but I do think their age did.

You see in my 20’s I was all about work.  Seriously.  After a couple of years of working under my belt I knew what I wanted to do for a living.  And I was going for it.   To get there I did what I felt I needed to do.  The company didn’t ask me to do it…I did it on my own.  I liked it.  I saw great results from my efforts as did  the company I worked for  and they showed their appreciation by giving me time off in the middle of the business day to attend graduate school.  It was a great business arrangement for all.

It was not as great for my family and friends.  I worked weekends, I worked nights, I missed family events, friends’ weddings and holidays that many in the workplace take for granted.  But you know what…it wasn’t stressful.  Because I was happy.  I still found time for friends and family it just was on a Tuesday night instead of a Saturday night.  I was being challenged at work.  I was reaching my personal goals.  It was fantastic!

And isn’t feeling fantastic about your entire life the goal?

So now back to the conversation between John Jorgensen, China Gorman and  Karla Porter where they discussed whether those working in their “free time” were saints or sinners, leaders or followers or simply doing what it takes to get the job done.  I’m not sure those were the right questions to consider, instead I think we need to re-consider our concept of “free time.”  As someone who worked Sundays for many years…I have no issues with someone working on a Sunday.  As long as that is either included in their schedule already or is their choice and not a requirement.  And if it is a choice then I hope the company they work for is also flexible enough with it’s time to allow them time as needed to take care of an elder or younger family member, to take classes, to be home for the cable guy, to live their lives.  If this is the case…then it’s a business win/win for all and my guess is everyone is happy.  Which again is the goal…the goal is NOT to have someone fill a chair certain hours of specific days.

And while I can’t get inside the minds of China, Karla & John…I do feel I know China – although we just me in person for the first time last Wednesday.  We met at a fabulous event she and SHRM co-hosted in Washington, DC.  That event attracted HR people from all over…Raleigh, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Portland (OR), Minneapolis, Tampa, Cincinnati and more.  It was not a 2-day event, or even a 1-day event.  It was a 2-hour event!  And those of us that traveled to be there did so because we love what we do, we like the people we get to do it with, and it felt fantastic to be with these people.   So my guess is China was not “suffering” in the office on Sunday – but instead using her time as she chooses to accomplish her goals both personal and professional.

That is my vision of the future workplace.  It’s not policy-driven but rather is a common sense business arrangement. Workers are given more autonomy to choose where, when and how they work without pressure from the company or their peers to work in a pre-described way that has no business purpose other than “because that’s how it’s always been done.”  They are engaged and excited about the work they do.  And everyone wins.

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I am submitting this vision to the Blog Carnival focusing on work/life being edited by Katherine Lewis that starts February 8th.  Check it out to read more about workers vision of the future of work.

Yesterday I spent some time with two different groups of people discussing words.  Yes, words.  Because they matter.  They have definitions and they also have social/pop culture connotations and they have very different meaning to different people.

The first discussion was around “work-life balance”…I’ve been debating the wording on this for a long time.  Nothing was decided yesterday except we all didn’t like the word balance…but it is still the most popular way to describe the conflict many people face daily.  Other words we threw around included:

• flexibility (doesn’t resonate)

• integration (sounds very businessy…and sort of nerdy)

• fit (we’re getting there…but it does remind me I need to exercise more…which gets me stressed about my work/life again).

We also talked about not really liking “work/life” since after all it’s all life and most of us really like our work and love that it’s part of our lives.

So we got nowhere…but we’re still talking.

Then I went to a different event where we discussed the new trendy word to describe workers:  talent.  The person I was speaking with noted how he hated that word.  I asked what word he would use and he responded with people.  Which was nice to hear.  Because he’s a recruiter and often they use words like human resources, personnel, talent, or resources which I think tend to de-humanize the recruiting process.  People is what his job is about and he knows that.  That’s nice.

Why am I thinking about and talking about words so much? Because recently I went to Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For list and was checking it out.  And I noticed something glaring.  In 2008’s list there was a tab to click on for companies that offered the “Best Benefits.” In 2009’s list that tab had been replaced with “Best Perks.” And as I said…words matter.

Benefit:  a service (as health insurance) or right (as to take vacation time) provided by an employer in addition to wages or salary

Perk (from perquisite): a privilege, gain, or profit incidental to regular salary or wages

And under the tabs, some of the categories included are healthcare and work-life balance.  So I guess the folks at Fortune used to think of these as a right and now they consider them a privilege.  Interesting choice of words especially when considering the Conference Board’s recent findings on employee job satisfaction and the times we live in with the debates/elections of the past couple weeks and the speech that will be given tonight.   At least I find it interesting…you?

In the News

Recession blamed for more stress and longer working week (Cambridge News)

Work/life balance is even more elusive these days according to new research from Clydesdale Bank.  One in seven workers in the East of England believe the downturn has made them feel more stressed at work, while over half (51%) feel it has made it more difficult to achieve a balance between work and their private lives.  Nearly a quarter (23%) also claim to be working longer hours, in some cases up to 11 hours more a week, than they did before the recession hit.

Manning the house: Paternity-leave fathers seek better work-life balance (SanLouisObispo.com)

Nevertheless, taking child care leave in Japan is still a daunting prospect for most men. The government is aiming to increase the percentage of men who do – its goal is 10 percent by fiscal 2017 – but a variety of factors are working against it.  “Before taking a year off work, I looked down on housekeeping and child-rearing,” said Yamada, now 42 and deputy mayor of Yokohama. “By the end of that year, however, I’d learned how tough it is.”

Recession bites in workplace for family-friendly policies too (Irish Times)

The need for family-friendly workplaces does not go away when times are tough. No matter how grateful parents of young children are for being in a job, they can’t be expected to turn their backs on the family until the recession ends.  Yet authoritarian employers, a climate of fear and increased competitiveness among colleagues fosters the culture of long hours and “presenteeism”. Some workers make sure they are at their desks first thing in the morning and last thing at night to show how much they are needed.  There is a lot of pressure on people to stay longer than they are being paid for, says Lynch, which has consequences for families and is particularly difficult for parents rushing to collect children from creches or childminders.

Gen-Y creates ‘parallel careers’ (Whig Standard)

Many are willing to trade high pay for fewer billable hours, flexible schedules and a better work/life balance. “They may work three days a week in one thing and two days a week in something completely different,” Luft says. “I’ve seen some people so strategic that one (of those jobs) may be recession proof and the second may be a hobby or something they love to do.”  A growing number of organizations recognize that flexible work arrangements boost employee morale. Provincial governments are also paying attention. “In Alberta, you’re starting to see the government being very proactive in helping students going through the curriculum trying to find different angles — not so much emphasis on one type of career path but perhaps two,” Luft says.

Public office in Colorado puts squeeze on families (Denver Post)

Work-life balance has become a key talking point in local political circles since Gov. Bill Ritter announced he was dropping out of the election because his wife and kids needed him more than the electorate did.  And before Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and his notoriously private wife, Helen Thorpe, decided to thrust themselves and son Teddy, 7, further into the spotlight, they spent hours talking about how they could avoid the pitfalls oft discussed by Ritter and his wife, Jeannie.  “We were both seeing if we could get comfortable with this,” Thorpe said after Hickenlooper announced he would seek the Democratic nomination for governor. “I wasn’t comfortable with it right away, but I am now.”

Michelle Rodger: Everyone’s a winner when you achieve a work/life balance (Business Scotsman)

Press Releases

SAS Ranks No. 1 on FORTUNE Magazine’s Annual 100 Best Companies to Work for List

SAS has long been recognized as an innovator in encouraging employee work-life balance. Employees at SAS headquarters in Cary, NC, enjoy on-site amenities including free health care, subsidized child care, a free 66,000-square-foot recreation and fitness center, and programs that promote employee wellness. As a result, SAS employees are unusually loyal. Annual turnover is about 4 percent in an industry in which 22 percent is the norm. This low turnover translates into long-term relationships with customers, knowledge retention, and low recruitment and training costs.

Events

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

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

Career training series resumes Jan. 27 (Washington State University, January 27)

Helping employees enhance their careers, jobs and work-life management is the focus of a training series that continues this semester with “Career Assessment and Planning”…The courses will cover: workplace communication, ethics, computer security, work-life balance and more.

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: 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

Leanne Chase of CareerLifeConnection.com will be at the #Connect HR event on January 27 in Washington, DC.  If you are in the DC area and interested in meeting with her you can connect by commenting here, on twitter @leanneclc or by emailing her:  blog at careerlifeconnection dot com.

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.

Career Life Connection will be exhibiting at the Massachusetts Conference for Women on December 10, 2009 at the Boston Convention and Exhibit Center: Come on by and talk work/life balance/flexibility/fit at the annual conference where women can connect, be motivated, network, get inspired and build their skill base. Last year the event brought together more than 5,000 women for the day. Also be sure to check out the career fair raffle where Career Life Connection will be looking to put more balance back into your life with a one-hour massage gift certificate to Bella Sante.

Social Recruiting Summit – November 16 – NYC

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

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

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

ERE Interviews: Career Life Connection (JobRadio.fm)

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

Last night I spent some time reading an article about the 35th anniversary of the day women reporters were first allowed into a pro-sports locker room. It seems so long ago…35 years…and yet in reality it seems little has changed.

Walk in to a pro sports locker room as a woman and I guarantee you…you are still the story. Maybe not on big games like the all-star game or a championship game. But go in on a regular Tuesday. Just a normal game. But you need to get some work done and have questions that need to be answered.

You will be the story.

There will be jokes, jabs, things you hear and see that you will pretend not to hear and see. Many will be deliberate, some will not be.  And you will continue on…and do your job…and sigh. I know…I’ve been there.

So I’m taking some time to reflect and thank Robin Herman today. Because I could not have had the career in sports broadcasting I had without her breaking the barriers. But I’m also taking time to wish that more had changed in 35 years.

As the story indicates it was an interesting time for women and work.  As is 2010.  Women are at parity with men in the workforce and are earning more degrees than men in college.  How far we’ve come…and how far we still have to go.

There is a group of women who’d like to change the world.  They are meeting for lunch on Tuesday and I am so excited to be part of it.  How do we honor Robin Herman and her kind for breaking down the barriers?  By constantly talking about new barriers and continually building doors, windows and holes in those barriers.  If you are like me and are thankful for the opportunities others have given…but still need the world of work to change…please consider speaking, blogging, talking and yelling from the highest mountain top about the subject.  And in the meantime if you’re heading to, want to head to, thinking about going to BlogHer…you could also vote for these two sessions:

• Lab session: How Can we Use Blogging to Change the Way America Works: Work Life and Blogging
• Will asking about work-life balance stop me from getting the job?

I assure you this is not a political post.  The only thing I will say is it was nice to have voter turnout in some cities/towns as high as 78% yesterday, especially after the dismal and truly embarrassing turnout of less than 15% statewide for the primary.

Now on to work/life.

I work from home.  I love it.  It has its challenges.  Some of them are self-imposed like the fact that I love living in the city…which is rather expensive…which means our house is not a palace.  It is a modest 2-bedroom condo with no office.  I may be one of the only people who actually uses their laptop on their lap, most of the time.  I’m not complaining – I like being in my PJs on my comfy bed talking, writing, blathering away to you all.  But it really does have its challenges.  Like right now as I’m writing in the dark so as not to disturb the sleeping household.  Other work from home fun includes:

• Little one who feels it is her right to have access to her mommy 24/7 – knocking on the door before barging in is a big improvement though.

• A television set that mocks me on days that I’d rather not work – sorry cable, you had to bite it, “True Hollywood Story” was just too much to resist.

• Home-based childcare – what’s not to like about having your child’s laundry done for you?  But the machines are in the master bath…which really means the bathroom everyone needs to tromp through my “office” to get to.

• A consultant hubby who is curently “on the beach” which is consultant speak for no active client.  So he’s been hanging around the house looking for a project, a playmate, a lunch date or just someone to talk to.

• A busy building where I know and like the vendors like the UPS guy whose family we’ve gone camping with, seriously!  So the buzzer of my unit rings a lot – even if packages aren’t for me.

• Neighbors children who know I’m home and have extra keys when they lock themselves out, or call on me when they can’t get their parents car out/in to a tight parking space or have recently baked cookies and want to share (this last one is actually quite a nice perk!)

So I’m used to distractions…but I also like to read, think, read more, think more, think more, think more and then write.  It’s a process which can be easily derailed so the fewer distractions the better when I finally get around to putting fingers to keyboard.

Unfortunately a heated political campaign takes precedence – at least in the minds of the candidates and their managers.  Apparently political campaigns don’t have to pay attention to the do not call lists.  Did you know that?  I didn’t.  But it makes sense…I mean hey why not give yourselves the power to not only make the laws but also the loopholes that benefit you.

In a typical week my home phone never rings.  In fact there are times I completely forget it exists.  But that was impossible in the last week and a half.  Starting a week ago Sunday my home phone received roughly 5 calls a day…per candidate!  Now don’t get me wrong being called by the Leader of the Free World is a little heady, even if it is a recorded call.  Did you hear from President Obama this week?  That’s what I thought.  And I know my Dad would have gotten a kick out of Curt Schilling calling.  I mean that bloody sock game is the stuff legends are made of…especially for us dramatic, long-suffering Red Sox fans.  That was fun and all but the calls kept coming and I couldn’t take it.  So I did what I do…I was a twit…which means I sent a message to both candidates on twitter last Tuesday:

@leanneclc:  I’m serious @marthacoakley and @scottbrownMA stop calling my home – at this point you are harassing us and now I don’t like either of you!

And it worked…the calls stopped for the rest of that day and the next…I got some work done…but then they just couldn’t help themselves anymore and needed to reach out and touch my home again, and again, and again.

The election is over…but I think I’ve learned a powerful lesson…there is a volume button on the ringer and clearly I need to use it more effectively.  Especially during the political season in Massachusetts.

In the News

What Gen-Y workers want now — and why (CFO Daily News)

For employers, getting Generation-Y employees to see the value of company-sponsored benefits has traditionally been a challenge. But the recession may have changed that.  In fact, 62% of these employees said the quality of benefits packages influences their choice of employer and 64% said it impacts job loyalty…However, these employees rank work/life balance a top priority — with 75% revealing that work/life balance drives their career choices.

Children ‘may lower parents’ blood pressure’ find researchers (Telegraph)

Despite the worries over money, education, health and work/life balance, parenthood can be good for the heart in the same way as exercise or cutting out salt, for instance, experts claimed.  It is thought the fulfilment of children and giving life meaning makes parents more content which has an effect on blood pressure, researchers from Brigham Young University in Utah said.

Employers and their businesses run the risk of being “named and shamed” on social media sites if they fail to manage new workplace flexibility laws properly, a Brisbane workplace lawyer has warned.  Brad Petley, workplace relations and safety partner at Holman Webb, says employers who have not prepared for r2r – the right of workers to request flexible work practices – could suffer business brand and bottom line damage.

Older workers want work life balance (Miami Herald)

In the near future, Czaja says, employers will accommodate the increasing number of older workers through the work/life benefits traditionally requested by young parents — flexible schedules, telework arrangements, contract work. She believes keeping older people productive over the next decade is crucial to a strong economy. “We need to prepare for it.”

The Top 5 Socio-Political Business Risks for 2010 (Huffington Post)

While suicide is certainly not a top risk for 2010, it is an extremely important trend that multinationals must begin to take seriously. Stress caused by debt, drought, work/life balance issues, and corporate malfeasance have been blamed for incidents ranging from the mass suicides of Indian farmers (over 1,500 farmers in the Indian State of Chattisgarh alone in 2009) to the suicide epidemic that swept France Telecom and claimed 26 lives in 16 months.  Whether it’s poor management, the economic crisis, or what Stockholm University in a recent study labeled the “contagious suicide syndrome,” multinationals must realize they have a shared responsibility to take measures that will effectively prevent suicide from becoming an alternative grievance mechanism in the coming year.

Bosses fight to keep good staff: experts (Sydney Morning Herald)

“It’s important from an employer perspective to ensure that staff are adequately supported to ensure that you can hold on to skilled staff,” Mr Sebastian said.  A survey of 930 people carried out by recruitment company Chandler Macleod (CMG) found 72 per cent of employees were looking for work outside their current industry and 62 per cent were looking for work outside their current speciality.  An overwhelming majority of job-seeking respondents, 91 per cent, cited job security as the most important ingredient in a new job, closely followed by 86 per cent who said they highly valued a good work-life balance.

Emirati men urged to spend more time with children (The National)

Young Emirati men should become more involved in the raising of their children, provide support for their wives and strive for a healthy work-life balance. That is the message from one young Emirati husband and father…Dr al Redha told his story on the second and final day of the Arab Women Leadership Forum. He was one of only three male speakers at the conference, which examined issues affecting women in the UAE and the region.Women’s forum explores ‘Work-Life balance’ (Trade Arabia)

Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) held the ‘Second Arab Women Leadership Forum’ on the theme ‘Women’s Leadership in Organizations: Towards New Conceptions of Work-Life Balance’.  The conference explored the issue of work-life balance through the prism of organizational and government policies affecting the maintenance of equilibrium between family and work, as well as the obstacles and challenges working women face while attempting to maintain this crucial balance.

Paying for Flexible Work Schedules (Government Executive)

Over at Wired Workplace, Brittany Ballenstedt has an interesting point: according to new polling data, some workers want more flexible schedules so much that they’re willing to pay for the technology that will allow them to work outside of regular work hours, usually for smartphones…Even though I’ve seen this pattern play out with many of my friends who foot the entire bill for their smartphone useage even though they’re using it to extend their productivity and availability hours for their employers, I find it a little worrisome. First, if workers genuinely need technology because their employers want them to stay productive, their employers should probably be paying for it, and making sure such technology has proper information safeguards, etc.

Treat your spouse like a customer (Miami Herald)

Are you spending more time with your customers or co-workers than your family or spouse? I read an interview with Louis Upkins Jr. who wrote a self-help  book titled Treat Me Like a Customer: Using Lessons from Work to Succeed in Life. His book plays off the central notion that home life would improve if busy business executives cared as much for their wives or husbands and kids (and showed it) as they do for their most-valued customers. Here’s an excerpt from a Q & A with Upkins in The Tennessean. His answers will wake you up.

SMEs warned over employee exodus in February and March (Smart Company – Australia)

The Chandler Macleod Group Post GFC Candidate Study Report reveals about 95% of the survey’s 930 respondents are now looking for work, with 73% actively looking and 57% optimistic of finding a job within the next 90 days.  Additionally, about 72% are actually looking for work outside their current industry, with 91% looking for job security before they actually make a switch.  The top reasons given for searching for new work were limited career opportunities, cited by 41% of respondents, feeling undervalued, 24%, and losing faith in the current organisation, 18%. The most important conditions in a new job were cited as job security at 91%, work-life balance at 86%, overseas posting opportunities at 25% and bonus structure at 48%.

SCB fosters closer relations through team engagement activity (Brunei.FM)

Standard Chartered Bank encourages all its employees to have a healthy work life balance by taking time out to engage in break out activities within their teams and to spend time with their families through Happy Fridays whereby departments are encouraged not to schedule meetings after 3pm in the afternoon on Fridays and for all staff to go home on time. Each month, departments are also encouraged to take time out on a Friday for team bonding through an activity together such as going for a team walk.

Network Rail in call to halt further strikes (Wales Online)

Signal workers across South Wales have been on strike since Monday in a row over new rosters for staff….“Our members have made it clear that they are not prepared to see their work-life balance wrecked as part of an imposed cost-cutting exercise.”

Career development tops list for new job prospects (Globe and Mail)

Forty per cent of 1,300 respondents to a survey by staffing service Right Management Inc. said the potential for career development is the most important factor when choosing a new boss.  That was followed by work-life balance (21 per cent); innovative workplace (15 per cent); and competitive pay and benefits (12 per cent).

Maternal Affairs: Back to square mum (Times Online)

As the recession takes its toll, many high-flying career women are finding themselves out of a job. So what happens when stay-at-home motherhood is forced upon you?…

Be realistic with career and life goals (News Observer)

Reclaim work/life balance. Lisa Gates of Craving Balance Coaching, says this common goal can be accomplished, but it takes focusing on priorities.  “Fear causes us to do more and take on more and say yes when it’s the exact opposite of what we need to do,” she says.  Gates suggests getting hyper-focused on two or three priorities at work and home. “You will have to look at all the demands on your time and ask, ‘Is this in line with my priority?’ If not, eliminate it,” Gates says.

In the Blogs

How balanced is your life? (People Alchemy)

First I was dying to finish high school and start college.
And then, I was dying to finish college and start working.
And then, I was dying to marry and have children.
And then, I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work.
And then, I was dying to retire.
And now, I am dying……
And suddenly realise, I forgot to live.

As you read this old wisdom from an unknown source, how do you feel?

First Lady Michelle Obama Promotes Work/Life Balance (Workforce Management)

Such worries undermine work performance, Obama said. She argued that flextime, telecommuting and paid time off produces happier employees and more profitable companies.  “Instead of spending all day at work worrying about what’s happening at home, they have the support that they need to concentrate on their jobs,” Obama said.  Although many employers have established good work/life benefits, too many Americans don’t have access to flexibility policies, Obama said.  “Staying home to care for a sick child or taking an elderly parent to a doctor’s appointment shouldn’t mean risking one’s job,” Obama said. “Things like paid family leave and sick days and affordable child care should be the norm, not the exception.

Proven ways to retain your best employees (Professional Carwashing and Detailing)

The difficulty in finding and keeping talented people is having a catastrophic impact on many businesses and industries throughout the world. In addition to those retiring, surveys show one out of every three people plan on quitting their jobs this year…In today’s workplace, flexibility rules.  A one-size-fits-all approach has long since lost its effectiveness.  Workers will migrate to a company whose benefit packages and schedules help them meet the demands of their lives, whether they are single parents, adults who care for aging parents, older workers, younger workers, part-time workers, or telecommuters.

Work/Life Balance – It’s All Relative (Learning Curve Coach)

Another thing that’s really different today is the quality of my life. It’s gone way up. WAY up. It’s filled with far less of the stuff I don’t want in my life and far more of the stuff I do.  For me, the work/life balancing act was made exponentially easier when I engaged in work I love versus the kind that made me want to stick needles in my eyes. But it’s still a balancing act.

Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility (When Work Works)

Applications are now open for the 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility! This prestigious award recognizes employers across the country that are successfully using flexibility to meet both business and employee goals. To see if your organization qualifies, read the details below.

Working Women (My Job Assistant)

I think that things are slowly progressing for women in the work force. You still need to work a bit harder just to stay in the game. But at the same time, there are different expectations for working mothers than there are for working fathers. Women lose a bit of credability when they have kids and have to work harder to show thier commitment to the job. It is totally different for men. Here are a few tips for working women who are having trouble balancing their work and home lives:

U of T study finds work-life balance elusive (University of Toronto)

Researchers measured the extent to which work was interfering with personal time using data from a national survey of 1,800 American workers.   The authors describe five core sets of findings:

• People with college or postgraduate degrees tend to report their work interferes with their personal life more than those with a high school degree;
• Professionals tend to report their work interferes with their home life more than people in all other occupational categories;
• Several job-related demands predict more work seeping into the home life: interpersonal conflict at work, job insecurity, noxious environments, and high-pressure situations; however, having control over the pace of one’s own work diminishes the negative effects of high-pressure situations;
• Several job-related resources also predict more work interference with home life: job authority, job skill level, decision-making latitude, and personal earnings;
• As predicted, working long hours (50-plus per week) is associated with more work interference at home—surprisingly, however, that relationship is stronger among people who have some or full control over the timing of their work;

“Work+Life Fit in 5 Days” Series–Seeing the Possibilities (Fast Company blog)

As I listened to their stories, almost every one of them said the same thing to me, “I loved my time with my children, but I wish I’d known there might have been another way I could have kept working and had some flexibility. I just didn’t know there was any other option besides quitting.” They didn’t see the possibilities.

Press Releases

Booz Allen’s policies help staff in Ohio—and firm-wide—meet changing professional and personal commitments.

“Booz Allen knows that great jobs also include something more: An understanding of work-life integration,” Miles says. “At the firm, we provide our employees with the flexibility to focus on what’s most important to meet their goals at home and at work. We offer options for staff to manage responsibilities, network, learn, and build camaraderie, while they provide exceptional service to their clients and support their team.”  Booz Allen’s robust flexible work arrangement program includes telecommuting, flex work hours, paid time off, and options for leaves of absence. The firm’s philosophy of promoting a healthy work-life balance allows staff the flexibility they need to adjust their schedules to meet personal obligations and goals while successfully addressing work responsibilities.

Events

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

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

Career training series resumes Jan. 27 (Washington State University, January 27)

Helping employees enhance their careers, jobs and work-life management is the focus of a training series that continues this semester with “Career Assessment and Planning”…The courses will cover: workplace communication, ethics, computer security, work-life balance and more.

Workplace Flexibility: Flexibility in a Multigenerational Workforce

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

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

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

Research Reports/Papers

Career Life Connection News and Events

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.

Career Life Connection will be exhibiting at the Massachusetts Conference for Women on December 10, 2009 at the Boston Convention and Exhibit Center: Come on by and talk work/life balance/flexibility/fit at the annual conference where women can connect, be motivated, network, get inspired and build their skill base. Last year the event brought together more than 5,000 women for the day. Also be sure to check out the career fair raffle where Career Life Connection will be looking to put more balance back into your life with a one-hour massage gift certificate to Bella Sante.

Social Recruiting Summit – November 16 – NYC

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

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

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

ERE Interviews: Career Life Connection (JobRadio.fm)

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

But some things are more important than work-life balance.  And the last few days have once again taught us that.

As you’re pondering work/life check out this interesting report I came across today, “When Life Gets in the Way of Work.” I found it interesting because on the one hand the survey takers said that having control over your work/life made you less stressed and on the other those who did have control worked more than 50 hours/a week and had lots of work/life stress.

And for the record…I, personally, am a fan of Doctors Without Borders and their work.  One reason is that when the situation is handled and they have enough money they don’t take your donation and shift it to general stuff..they tell you they’re good.  How nice.