In the News

Are We a Family Friendly Nation? (San Francisco Chronicle)

Here, the legislation, companies, and people dedicated to improving our days, plus a look at how far we still have to go, and how to get there together.

Jack Welch And The Work-Life Balance (CNBC)

I think it’s the first part of that much-quoted sentence that raised hackles: “no such thing as work-life balance.” Taken alone, those words ring false in most companies today. The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 enforces a certain work-life balance in U.S. companies – and some, including GE, have gone beyond FMLA to provide opportunities and benefits to workers (including execs) to embrace life.

Careers: Balancing more than the books (PR Week, UK)

In some ways, the UK PR industry is ahead of the curve. In the PRWeek Best Places to Work Survey 2009, 85 per cent of respondents said they offered staff the option of flexible working. However, in many cases ‘flexible working’ is limited to allowing staff to work from home for a morning if they are expecting a delivery.  ‘It is fashionable to say we should all be able to flexi-work,’ says Sue Grant, founder of tech agency Grant Butler Coomber. ‘The realities are still being worked through at many agencies.’

It’s not work-life fears that hold back women (Times Higher Education, UK)

It is sometimes suggested that female academics do not go for the top jobs in higher education because of the price they would have to pay in terms of their work-life balance.  However, research from Glasgow Caledonian University suggests that this theory is wide of the mark, and that women in academia are just as willing as their male counterparts to sacrifice more of their time to further their careers.

Long hours ‘irritate’ Aussie workers (The Age, Australia)

While men’s dissatisfaction has remained steady since the first survey in 2007, two thirds of women working full-time felt they were constantly pressed for time, up from 59 per cent in 2007.

Work-life balance worse for women (Sydney Morning Herald)

Among the small number of people who asked for changed hours, two-thirds had requests met in full. However, a silent majority – 80 per cent – bit their tongues, fearing jobs were unsuited to flexible arrangements.

In the Blogs

Idea of the Day: Require Federal Contractors to Provide Work-Family Benefits (Center for American Progress)

In the interim, the government should follow the recent recommendation made by Workplace Flexibility 2010 to adopt a pilot project requiring federal contractors that have hourly workers working on federal contracts to provide at least two types of flexible, family-friendly work arrangements.

Overcoming the motherhood penalty (Examiner.com)

Six years later, this discovery was later confirmed in Getting a job: Is there a motherhood penalty?, where the authors say mothers are 79% less likely to be hired and 100% less likely to be promoted. They also found that mother are assumed to be less competent and committed than women without children (American Journal of Sociology, March 2007).

Flexible Schedules for Hourly Workers Becoming More Prevalent (Corporate Voices for Working Families)

A new study by WorldatWork and the Work Design Collaborative (WDC) indicates that the number of hourly workers in the U.S. using flexible scheduling benefits such as teleworking is larger than expected.

Look Before You Leap! Evaluate Your Work Life Balance & Career Goals Pre-Job Change… (Total Practice Management Assoc.)

We may be in a recession but attorneys and legal professionals are still changing firms, positions, and careers altogether. Which brings me to a topic that not many current job seekers take into consideration; their own work life balance goals.

Four Federal Government agencies launch a new work life balance pilot program (Examiner.com)

The Federal Government is continuously recognizing the importance of work life balance issues for Federal employees. Mr. John Berry, Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), announced that OPM, the Department of Interior, General Services Administration and the Federal Reserve will collaborate to improve the quality of work life for the employees that work at these agencies.  The new pilot program will create a work-life campus for the more than 6,000 employees of these agencies.

Work-life balance; we’re doing it wrong (In a Strange Land, Australia)

The most recent survey shows that part time work is no magic solution to the work-life balance struggle..My own experience, having worked both official part time hours, and as a casual, is that the juggle gets no better. If I am working part time, then the amount I do at home and in the community simply increases, and my overall commitments don’t decrease.

Work and Family Balance for Men? (Equal Couples Blog)

If we want to make real progress in the workplace we can’t afford to let work/family issues be only a woman’s problem!

Work/Life Balance? Yea…Right. (Get Radical at Work and Life)

Employers will tout alternative work schedules, telecommuting, flex time, and additional benefits like wellness programs. But what does that have to with an employee’s real “balance” needs?…All these examples highlight the problem with work/life balance: One size doesn’t fit all.

Modern technology = longer hours (but only for the happy few) (Fredzimny’s CCCCC Blog)

Indeed 87% of respondants believed that an official office remote working strategy would be attractive to them as employees, with the modern workforce apparently regarding such flexibility as a major factor in attaining good work/life balance.

Employers still embrace work life flex while on the edge (Examiner.com)

But there was one surprising finding in the report said Galisky,”81% of employers are maintaining the flexibility that they offer, 13% are increasing it during the recession and only 6% have reduced flexibility.

Career Life Connection News and Events

Career Life Connection at ERE Expo Sept. 10-11, Hollywood, Florida

Career Life Connection will be in booth #205 at the ERE Expo.  We will be talking about workplace flexibility and video taping interviews with companies and workers who flex.

Small Business Expo and Career Fair, May 21, Quincy, MA

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection to speak on Social Networking:  Linked In, Facebook and Twitter

Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar

Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue; summary of teleseminar discussion on Workplace Flex.

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

Work/Life balance issues (The City Wire)

Accenture surveyed 200 professionals in the U.S. and found that 79% said it is important to maintain a balance between their work and personal lives, yet 53% acknowledge that they work on vacation.

A better work/life balance is possible (Atlanta Journal Constitution)

In 2006, 53 percent of employees believed they had a good work/life balance. Only 30 percent thought so by the first quarter of 2009, according to research by the Corporate Executive Board. One reason might be that in today’s workplace companies and shareholders are expecting greater productivity with fewer employees

Whistle While You Work (Lawn & Landscape)

“Every employee must have certain needs met at the workplace such as safety, health, work/life balance and proper pay,” says Len Wysocki, a Connecticut-based psychologist, and representative of the Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program. “And all companies should strive for those goals.”  Wysocki says it’s not only the right thing to do, but a wise business decision, too.  “It’s not just about being a humanitarian, but about improving your business,” he explains. “If an employee feels they are offered a chance for development in the company and a safe and stable place to work where their needs are being met, they are more likely to be both physically and emotionally present at the job – and that makes them better employees.”

Workplace Flexibility versus Unpaid Leave (National Center for Policy Initiatives)

The FMLA was enacted with good intentions:  to help employees strike the right balance between their personal lives and careers without being penalized.  Unfortunately, it adds to the cost of employment, reduces the ability of employers and employees to make flexible workplace arrangements, and makes small businesses less competitive in the marketplace.

Anxious Japanese Are Working Themselves to Death (BusinessWeek)

For sure, the culture of hard work, even when it risks worker health, runs deep. One government survey found that nearly 90% of workers say they didn’t even know what the term work-life balance meant. And 4 out of 5 say they would cancel a date if asked by a superior to work overtime, according to a poll by the Japan Productivity Center for Social-Economic Development, a Tokyo think tank.

Situation Re-evaluation:  creating balance (Examiner)

Part of self-knowledge is the ability to achieve balance, and job-seekers rank work-life balance as second only to compensation, according to a 2009 Corporate Executive Board survey. The board surveyed over 50,000 global workers and results indicated employees who feel they have achieved work-life balance work, on average, 21 percent harder than employees who feel they have not achieved work-life balance.

Columnist Sue Shellenbarger answers readers’ questions (Wall Street Journal)

Fathers are taking more responsibility for child care, says a recent Families and Work Institute study of about 2,800 U.S. workers. The proportion of men reporting work-life conflict has risen sharply over the past three decades to 45%, surpassing the 39% of women who say they experience some or a lot of work-life conflict.

Economic Downturn Rattles Younger Workers While Older Employees Tough It Out, Boston College Study Finds (SOA World Magazine)

Looking across different generations of workers, researchers found employees of all ages reporting a drop in employee engagement, a measure of how invested and enthusiastic employees are in their work. While employees overall report declining engagement, older workers in this study appear to be weathering the economic storm better than their younger peers.

Seniors as Entrepreneurs: Their Time Has Come (Business Week)

A combination of economic volatility as well as the growing number of baby boomers with time, energy, and money on their hands has redefined the starting age for new startups and has led to a surge in senior citizen entrepreneurs.

Work-Life Balance a Challenge for Canadians (Canada.com)

Forty-four per cent of Canadians say their work has a negative impact on their family and interferes with the time they spend with their children, the report found, while 26 per cent of fathers and 33 per cent of mothers suffer excessive stress from lack of time.

Small Talk: Economy makes some company owners rethink vacation (Salt Lake Tribune)

How small business owners are grappling with whether they can afford to take a vacation this year or not.

How to keep working remotely during a transition (Examiner)

“I have been working remotely as an individual contributor for a company headquartered in San Jose for the past 5 years. The company recently announced that it will start to require all employee to work on-site a couple of days a week. Can they make me drive to San Jose to work? Help”

In the Blogs

SHRM is advocating a 21^st Century workplace flexibility policy that meets the needs of today’s employers and employees.  SHRM believes that employers should be encouraged to provide paid leave without new federal rules and regulations.  Under SHRM’s proposal, employers that offer a certain amount of paid leave voluntarily would be deemed to have met all federal, state and local leave requirements.  We believe this approach will lead to more paid leave for employees and more predictability for employers.

5 Barriers to Workplace Flexibility (Ezine Articles)

Here are five barriers to workplace flexibility that may be holding you and your organization back from fully embracing the flexibility you want and need.

Corporate Voices’ Study Demonstrates Benefits of Workplace Flexibility to Hourly Employees and Businesses (Sloan Work and Family Research Network blog)

When Michelle Obama attended the Corporate Voices for Working Families Annual Meeting in early May, she talked about the importance of work-life programs to working families and to the competitiveness of American business.
In conjunction with Mrs. Obama’s talk, Corporate Voices released a comprehensive study that looks at workplace flexibility options and programs involving hourly employees, Innovative Workplace Flexibility Options for Hourly Workers.

Jumping into the Get-A-Life Fray (Open Source WorInProgress Blog)

Review of the “Get a Life” conference targeting the law profession.  Funny quote from blog:  Diversity: The majority of lawyers in attendance were bankruptcy lawyers. Seems as if the first step into getting a life is to not practice bankruptcy law.

Press Releases

Staffing Firm Hollister, Inc. and NEHRA Congratulate the 2009 Best Places to Work and Ask What it Takes to Create an Award-Winning Work Environment

“Hollister has chosen to sponsor the Best Places to Work event since its inception in 2003 because we recognize the value in creating an attractive work environment. Today’s job seekers are looking to work for companies with personality and that put employees first when it comes to daily office life,” said Kip Hollister, Founder and CEO of Hollister, Inc. “The companies that the BBJ recognizes annually understand that each employee is integral to their success and therefore an asset. They are committed to nurturing a stimulating, positive work environment, as a means to retain and attract quality employees.”

Munger, O’Melveny, and Oaktree to Open Child Care Center for Employees

MTO associate Kate Anderson developed the idea for the center as she struggled to find quality child care for her twin daughters post-maternity leave. MTO’s managing partners provided resources and encouragement to help bring the vision into fruition. MTO also sought like-minded firms to partner with, and invited O’Melveny and Oaktree to join them. The center will serve the three firms, with limited public availability.

Events

How to Eliminate Stress from Your Work – Free Teleclass (Wed, June 17th)

Career Life Connection News and Events

Small Business Expo and Career Fair, May 21, Quincy, MA

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection to speak on Social Networking:  Linked In, Facebook and Twitter

Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar

Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue; summary of teleseminar discussion on Workplace Flex.

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

No Business is Safe While the Legislature is in Session (Kitsap Penninsula Business Journal)

On a federal level, there are many bills being introduced that require paid family leave. The breadth of these bills and the cost to business is staggering. On a positive note, the Society of Human Resource Management, in collaboration with other interested stakeholders, has introduced the 21st Century Workplace Flexibility Policy. This voluntary policy advocates employers implement a leave policy built on five main principles, which would provide a safe harbor for employers who participate.

Pushed to the Brink (Success Magazine)

These business owners fell out of whack in one or more areas and paid the price. But through vigilant, conscious living, they reinvented themselves and reconnected with what matters.

The Case for Womenomics (Washington Post)

Workers who put a value on their time don’t have to work 60-hour workweeks, Shipman says. “It’s not only a male-female issue. Younger workers — Gen X and Gen Y — all want a much broader life. They want more time. They’re not willing to be slaves to the corporate ladder. They value things outside of work and see themselves as more balanced, family-oriented human beings.

Womenomics: Can Women Blend Work and Family Better with Flextime? (ABC News)

Womenomics is the notion that women can have great power in the workplace, and that their desire to work differently is finally bringing down the old order and creating huge new opportunities based on newer, more flexible rules.

KPMG recognised amongst top employers for working parents and carers (Consultant-News.com)

KPMG has been named on Working Families’ first ever list of employers that do most to support their working parents and carers today. KPMG is the only Big Four firm to be named in ‘Top Employers for Working Families’ list.

Get A Life:  Marley and Life (Federal Computer Weekly)

Private companies striving to retain and recruit valuable employees recognize the need for work life balance. The key benefits are flexible hours and flexible workplaces such as telework.  Government is catching on. Legislative proposals being considered by the Congress this week would provide paid parental leave for birth or adoption of babies. Another would expand telework, a benefit that the Office of Personnel Management is also promoting.

Investing In Balance (Business Report)

“In the future, I think we’ll see even more family-friendly policies at all companies,” says Donna Bodin, the hospital’s vice president of employee services. “Employers are realizing that employees need more work-life balance to be the most productive.”

A place for kids (Akron Beacon Journal)

InfoCision opens new child-care facility to retain its valuable employees

For InfoCision, which is the second-largest privately held teleservices firm in the country, the turnover meant looking for new talent and the expenses of training the new person.  But a new child-care facility, InfoKids Early Learning Center, which opened two weeks ago, will help the company retain and recruit mothers and fathers seeking a work-life balance, Albright said.

Job Sharing That Works (The Lawyers’ Weekly)

It’s mind-boggling, how a young mother can work full-time in the demanding legal profession. But Jessica Yeung and Anne Lau have managed to find an ideal work-life balance. The two lawyers at the Vancouver office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) share everything except their name-plates and in-trays: They have the same assistant, computer monitor and desk. And their clients are happy with the set-up as they are billed for the price of one lawyer, but have access almost 24/7.

She works too hard for the money (Salon.com)

The authors of “Womenomics” challenge professional women to say no to overly demanding jobs — even in a recession.

In their book, the news veterans call for women to say no to 60-plus-hour work weeks and overly demanding jobs that yank them away from their families. Instead, they urge working women to use their clout in the workplace to demand fewer hours at the office, turn down non-family-friendly assignments, and take control of their time by working from home more, checking e-mail less and avoiding meetings whenever possible.

Work/Life Balance … I’m Working on It (The CPA Technology Advisor)

Is it Work/Life balance or Life/Work balance? I guess that’s the question. Work is definitely a big part of my life, but I heard once that we should engage in our work in order to support our life, family and the causes that are important to us.

Older employees valued in fast-paced IT world (Computer World – New Zealand)

The engineer’s retirement “was going to leave a significant gap, because he had a lot of valuable knowledge that could not easily be replaced”.  The answer was an arrangement whereby he is available to IBM on a casual basis when required.  “There are certain times of the year when he isn’t available, due to his new lifestyle, but the rest of the time we can continue to tap his unique skills and knowledge by being able to offer him the flexibility he really wants”, Hellyer says.

In the Blogs

Is clocking out by 5 p.m. back in style? (NW Jobs Blog – Seattle Times)

According to a recent Forbes piece by Hannah Seligson, some burned-out executives have gone from considering 2 a.m. “prime e-mailing time” and vacations “a different setting in which to work” to reclaiming the 8-hour workday.

Audit Report Says “Could Do Better” (Safety At Work Blog)

The white collar public service, in particular, has a high incidence of stress-related claims.  The reality of the hazard has been acknowledged through preventative guidance notes from the OHS regulators and the general growth in the work/life balance movement.  Yet in 2009, the workers’ compensation agents  are criticised for giving this hazard insufficient attention.

Flex Work for Whom? (Economix, NY Times blog)

While the report is chock full of good ideas, it doesn’t directly acknowledge that what some workers call “flexibility”, others might call “vulnerability to pay cuts.”

Goodbye Economy, Hello Balance (Law.com)

It may seem counterintuitive, but flexibility and balance-oriented policies are tools that can help firms survive the conflagration. “Eat what you kill” is traditionally associated with the most cutthroat, ­internally competitive firms. A compensation system where one’s career survival depends directly and constantly on the dollars one brings in the door has been seen–historically, anyway–as inflexible. But “eat what you kill” and “work/life balance” (with its “work less, make less” compensation system) share one goal: to pay lawyers only for work that enhances the bottom line. As a result, the two systems can live together very well.?? Layoffs cost firms, both financially (the lost investment in laid-off lawyers, and the premium often paid in ramping back up) and in terms of reputation (from “They’re going under” to “Remember what they did to associates back in ’09?”). When those costs are taken into account, scaling back lawyer hours starts to look better and better.

Press Releases

WorkSmart Wins 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Workplace Flexibility

WorkSmart, a leading provider of Information Technology services and solutions in North Carolina, has announced that the company was selected as a winner of the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility for the greater Durham area.

Hughes Named One of Maryland’s Excellent Places to Work

For the ninth consecutive year, Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES), the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, has been named one of Maryland’s excellent places to work. The company was recently awarded the ‘Workplace Excellence’ Seal of Approval and the ‘Wellness Trailblazer’ award from the Alliance for Workplace Excellence.

Durham’s Partnership for Children wins Sloan Award

Durham’s Partnership for Children, a Smart Start Initiative, announced Monday, that the organization was named a winner of the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility distinguishing the early childhood organization as a leading practitioner of workplace flexibility in Durham and across the nation.

Events

Flexible Work Options: How To Maximize The Benefits And Overcome The Challenges (June 29 2-3:15p) Audio Conference

In tough economic times, flexible work options can be quite compelling for both short-term and long-term success, especially as companies embrace work that’s more results-based and less rooted in face-time.

Career Life Connection News and Events

Small Business Expo and Career Fair, May 21, Quincy, MA

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection to speak on Social Networking:  Linked In, Facebook and Twitter

Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar

Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue; summary of teleseminar discussion on Workplace Flex.

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

Shodor Recognized as a Workplace of Excellence (HPC Wire)

Shodor — a nonprofit serving students and educators nationwide — was one of six greater Durham area employers recognized as winners of the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. This is the third year Shodor has won the honor.

On the Home Front, a Twist of Candor (New York Times)

But since she arrived in the White House four months ago, she has told People magazine that her marriage isn’t perfect. She has told young women that she wonders whether she is doing what’s best for her children as she balances her work and motherhood.

Financial Careers Come at a Cost to Families (New York Times)

On almost every aspect of work-life balance, finance and consulting look pretty bad. People who take time off in those fields suffer large penalties, both in terms of money and career opportunities, once they return to full-time work. And part-time jobs are hard to come by, which often forces people to make a choice between working a 70-hour week and leaving a job entirely.

Valerie Jarrett’s Inside Take on First Lady Michelle Obama (US News)

But Michelle’s bright, she’s a quick study, and she had a clear idea of what her priorities would be in terms of the family and the kinds of issues that she was going to be involved in: work-life balance, military spouses, national service, nutrition and health, and the garden that she’s planted. These are all priorities that she’s had for a long time.

From the Mouths of Young CPAs (Accounting Tomorrow)

We were surprised that work-life balance was ranked as low as fifth (tied with benefits).  It was ranked No. 1 last year. CPA firm partners commonly believe that work-life balance is as important as anything to the staff. When we probed this issue, the staff shared with us that, due to the recession, they weren’t as concerned about work-life balance as much as in the past. At this point, the staff were glad they had good jobs; many of their friends are unemployed.

Get a Life: Not very family-friendly (Federal Computer Week)

The new director of the Office of Personnel Management has his work cut out for him if he is as family friendly as his previous experience suggests. The 2009 Best Places to Work survey showed that employees gave agencies the highest scores for using their skills well and the lowest scores for having a family-friendly culture.

Report on flexible work arrangements sets the stage for national conversation, calls on federal government to lead by example (Aspen Publishers)

On the heels of First Lady Michelle Obama’s challenge to find ways to encourage employers to provide more flexibility to employees, Workplace Flexibility 2010, a Georgetown Law-based think tank, released a new report outlining the most comprehensive set of policy solutions to expand Americans’ access to flexible work arrangements (FWAs) such as compressed workweeks, predictable schedules, and telework.

Poor economy makes physicians less inclined to leave a practice (American Medical News)

An AMGA survey finds turnover has declined, and retirement is being delayed. But work-life balance remains a big issue.

Perfectionism Hits Working Women (BBC News – UK)

A study of 288 adults found that a higher proportion of women felt they did not meet their own high standards with family and workplace commitments.  Such perfectionism can have a negative effect on the work-life balance, the authors said.

Employees praise advantages of working at home to family life (Wales News – UK)

WALES has the highest percentage of employees working from home, research published today has revealed. A study of more than 4,000 people provides a unique snapshot into the lives of British workers.  It reflects a growing commitment to flexible shifts as nearly a third – 29% – of people working in Wales said that they operate from remote offices at home.

Working from home will leave you isolated, bizarrely dressed and a little bit crazy (Times Newspapers – UK)

Comic take on the downsides of working from home including dehydration…

Female executives battle on beneath glass ceiling (Singapore Enquirer)

Respondents cited the male-oriented nature of management and a shift in priorities towards attaining a better work-life balance as reasons for their pessimism about advancement opportunities.

In the Blogs

Women Redefining the Workplace (Corporate Voices for Working Families blog)

This article in BusinessWeek discusses how women are looking for creative and more manageable work schedules so they may tend to family needs and have better work/life balance. In “Womenomics: Write Your Own Rules for Success” due out June 2, the two female authors cite studies that show the increasing impact of professional women on companies’ bottom lines and gives practical advice on how to create a more sane work life.

Report Highlights Benefits of Flexible Work Arrangements (JobsintheMoney’s CareerWire)

“…We believe the current crisis underscores the need for, and value of, flexible work arrangements,” writes the National Advisory Commission on Workplace Flexibility. “Flexible work arrangements give workers a fair chance to juggle the competing demands of personal life and work successfully, particularly during the time when older workers need to work longer to secure retirement and women’s labor force participation is on the rise.

The Best Career for Work-Life Balance (The Stash)

Finance, on this score, is worse than law and worse than academia. It is far worse than medicine, which emerges from the research as the highly paid profession with the most flexibility.

Flexible Work Public Policy Platform (MomsRising.org blog)

On May 13, Workplace Flexibility 2010, an organization at Georgetown University, released its summary report: Public Policy Platform on Flexible Work Arrangements.

Five Ways Millenials Can Prepare to Change the Legal Industry (Fearfully Optimistic)

We know that the lockstep compensation model is reeling. It’s possible that the up-or-out model is going to be under attack next. That means that there will be opportunities to choose between different types of work-life balance.

Press Releases

Work-Life Benefits Key to Employee Satisfaction, Retention During Credit Crunch

Many employees are feeling the pressure to work harder than ever in an effort to please managers and ensure job security. But as workplace anxieties rise and employees have less time for family and personal commitments, benefits that promote work-life balance play an increasingly important role in morale, productivity and ultimately the company’s bottom line.

Primitive Logic Ranked 2nd in The Business Times “Best Places to Work”

Primitive Logic, the San Francisco based employee owned, premier business consulting and technology services firm, was ranked 2nd in The San Francisco Business Times “Best Places to Work in the Bay Area” survey; in which employees complete an anonymous survey to qualify for the nomination.

5th Annual ‘Leave the Office Earlier Day’ Asks Employers to Cut Workers Some Slack; Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports U.S. Worker Productivity Increasing as Layoffs Continue to Climb

As workers across the nation make plans to participate in the fifth annual Leave the Office Earlier Day, June 2, which is listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events, many of them are feeling the added stress of increasingly heavy workloads and responsibilities because of the layoff-laden recession.

Resources

Career Life Connection News and Events

Small Business Expo and Career Fair, May 21, Quincy, MA

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection to speak on Social Networking:  Linked In, Facebook and Twitter

Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar

Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue; summary of teleseminar discussion on Workplace Flex.

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

COFFEE BREAK: Rutgers study offers insight on why female lawyers leave firms (NJ.com)

The glass ceiling may still be an issue, but for many women, a flexible work environment has become a leading issue.  Many women lawyers opt to trade in a prestigious firm for one that offers them enough flexibility to balance their work with their lives outside the office.

Corporate Voices for Working Families Study Links Workplace Flexibility for Hourly Workers with Attainment of Business Financial Goals and Core Objectives (Fox Business)

Workplace flexibility initiatives for hourly employees are as successful as those designed for professional staff. And businesses that offer hourly employees flexible work options find that they are critical management tools that enhance recruitment, retention, engagement, cost control, productivity and financial performance.

QUALITY: Workplace Wellness Linked to Flexible Work Arrangements (New America Foundation)

Over time, employees with flexible work arrangements are less likely to experience a decline in their physical or mental health.

HR Trade Group Opposes Mandatory Paid Sick Leave (Health Leaders Media)

The Society for Human Resource Management has come out against a proposal that would require companies with 15 or more full-time employees to provide seven days of paid sick leave each year. Instead of the mandates set down in the recently introduced Healthy Families Act, SHRM says Congress should craft consensus legislation on workplace flexibility.

The Best Places to Work in Gov 2009 (OhMyGov!)

Using a set of 53 questions in 10 different categories (such as Employee Skills/Mission Match, Pay and Benefits, and Work/Life Balance), they take the responses and then sends them to the Partnership for Public Service, who uses a statistical analysis developed by the Hay Group (the most trusted name in job evaluation) in order to come up with an agency index. Then, each agency is put in a Large, Small, or Subcomponent class and the agency indexes in each class are compared against each other. Now, for the results!

Break the Habit (Philadelphia Inquirier)

Everyone prizes “work-life balance” these days, but the term is problematic. It implies that work and home life are separate realms positioned at opposite ends of a scale.

In fact, family and work relationships overlap, says Sylvia Lafair, author of “Don’t Bring it to Work: Breaking the Family Patterns that Limit Success,” (Jossey-Bass, 2009). And it’s not just spats with a spouse or fallout from a rebellious child that follow people to the office.

A Healthy Balance: Can you have work-life balance? (Ballard News Tribune)

How is it possible to balance work, family, friends, community and personal time?

There are some simple steps that can go a long way toward helping us all find balance in our busy lives. The key is to assess whether you are living consistently with what you believe to be important.

Flexibility in the Workplace – Five Success Strategies (E-Zine Articles)

Flexibility is essential to the effectiveness of any workplace and companies utilize it to maintain or improve their employee engagement and retention as well as to manage workloads. Research shows that flexible work options boost productivity, enhance efficiency, and drive business results.

Women Will Rule Businesses (Time)

So, what if we renamed work-life balance? Let’s call it something more masculine and appealing, something like … um … Make More Money. That might lift heads off desks. A few people might show up at a meeting to discuss that new phenomenon driving the bottom line: Women, and the way we want to work, are extremely good for business.

Report urges government to focus on flexible workplace (The Colorado Springs Gazette)

A report by a public policy group calls on the Obama administration and Congress to make the federal government “a model employer” by increasing its support for flexible work arrangements such as compressed workweeks and telecommuting.

Better work-life balance wanted (Straits-Times, Singapore)

WOMEN in the accounting and finance sector want a better work-life balance and a more level playing field with men when it comes to promotions.  The findings stem from a survey of more than 700 female professionals in the public and private sectors in Singapore.

The Women Who Want to Save Banking (BBC News)

Audur Capital is already turning a “healthy” profit. And, unlike many others in the sector, they say they work nine or ten hours a day, no more. They want their staff, and society, to have a better work-life balance, with time for family as well as the office. Anything else would just lead to burn-out and not be sustainable.

Aramark sets up parenting classes to help staff with work-life balance (HR Magazine – UK)

Robbie Wheeler, HR director at Aramark, said: “We want to demonstrate to our employees that their welfare is important to us and part of this is making sure they know that they are valued and to show we are listening to them.  “We are aware that juggling work and family life can be a struggle, particularly in these stressful economic times, so we want to provide coping techniques to make employees’ lives easier, both at home and at work.

Massaging a New Career (Irish Times, Ireland)

THE DESIRE to spend more quality time with her husband and two young children was the spur for Patricia Murphy to leave behind the tough, long hours of the retail world and retrain in an area that has given her much more control over her life.

In the Blogs

Baby Boomers Find Options with The Green Group (Sarah Sellers’s Blog, ERE.net)

The Green Group is a service offering that utilizes Green HR initiatives to retain and foster top talent. Their knowledge management solutions provide a combination of work life balance, efficient human capital utilization, and outsourced benefits management which help corporations lower human capital cost while retaining valuable experience and knowledge capital.

Women Docs Get Job Satisfaction from Blazing New Trails (Opposing Views)

“As a group, more than 90% of female physicians, medical students and premeds reported being concerned (with 64% being very concerned) about balancing family responsibilities with a medical career.”

Towards a “New Normal” in the American Workplace – A Public Policy Platform on Flexible Work Arrangements (Today’s Workplace) *Note – this is the second story down.  The direct link to the story does not work currently*

On the heels of First Lady Michelle Obama’s challenge to find ways to encourage employers to provide more flexibility to employees, Workplace Flexibility 2010, a Georgetown Law-based think tank, has released a new report outlining a comprehensive set of policy solutions to expand Americans’ access to flexible work arrangements (FWAs) such as compressed workweeks, predictable schedules, and telework.

Personal Branding Interview with Louise Weir [Career Services, London Business School] (Personal Branding Blog)

Take the time to explore the economic, political and cultural structure and stability of each market, as well as the implications your dream job abroad will have on your work-life balance, and your career itself.  If working an 80-90 hour week in China is definitely not something you are willing to attempt, are you in return eager to spend your weekends gold panning in Canada? Will a job in New York allow you a fantastic opportunity to reap the awards you dream of on paper, but mean a seven hour flight from your family? Is the relocation package being offered enough for you to relinquish one of your top five “must haves”?

May Challenge:  Becoming a Boundary Hunter (The Career Consultant)

Well, I’ve finally come to the epiphanal conclusion that what I seek isn’t balance at all. It’s harmony. Harmony denotes a “pleasing arrangement of parts; an inner calm.” As administrative professionals, we pride ourselves on giving our very best to everything we do. But, sometimes, the speed of life makes for fuzzy boundaries between work and personal lives. This month’s challenge is all about starting a revolution – a revolt against the notion of balance and a new look at embracing harmony.

The just shoot me vacation: Stay tethered; Forget two weeks; Install a fax in your room (Between the Lines, ZDNet blog)

This in from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas: You must bring your smartphone, laptop and every other work-tethering item on your vacation. If not you’ll just worry about being laid off.

Here’s what America has come to—a two week vacation is deemed too long and you have to at least look like you’re working. Hell, why bother with the vacation at all?

Bosses and Workers Disagree on Social Network Privacy (Digits, a WSJ Blog)

Another difference of opinion expressed in the survey was how social networks affect work-life balance. Less than a third of employees (31%) agreed with the statement “Using social-networking sites helps me achieve better work-life balance,” with 19% strongly disagreeing. More than half (56%) of executives said a little Facebook time improves work-life, however.

Goals for Using Kanban (AgileManagement Blog)

Work/life balance isn’t only about balancing the number of hours someone spends at work with the number of hours they have available for their family, friends, hobbies, passions and pursuits. It is also about providing reliability. For example, a team member with a passion for art wants to take a painting class at the local middle school. It starts at 6.30pm and runs every Wednesday for 10 weeks. Can your team provide certainty to that individual that they’ll be free to leave the office on-time each week in order to attend the class?

Providing a good work life balance will make your company a more attractive employer in your local market. It will help to motivate employees and it will give your team members the energy to maintain high levels of performance for months or years. It’s a fallacy that you get top performance from knowledge workers when you overload them with work. It might be true tactically for a few days but it isn’t sustainable beyond a week or two. It’s good business to provide a good work/life balance by never overloading your teams with too much work.

Getting Flex-Able (Finding the Work You Love)

Computers and the Internet have created new ways to work–and think about work. Flextime, as the name implies, allows employers and employees to carve out nontraditional work arrangements. For many older workers, including those juggling childcare, eldercare, or other needs (including a simple desire to work flexible hours), flex-time may be the ticket to greater satisfaction and work-life balance.

Pic of the Week (The DVE Chronicles)

This photo is of our President, Barack Obama enjoying his daughter Sasha’s soccer game. Its good to see that our president presents a good work/life balance.

So What’s the Big Picture Now??? (Marquis’ Weblog)

Eventually, something major happens to make you understand how the weight of it all is affecting you, but, by then, who knows if the effects of that stress can be undone. Now that I’m in an environment where I have work-life balance, I can’t imagine what it would be like to give that up and go back to my former life. I’m not bringing this up to complain about working hard or to judge anyone who relishes that lifestyle because there are merits to having this type of experience. Rather, I want to encourage people to think about both the short-term and long-term implications of the paths they choose.

Working From Home: 10 Unconscious Cues to Create a Work-Life Balance (Awake at the Wheel)

Working from home sounds like a very simple concept. But there are a lot of built-in structures and boundaries inherent in a going-to-the-office job that we often take for granted.  Recreating those boundaries when our home and work is one and the same is a crucial part of achieving a work-life balance.

Your Job is Not Your Life (FP Posted)

First of all, get a life! Have meaningful purpose, activities and pursuits that are as important as work. Develop a healthy work life balance, where you are not emotionally tied to work 24/7. Redefine achievement and accomplishment.  When people gather at your graveside when you’re life is over, it’s unlikely they’ll be talking about what a hard worker you were or refer to your resume.

Plannng Your Day (Startup Blog)

Diagram author uses to keep work and life flexible each day

ONE in six workers would take a pay cut to work from home, new research shows.

Workers give up pay to work from home (Business Opportunity Startup – Australia)

Independent research commissioned by Citrix Online found 16 per cent of Australian workers and 17 per cent of small business owners would give up 5 per cent of their salary to work from home one to two days a week.

Press Releases

Healthcare Jobs Firm Focuses on Healthy Work-Life Balance

CHG Healthcare Services, a leader in providing healthcare jobs, knows a strong balance between work life and personal life leads to happy, productive employees. Because of this, CHG helps their employees develop a well-rounded approach to overall wellness.

Resources

A Conversation on Workplace Flexibility part 7 (Student Scholarship)

Panel conversation on what Workplace Flex means to younger workplace flex scholars

Worklife Balance Resource Articles (Monster.com)

A list of links to articles to help workers/managers better balance work and life

Career Life Connection News and Events

Small Business Expo and Career Fair, May 21, Quincy, MA

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection to speak on Social Networking:  Linked In, Facebook and Twitter

Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar

Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue; summary of teleseminar discussion on Workplace Flex.

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

Workplace Flexibility Adds to National Debate (HR News – SHRM)

A new report from Workplace Flexibility 2010 outlines a comprehensive set of policy solutions that the Georgetown University Law Center-based think tank hopes will serve as a blueprint to expand Americans’ access to flexible work arrangements (FWAs).

Paid Sick Days Bill Teed Up; Groups Start Dialogue on Flexibility (Workforce Management)

The advent of the bill is part of a flurry of recent Washington activity on flexible work. On May 7, the Society for Human Resource Management issued a set of workplace leave principles that it hopes will form alternatives to bills like the paid sick leave measure.

On Wednesday, May 13, a group called Workplace Flexibility 2010 released a framework to guide the development of flexible work policy.

Governor Names Work-Life Balance Awards (Northwest Arkansas Times)

Winners of the Governor’s Work-Life Balance Awards were recognized at a luncheon this week at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock.  Nineteen Arkansas employers received awards in the seventh annual ceremony, formerly named the Governor’s Family-Friendly Awards.

UH grads heed advice of ‘Oracle of Omaha’:  Aspiring entrepreneurs among college students nationwide who met with Buffett (Houston Chronicle)

He talked about the need for work/life balance. You can’t just work.

You have to have a personal life and balance the two.

Report Urges U.S. Government To Boost Workplace Flexibility (Washington Post)

A report issued yesterday by a public policy group calls on the Obama administration and Congress to make the federal government “a model employer” by increasing its support for flexible work arrangements such as compressed workweeks and telecommuting.

Leading Multiple Generations (Business Lexington)

Research surveys have shown that Gen Y has continued the shift toward an improved balance between work and family or leisure life that was begun by Gen X. Couple the Gen Y comfort with technology and this desire for a better work/life balance, and you get a strong desire to work remotely.

Why Women Lawyers Leave: A Quest for Flexible Work and Supportive Environments (ABA Journal)

Dissatisfaction with work-life balance is pushing women lawyers in New Jersey out the door and into new jobs, a survey has found.

Working Moms Have Advocate In Michelle [Obama] (USA Today)

President Obama is off to a positive start, but his 65% approval rating is a distant second to Michelle’s 79%. Her public appearances — focusing on military families, work-life balance, healthy eating and literacy — have been engaging.

What Gen Y Really Wants (Time)

With 85 million baby boomers and 50 million Gen Xers, there is already a yawning generation gap among American workers–particularly in their ideas of work-life balance.

Having It All:  Special Section on Work-Life Balance (CNN)

Calling For More Work/Life Balance (Human Resource Executive)

In a recent speech, First Lady Michelle Obama called for flex time, paid leave for family illnesses and life events, and work-site childcare. While she says such work/life benefits result in increased productivity, some observers say the timing isn’t right for new initiatives — especially if they are forced upon businesses by government mandates.

Working Mother Marks Three Decades of Change (Philadelphia Inquirer)

The magazine used to not pay attention to part-time workers or those who dropped out of the workforce for a few years. “Then we started to embrace all kinds of working mothers. Generation X, for example, wanted to move in and out of the workplace. Flexibility didn’t just mean going in early and leaving early. It meant that you could turn down a promotion because of home responsibilities but still be ready for it in five years.”

Is It Time for a New Workplace Structure (FP Posted)

For many dual earner families, being able to work remotely from the office is a desirable way to achieve work-life balance. Many executives and professionals testify that they are more productive when they occasionally are out of their office environment.

Satellite Telework Center opens in downtown Felton (The Mercury News)

Last month, the director of the federal Office of Personnel Management announced a plan to boost telecommuting by federal employees. That move came soon after First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to that office about the importance of work-life balance.

EEOC Recommends Employer “Best Practices” to Promote Work/Family Balance (FindLaw.com)

Recently, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency charged with implementing key federal civil rights laws, issued a “best practices” document for employers on work/family balance. This “technical assistance” document is designed not only to promote compliance with antidiscrimination laws that relate to or affect employees with caregiving responsibilities, but also to encourage employers to adopt policies that go beyond legal minimum requirements.

Companies Recognized for Offering Employees Work-Life Balance (Arkansas Business)

Those firms that make it possible for employees to balance the needs of work and family were recognized Tuesday at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock with the 2009 Arkansas Governor’s Work-Life Balance Awards.

Legal Talent at the Crossroads – Women Lawyers in New Jersey (Rutgers)

New research from Rutgers’ Center for Women and Work finds that women lawyers are taking control of their lives by choosing employers that support flexible workplaces.

Juggling Career and Parenthood (Boston Globe)

I often say there’s really no such thing as work-life balance; it’s more of a juggle and, from time to time, you have to forget about keeping all of those balls up in the air and just try to catch them as they fall.

Career Woman, Remade (Wall Street Journal)

As you move forward with your reinvention, keep in mind that you don’t have to emulate superwoman. While you are setting up a situation that will provide you with better work-life balance in the long term, your focus may need to be primarily on your career. You shouldn’t feel guilty about asking for help.

New Jersey Women Lawyers Choose Flexible Workplaces (Rutgers)

“In the past, so many studies have shown that women were leaving law firms, or the legal profession altogether, but this study provides a new perspective: that women are taking action by seeking and finding better work/life balance at firms that provide flexibility and a positive environment for women,” says Dianne Mills McKay, chair of the council.  “In a field where women make up half of the talent entering the workforce, retaining and advancing women must be a priority for those firms who want to have the best talent.”

Release of Groundbreaking Report on Flexible Work Arrangements Sets the Stage for National Conversation (Earth Times)

On the heels of First Lady Michelle Obama’s challenge to find ways to encourage employers to provide more flexibility to employees, a new report from Workplace Flexibility 2010, a Georgetown Law-based think tank, provides the most comprehensive set of policy solutions to expand Americans’ access to flexible work arrangements such as compressed workweeks, predictable schedules, and telecommuting.

It’s Important to Have a Good Work Life Balance (Tampa Tribune)

It’s an ongoing struggle in the workplace: Striking a healthy work-life balance. Whether you’re prone to perfectionism or feeling pressured by a thinner staff and fear layoffs, here are seven tips to keep in mind.

Fixing the Leaky Pipeline: Work-life balance key to retaining women scientists (European Commission)

Already in 2003, the EU teamed up with businesses and universities in a working group looking at how to attract and retain women in science. According to the latest report, women abandon careers in research mainly because they find it too hard to balance work with personal life, especially if they are mothers.

Bullying at High Levels In County Police Force (Northhampton Chronicle & Echo, UK)

“However, over a period of time, such strong levels of commitment are unlikely to be sustainable if excessive workloads and lack of work-life balance prevail.”

Legal Eagles Find Ways of Riding Out Recession (Career FAQs, Australia)

Mallesons Stephen Jaques, a multiple award-winning law firm, understands the importance of workplace flexibility well. In 2004, it launched its Making work work, together initiative – a program which formalised flexible working options. Staff are able to work part time, work flexible hours, job share, swap pay for leave, telework from home or combine these options. This is an excellent example of how law firms can adapt to changing times and thrive as a result – and it certainly seems to have paid off for Mallesons.

Work-Life Balance (Guardian, UK)

Special Section with digest and links of several recent articles on Work-Life balance

How Expats Work and Balance Life (Radio Netherlands Worldwide)

Three-quarters of those surveyed believe that their organisation was not committed to helping expatriates achieve a healthy balance between work and home. Some flexible working practices were available to expatriates. For example, 44 percent reported having the option of working flexible hours or taking compensatory time off for working long hours; however, two-thirds believe their organisations expect them to work outside of normal hours. Over half (55 percent) did not take all of their annual leave entitlement.

June Cleaver Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (Lancaster Sunday News)

Kibler said that Americans don’t want to think of mothers as a collective group, lest they need to provide that group with societal supports, such as subsidized child care and workplace flexibility.

In the Blogs

Friday Wrap Up (World At Work Blog)

In other total rewards news, Workplace Flexibility 2010 released its Public Policy Platform on Workplace Flexibility.  WorldatWork was pleased to be able to participate in the process of drafting and review of the platform and will continue to participate with Workplace Flexibility 2010 in the public discussions of the platform ideas.  The document has some great ideas on workplace flexibility public policies and looks towards innovation, best practices and training in a blueprint designed to provide guidance to policy makers.

One Day We’ll Rule the Population (On the Record)

Dayton thinks the fundamental disconnect lies in the older generation’s “work comes first” mentality and the Millenials’ demand for work-life balance. As a hard-working member of Gen Y – who strives for that ‘balance’ – I agree.

Flexible working arrangements as the “new normal” in the workplace (WorkLife Nation)

The think-tank based at Georgetown University Law Center issued a report yesterday outlining a policy blueprint to “expand Americans’ access to  flexible working arrangements such as compressed workweeks, predictable schedules and telework.” Essentially, the goal of the non-partisan group is to make the implementation of Flexible Work Arrangements the “new normal” –  instead of the stepchild of the traditional workplace.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Work-Life Balance (Rejuvenation Lounge)

Now, almost eight hundred years later, people are still committing these seven sins in Work Life Balance. So let me share with you the Seven Deadly Sins of Work Life Balance … and how to avoid them.

Will Obama tackle entire spectrum of Workplace Wellness? (WorkLife Nation)

How Workplace Flexibility Arrangements might allow for a less stressed and more productive employee

News to Know:  A Change Will Do You Good (ShAARP Session AARP Blog)

The study shows that amongst those who switched careers after age 50, 91% of people enjoyed their new jobs. Researchers attribute the increased happiness to a reduction of stress and greater workplace flexibility.

Hiring a VA – Regain Your Work-Life Balance (Business Protocol)

This is really a very common scenario. Any form of work-life balance is very hard to achieve if you’re stuck between ‘a rock and a hard place’. You want to get out of it, yet you feel like you can’t because there is just too much on your plate at the moment, or you simply can’t afford to be taking the time off.

Corporations, Obama and Health Care Reform (Live Journal)

Oh, I think there’s no doubt that health care companies are scared. For another great example of industry being scared, take this press release (pdf) from the Society for Human Resource Management, in which they say that workplace flexibility and paid leave are the wave of the future.

Michelle Obama and Work-Life Issues (PR on the Run)

The First Lady talked to the gathering of primarily business managers about a host of issues about how working families — men, women, single parents and so on — have to struggle these days to balance responsibilities at home and on the job. She is an advocate for working families — and most likely work-life are the issues that she will tackle most directly and personally during the next few years.

Corporate Voices: Workplace Flexibility Benefits Hourly Workers/Businesses (Corporate Voices for Working Families)

In conjunction with Mrs. Obama’s talk, Corporate Voices released a comprehensive study that looks at workplace flexibility options and programs involving hourly employees, Innovative Workplace Flexibility Options for Hourly Workers.

The 21st Century Mom Lawyer: A Life Without Seams (Myshingle.com)

Today, my behavior seems silly, but for that era, compartmentalization of work life and home life; the professional and personal was common place for lawyer-moms.   Work meant business suits and talking shop, home meant babies and juggling play dates and park outings and other kinds of child-related activities.  Rarely, if ever did the twain meet.

Where Do People Feel The Most Positive About Life (Talking Stuff)

Another factor in the study was work life balance. While countries such as Denmark with a high score of 90.1 boast a high GDP per capita of $68,000, the average workweek in that part of the world is no more than 37 hours. But in countries such as China which received a low score of just 14.8, the workweek is 47 hours and the GDP per capita is just $3,600.

Met among four police forces slammed for failing to improve officers’ work-life balance (Personnel Today, UK)

The Metropolitan Police Force has been ‘named and shamed’, together with three other forces, for failing to improve officers’ work-life balance.

Finance Professionals Hit Pavement to Beat Stress (Let’s Grow Dynamic Business, Australia)

“These survey results suggest that many of our candidates are striving to have a good work/life balance,” says Aequalis Consulting Director Simon Boulton.

“Creative hobbies and individual pursuits are a great way to de-stress outside working hours. They can also assist with performance.”

Press Releases

Bright Horizons Recognized As One of the ‘Best Places to Work’ by the Boston Business Journal

The Best Places to Work list is based on surveys completed by employees who live and work in Massachusetts. The survey assesses employee opinions of work environment, work/life balance, job satisfaction, advancement opportunities, compensation, and benefits.

Access Development Joins Utah’s Best Places to Work

The highly competitive award is bestowed by the Utah Department of Workforce Services Office of Work & Family Life and is heavily based on employee feedback. Winning companies create exceptional workplaces that effectively balance employee work/life needs.

Career Life Connection News and Events

Small Business Expo and Career Fair, May 21, Quincy, MA

Leanne Chase of Career Life Connection to speak on Social Networking:  Linked In, Facebook and Twitter

Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar

Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue; summary of teleseminar discussion on Workplace Flex.

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

Resilient To Recession (ForbesWoman)

“The recession is not having an impact on the progress of women in business,” said one woman surveyed. “To the contrary, talent is now valued more than ever, in whatever form it presents itself.”

Some downturn opportunities cited were the rising demand for “typical female strengths” like flexibility and collaboration; a refocusing on work-life balance and quality of life across both genders, which may help women going forward; and a higher retention of women, who may be more likely to stay and advance at a company due to a husband’s uncertain job stability.

Women tout work flexibility: Bank, law firm give staff family options (Chattanooga Times Free Press)

Two businesses with Chattanooga ties recently won accolades for being good workplaces for women — Baker Donelson, which was recently named among the top law firms in the country for women, and First Tennessee Bank parent company First Horizon, which was named one of the top 50 companies for women executives.

First lady pushes for work-life balance (UPI.com)

First lady Michelle Obama drew on her experience as a working mom to urge U.S. corporations Thursday to help working families balance work-home demands.

Sarah Jessica Parker : Sarah Jessica Parker worried about work-life balance (Entertainment and Showbiz)

“Hopefully, our son is feeling loved and taken care of. I can’t really complain because it’s my choice to work, but that doesn’t mean I don’t spend a better part of the day worrying about whether my family is getting enough [time] from me,” she added.

Corporate Voices for Working Families Study Links Workplace Flexibility for Hourly Workers with Attainment of Business Financial Goals and Core Objectives (MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal)

Workplace flexibility initiatives for hourly employees are as successful as those designed for professional staff. And businesses that offer hourly employees flexible work options find that they are critical management tools that enhance recruitment, retention, engagement, cost control, productivity and financial performance.

Bright Horizons Unveils Workplace Flexibility Study Results with First Lady Michelle Obama (Earth Times)

At the meeting the First Lady urged, “We need to discuss quality on-site child care, something that keeps many of us up at night as families, just wondering where are we going to put our children…This isn’t just about family balance. This is about making workplaces stronger and more effective and keeping and attracting the most qualified people.”

10 Best Places to Be a Working Mom (Smart Money)

Whether they want to work – or have to – the daily juggle of challenges in the office and at home is a reality for most mothers in this country. Nearly two-thirds of women in families with children under the age of 18 and 73% of single moms are employed, according the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics survey.

Work-Life Balance a Challenge, Says Michelle Obama, But Having White House Staff Helps (The Washington Post)

During her 10-minute speech, Obama advocated for sick leave for parents, flexible work hours for employees and on-site child care, which she said “is something that keeps many of us up at night….You’re just wondering where are we going to put our children where we feel like that they’re being safe, that they’re safe and being loved. That will relieve many of the stresses that parents feel on the job throughout the day.”

Corporate Culture in Current Times – Seeking the Right Fit (Science Times)

Corporate culture is one of those nebulous terms that conjures up a variety of images. Some of them may be positive: a welcoming environment where people feel secure in their jobs, where independent thinking and work-life balance are encouraged. And some may be not so positive: excessive work hours or unexpected changes in job description.

31st Annual “Outstanding Mother Awards” Honored Excellence in Work-Life Balance (Earth Times)

he National Mother’s Day Committee, an entity of the National Father’s Day/Mother’s Day Council, Inc., today announced that it honored five exceptional women for balancing accomplished careers and the demands of motherhood…

Dominion Digital, SnagAJob, Wyeth win employer awards (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Six companies also won the 2009 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.

Those winners are: Bon Secours Richmond Health System, Capital One Financial Corp. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Rink Management Services Corp., accounting and consulting firm BDO Seidman LLP and recruiting and consulting firm Vaco Richmond LLC.

SHRM Calls for New Policy on Workplace Leave to Ensure Flexibility and Predictability for Employees and Employers (Ajax World Magazine)

In a letter to all U.S. Senators and Representatives, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) today announced its commitment to leading all stakeholders in the debate over a 21st Century workplace flexibility policy that meets the needs of both employees and employers.

OPM director calls for regulatory reforms, announces work-life pilot programs (Government Executive)

Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry said at a Tuesday reception kicking off Public Service Recognition Week in Washington that he will move quickly to remove unnecessary regulations and work with the Interior Department and the General Services Administration to create a model series of work-life balance programs at the campus the agencies share in Foggy Bottom.

RI SBA Names 2009 Award Winners (Providence Business News)

Harrington described herself as “thrilled and honored” to receive the SBA award. She also has been a three-time winner of the Sloan Award, which is presented to companies that are committed to workplace flexibility.

House Panel to Take Up Parental Leave Act (Washington Post)

Federal employee unions also argue that while their members can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave, many cannot afford to do so. The measure would help establish a stronger work-life balance for federal workers, a stated goal of the Obama administration, they said.

Outside [magazine] taps Smith [Sports Optics] as “Best Place to Work” (Idaho Mountain Express)

Of course, as befits Outside magazine, the definition of “best company” has to have some particular ingredients.

“We at Outside have our own slant on life,” Roberts said. “To us, balance is important. You need to have a work-life balance.”

The companies selected, Roberts said, share the common belief that employees who have that sort of balance in their lives will boost the company’s bottom line.

MCCA Reports Big Law Firms Make Diversity Strides Yet Disparities Still Persist (The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel)

Minorities and women reported lower satisfaction levels than white men regarding the work/life balance in their law firms. However, the perspectives shared by female associates were much closer to those of male associates than they were to female partners, illustrating that generational differences regarding work/life balance now appear to be more significant than gender differences, with younger male attorneys’ views aligning more closely with that of younger women attorneys.

Caregivers at Work (Human Resources Executive)

In a  technical assistance document , the EEOC says that adopting more flexible workplace policies can help employees achieve a work/life balance and enhance productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower costs and decrease discrimination claims.

7 Tips for Striking a Better Work Life Balance (The Associated Press via Syracuse.com)

It’s an ongoing struggle in the workplace: Striking a healthy work-life balance. Whether you’re prone to perfectionism or you’re feeling pressured by a thinner staff and fear layoffs, here are a seven tips to keep in mind.

Consultant:  Challenging Work Needed to Keep Younger Employees (Web CPA)

“They want flexibility in work hours and working arrangements,” he said. “You may soon see the virtual office where everybody works remotely. These younger employees don’t refer to it as work-life balance. They now call it life-work balance.”

The Variable in Work-Life Balance (MIT Technonology Review)

A crowd developed and our conversation eventually turned to Work Life Balance. Josh made a comment and provided me with an insight I’d never considered before.  Josh lives in Philly but spends a bunch of time in the bay area and other places.  He was describing his typical “red eye” flight pattern – early Monday morning flight to the bay area, work like a dog, redeye home on Thursday night – chill with the family on Friday through Sunday.  Repeat.  His defined his unit of “work life balance periodicity” as “a week”.  Basically – four days of incredibly intense work followed by three days dominated by time with his family (although plenty of email during these three days.)

The female advantage:  A new reason for businesses to promote women: it’s more profitable (Boston Globe)

According to much of the scholarly literature, women struggle with a number of disadvantages, such as discomfort with promoting themselves. They are much more likely to report lacking access to the informal networks that spread crucial information and advice. Disproportionately responsible for child care, they require more flexibility. As a result, many exceptional female employees languish in middle management and eventually leave in frustration.

Men and Women and Work Life Balance (Corporate Social Responsibility, Asia)

Managers are reminding many of their staff that they are lucky to have a job in the current economic crisis. And in many cases that is translating into a hidden demand to work longer hours, sometimes for less money. In some cases work-life balance could be seriously deteriorating, particularly in those sectors hit hardest by the economic downturn. But whether the recession is impacting men and women equally is an interesting question.

In Low Times Anxieties Run High (The Globe and Mail, Canada)

There has been a sharp spike in the level of recession-related stress, with working Canadians shouldering heavier workloads and experiencing greater anxiety about job security and personal finances, according to a survey released yesterday.

“Employees appear to be working longer hours, as 54 per cent feel the current recession is having an impact on their work/life balance…”

Question of the Week:  Should Employers be Forced By Law to Become More Family-Friendly (The Guardian, UK)

If we have learned anything from the 20 years since the last major recession, it is that treating people well works. There are two key issues at stake. Will we emerge with a stronger and more productive economy, or return to the dark ages? Do we believe in work-life balance, or is caring about family life a luxury for the good times?

Stressing the Need For Breaks (The New Zealand Herald)

Around 23.6 per cent were doing more than 48 hours, compared to 20 per cent of Australian workers. The work-life imbalance may be making us stressed and sick, and affecting family life.

Press Releases

One-Third of Working Moms Are Burned Out as They Struggle to Provide for Their Families in a Tough Economy, Finds CareerBuilder’s Annual Mother’s Day Survey

Quality time with family is the most important “to-do” on working moms’ lists this Mother’s Day. In fact, some working moms report struggling to find work/life balance as they take on additional hours and second jobs in tough financial times. Thirty percent of working moms, whose companies have had layoffs in the past 12 months, are working longer hours and 14 percent of working moms have taken on second jobs in the last year to help make ends meet.

In the Blogs

The First Lady Listens to Corporate Voices (Success Starts Here)

Mrs. Obama has been a working mother herself, describing herself as a “120 percenter”, so she understands firsthand the challenges that come along with working and raising a family.

Michelle Obama on work life balance (momstowork.com)

Full Transcript of Michelle Obama’s Speech

Work-Life Solutions Make Stronger Employee Connections (Management-Topics.com)

Do hourly employees benefit from workplace flexibility initiatives? Definitely … and sometimes more so than management employees. That’s according to the new Corporate Voices Innovative Workplace Flexibility Options for Hourly Workers study

Let’s Honor Mothers Every Day (Huffington Post)

Challenges facing women to balance work and family are exacerbated in a downturn, which calls for greater workplace flexibility. Simply put, the workplace should be as adaptable as working mothers have become. This is why I am working to pass the Working Families’ Flexibility Act — a bill I have sponsored with Sen. Edward Kennedy which would provide job protection for working parents who request flexible work schedules from their employers. Nearly 80 percent of workers say they would like to have more flexible work options and would use them if there were no negative consequences at work, according to the Families and Work Institute. However, close to 40 percent of workers surveyed believe they would be less likely to advance in their career is they asked for flexibility.

Flexibility: A Top Value for Technical Women and Men (Fast Company Blog)

However, we are doing ourselves a disservice by framing flexibility as a women’s issue and an exceptional “perk.”

The “Millennials” Are Coming (Startup Professionals Musings)

The next generation of managers, comprising many millennials, will likely be more adept at managing in a changing, global, and networked environment. They will do it with a greater emphasis on teamwork, facility for the use of technology, and sensitivity to needs for work/life balance.

First Lady Promotes Aid for Working Families (The Caucus, New York Times)

First Lady Michelle Obama discussed her own struggles as a working mother on Thursday, and urged the nation’s corporations to help working parents balance the demands of work and family.

Swineflu and Workplace Flexibility: Families and Businesses Need “COGS” (The Religious Center Blog)

Workplace flexiblity can help.  There is already a major and growing need for workers to have more ability to work remotely and for businesses to develop flexible work arrangements.  The potential outbreak of flu in America punctuates the critical nature of workplace flexibility plans to allow workers to work from home, stay in touch with family members and be attached to work even if something terrible happens with the flu outbreak.

Mother’s Day Gift? More Time…(Why Can’t We…You Tell Me:  Policies that Work for Americans Who Work)

This Mother’s Day our policy makers can give all mothers, especially working moms, a lasting gift – policies that make balancing work and family easier.

More and more women are successfully balancing work and family – many because they have to, some because they want to.  In 1955 only 27 percent of mothers in the workforce had kids under the age of 18, today that number is over 70 percent.

Watch Closely For Burnout In Top Performers During Tough Times (Bait, Tackle, Ice, Advice, Beer)

Work life balance wasn’t attainable for most professionals a year ago and it sure doesn’t seem to be in reach now.

To Hell For a Burger (PR on the Run)

The First Lady is expected to speak at the Corporate Voices’ meeting this morning — in conjunction with the release of a major new research report involving workplace flexibility options for hourly employees.  The report looks at the benefits to individuals and working families and to businesses — and the value all around is considerable.

Job satisfaction – inadequate measures to protect workers (The Online Citizen)

What are their reasons for the low rate of job satisfaction?

The top factors are lack of appreciation by the employer (78.2%), the government is not caring (72.7%) and poor work life balance (72.7%). This is followed by long working hours (61.8%), wide wage gaps (60.0%) and unfairness in the workplace (60.0%).

Think Again on Work-Life Balance (gather.com)

That’s why there has been so much focus, in recent years, on willingly helping people achieve a “work-life balance.” The term implies that work is a negative activity that has no personal value other than a paycheck which is almost always less than what we want or need. We must balance our day-to-day experience in the workplace with activities that occur someplace else and do have enduring value. Furthermore, sadly, surveys after survey confirms that balance is exactly what a growing number of Americans are struggling to achieve in their lives.

From One Mother To Another: Women And Work In The Age of Michelle Obama (HYEB)

Women need family and career lives to work instead of just hang in the balance. According to some important research, the AFL-CIO says women now outnumber men in the occupational labor category, comprising 56.2% as of 2008.

Why Don’t We Have Better Maternity Leave Policies? (Pregnancy Buzz at CafeMom.com)

Did you know that only five countries in the world don’t offer some sort of paid parental leave, and the United States is one of them? (We’re joined by Australia, Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea.)

Can Stress Be as Deadly as Smoking? (Love and Blueberries)

His website is a great reference point for tips on work-life balance and working smarter, dealing with deadlines and learning to say ‘No.’

Work-life Balance:  Is there an answer? (Ginny Wilson-Peter’s Blog)

Work-life balance is an ongoing conversation we’re having in the MBA Leadership class I’m teaching right now. The students are working full-time and taking courses at nights and/or weekends. Ages range from mid twenties to mid forties, with the majority in their late twenties and thirties.

The Generational Puzzle (Austin Human Resource Management Association)

Four defined generational groups work together in almost every organization.  Each group has unique values, needs, perceptions, and work styles that have been shaped by their own world experiences. [including their different takes on workplace flexibility]

[Microsoft] New Employee Orientation ’93 vs. NEO ’09 (Suzi’s Political Observations & Experiences)

Work/Life Balance – ‘93 – they shared that “Microsoft will take 120% of you 150% of the time if you give it. Your job is to make sure that you give enough that you’re still excited to come in to work every day”.  ‘09 – it’s recognizing that it’ll never be a real “work/life balance”  – but it’s critical that employees take ownership for their  own work/life plan – knowing that the company recognizes the importance for it.

How the Swine flu scare can monkey with your work/life balance (NW Jobs Glob at the Seattle Times)

If you’re more concerned with what swine flu could mean for your bank account or job security than your health, you’re not alone.

For many employees, the federal directive that those with flu-like symptoms stay home from work and King County’s latest directive that flu-ish kids and teachers do the same — for an entire week — are easier said than done.

Witness this assortment of work/life dilemmas that the latest pandemic scare has brought to light:

Work Life Balance (Legal Careers Blog on About.com)

Long hours, high billing quotas, and unpredictable schedules are common complaints in the legal industry today. Recent layoffs are heaping even greater workloads upon legal professionals and many employees are calling for a better work life balance.

Job Sharing as an Alternative Work Option – The Delaware Law Employment Blog

Flexible work schedules come in every shape and size. Job sharing is just one type of work arrangement that offers employees flexibility and, in turn, the opportunity for an approved work-life balance. But what exactly is job sharing?

Time to Move from “If” Flex, to “Why” and “How” Flex...(Experts Blog, Fast Company)

The findings also point to an opportunity to broaden the business case for work life flexibility especially since 9 out of 10 people surveyed said they would accept a change or reduction in their schedule or take a pay cut to avoid layoffs. Those strategies are also traditional types of flexibility, but here they are initiated to deal with a business challenge that otherwise would mean job cuts.

Time Off For Military Families: An Emerging Case Study in a Time of War . . . And The Tipping Point for Future Laws Supporting Work-Life Balance? (Rutgers Law Record)

This country has seen a number of calls for the government to get involved in addressing the work-life balance needs of society. After explaining the law’s provisions and legislative history, this piece explores whether the new FMLA provisions have helped the work-life movement reach its Tipping Point.

Career Life Connection in the News and at Events

Career Life Connection Founder featured on Workplace Flexibility teleseminar

Flexibility Isn’t All About Mommies: Why Flex is a Cross-Generational and Gender-Neutral Issue

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

Legislation column: Easing rules for workers, employers in best interest (Kern Business)

What’s changed is the struggling economy, as well as a realization that both business owners and employees need scheduling flexibility to meet a rising set of challenges. For employers this includes rising costs, greater demand and less resources. In the case of employees, challenges can be meeting child care needs, taking care of medical issues, or just a desire for greater work-life balance.

Best practices document on work/family balance issued by EEOC (CCH)

“Today we take another step forward, articulating not just the bare minimum required to avoid unlawful discrimination, but also thinking broadly about the ways in which family-friendly workplace policies can improve workers’ ability to balance caregiving responsibilities with work,” said EEOC Acting Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru.

Are Furloughs and Option? (NY Times)

Some experts expect furloughs to become a permanent part of the landscape, as one means to keep company costs down over the long term.That actually could be a good thing for both the organizations and the people that employ them, argues Lori Long, who, in the blog by the workplace expert Anita Bruzzese, is described as an expert in work-life balance.

MIT’s new faculty work/life web site (MIT News)

MIT faculty members looking for support in the area of work/life balance now have a new resource at their disposal: a single MIT web site that pulls together much of the information that was previously scattered across multiple sites.

Michelle Obama image makeover: First lady’s approval ratings soar as she embraces traditional role — with a modern twist (Chicago Tribune)

She was no longer the woman who wrote a provocative essay on her experiences as a black student at Princeton, but a busy mother who worried about work-life balance and getting the kids to soccer practice on time.

Feature: Work-life balance is key for younger docs: survey (Modern Physican Online)

A major retention and recruitment issue that was previously a gender issue, work-life balance, is now a generational issue. Younger doctors of both genders are making the same demands that were once the domain of young mothers in medical practice, says Joseph Scopelliti, M.D.

Hart to Heart: Stay-at-home mom says ‘No thanks, Dr. Laura’ (Savannah Morning News)

Instead, I uphold a mom’s ability to choose the right work-life balance and child care arrangement for her family. Yes, Dr. Laura, some moms can be breadwinners and breadmakers. And be good at both.

10-10-10: A Formula to Make Smart Career Choices (Globe and Mail, Canada)

And why do you say work-life balance is a myth?

Balance is a myth. When it comes to conflicts between your work and your personal time, you need to make trade-offs. You cannot have it all, all at the same time. But I’ve found that point is not obvious to everyone, or even widely accepted. When you 10-10-10 a work-life dilemma, you must be very clear with yourself about the relative importance of the things you value. If your highest value is professional achievement and wealth, you are de facto choosing that the amount of time you devote to work will be more than the amount of time you devote to all other activities. If your top value is being there all the time for your kids while they grow up, you are de facto choosing not to be a CEO. Climbing the corporate ladder requires unimpeded availability and unfettered commitment. So does being an ever-present parent.

Good Time for Balance? (Straits Times, Singapore)

She gave two suggestions as to how companies seeking to minimise costs during this period could improve work-life balance in the process.

One is to institute flexible working arrangements such as part-time or contract work. This will keep women employed as they will be able to work and still take care of their children.

‘Teleworking’, which allows employees to work from home, is another way, said Madam Halimah, the deputy secretary-general of the NTUC.

Companies should pay more attention to work-life balance in downturn (Singapore News)

Recent surveys found that more companies in Singapore are implementing flexible work arrangements to encourage women to enter and stay on in the workforce. As a result, many of these companies are seeing higher productivity and staff morale.

Life in the Slow Lane (Stuff, New Zealand)

Edwards says friends can’t believe her luck or the fact that she’s been able to find a way to make a living and still be a mum without the usual stress of frustrated bosses, revolving babysitters, and taxiing children all over town.

Principals Struggle with Pressure (New Zealand Herald)

A New Zealand Council for Educational Research report found less than a third of primary school principals felt they had a satisfactory work-life balance.

Flexible working policies: a comparative review (Institute for Women’s Policy Research, UK)

This report reviews the evidence on the impact of the UK Right to Request flexible working compared with the impact of flexible working statutes in a range of other  countries. It builds on earlier studies to show that British flexible working rights are less enforceable than in other countries, particularly for men, but that the legislation is more comprehensive by covering a wider range of working patterns than elsewhere.

Press Releases

Survey: Commitment to Alternative Workplace Strategies is Being Driven by Current Economic Landscape (Microsoft and CoreNet Global Survey)

“From our global survey we have consistently seen two main reasons corporations are implementing existing AWS. The first reason is about people — the ability to attract and retain talent and provide a better work-life balance by enabling employees the flexibility to work remotely. Second, improving productivity and collaboration. Cost, whether right sizing the portfolio or overall cost cutting, were also important, but less than the people issues,” said Katherine Randolph, Director, Unified Communications for Microsoft.

In the Blogs

10 Secrets for Women Leaders to Increase Visibility and Credibility (Health and Women)

Secret #10 Know your long-term goals, maintain work/life balance, and support other women

Technology: Friend or Foe for Work/Life Balance? (Ant’s Eye View)

I like technology, not love, but like.

I like technology because it has afforded me the flexability to work remotely. But at the same time technology can tie you to your work.

Drawing on Brilliance (FC Expert Blog, FastCompany)

We achieve true work/life balance when what we “do” is who we really are. This economy is starving for new revenue sources; new answers to our most compelling problems.  This economy needs you!

The Best Companies In New York (ShopTalk)

They were recognized for having workplace environments that foster positive employee relations and a good work-life balance.

Work-Life Balance and the Stock Market (Caliandjody.com)

Still, the reason why this kind of PR works is telling. Because even though this study is operating at the most macro of macro levels, it shows once again how much pain people are in at work.

Cracks in the Ceiling (The Talent Blog on The AmLaw Daily)

The factors that were pushing women away from law firms were the same ones cited by Gen Y lawyers entering the profession as important to their careers: a desire for a more balanced work life, even if that meant reduced pay. I was struck by the fact that the women voicing these concerns in law firms were seen as outliers; in corporations, the women were driving change.

A Question of Balance:  Querying the Work-Life Connundrum (HR-Worldview)

I have a problem with the term ‘work-life balance’. It implies that life begins when work finishes.

CSR for Smaller Businesses – Employees and Workplace (David Coethica’s Blog)

In an increasing number of recruitment situations, especially for higher skilled positions, potential employees are grilling businesses on topics such as work-life balance, values, environmental position and volunteering opportunities.

Best Places in Government to Work (Inside the Headquarters)

Researchers based their rankings on a variety of workplace categories. They looked at training and development, strategic management, pay and benefits, work/life balance, and more. Scores also were broken down by demographic — gender, age, and ethnicity.

Events

Flexible Work:  Stretchy Strategies for Worn Out Work (teleseminar May 11th-14th)

Listen as 9 experts reveal how to revolutionize your business through flexible work policies.

Career Life Connection in the News

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

In the News

EEOC Issues “Employer Best Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities”
(Delaware Employment Law)

The issuance of the Best Practices demonstrates how the new administration is continuing to pay attention to this issue, despite the fact the current economic environment has pushed “family-friendly” policies to the back burner for many employers. In light of this environment, the EEOC wisely emphasizes in the Best Practices that employers adopting flexible workplace policies may not only experience decreased complaints of unlawful discrimination, but may also benefit their workers, their customer base, and their bottom line.

What Michelle Obama had to say to OPM (Washington Post)

They and workers across America all face the challenge of finding the balance between work and family. That’s one of the reasons why I take on this cause, because we’re all struggling to make sure that we’re not just good workers but we’re good parents and grandparents and neighbors.

Awards to Recognize Work-Life Balance Initiatives (hr.blr.com)

“Now more than ever, there is a tremendous need for companies to offer flexible work arrangements and to cultivate better work-life balance to retain top talent during this tough time,” said Neil Wasser, national chairman of Constangy, Brooks & Smith, LLP.

Our Hawaiian Holiday, Without, Well, Hawaii (New York Times)

“I shouldn’t even be phoning you to ask the question, because I’m supposed to be on staycation,” I said to Jim Bird, a consultant in Atlanta who advises corporate clients on the benefits of improving employees’ work-life balance.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, it won’t ruin it,” Mr. Bird said.

Will Economic Trends Change Family Dynamics? (Center for American Progress Action Fund)

For over a generation now, families have struggled to achieve the right balance between their responsibilities on the job and their responsibilities at home.

Former “Apprentice” Star Blazing New Trail As Working Mom (Miami Herald)

As her own boss, I wondered what Kepcher has learned about striking a balance. She tells me she’s refined the definition of work. “At the Trump Organization, if you were not at your desk, you were not working. The world has changed. We don’t have to be at our desks. We have BlackBerrys that fit in our pockets. It can be a negative, but it can save you a two-hour commute from home.”

Of course, just because you work for yourself doesn’t mean you don’t put in long hours. Kepcher says she still works late at night, but at least she has the flexibility during the day to go to her daughter’s ballet recital or help her son with math homework after school.

Relocation Isn’t Always An Option (Wall Street Journal)

For all of the above reasons, I realized that moving would truly impact my entire family so we made the decision a year ago not to relocate with my last job. {Above reasons include elder care, wife’s career and children in school}

We must help employees strike a better work-life balance (Guardian, UK)

The extension of the flexible working law is a welcome development for businesses up and down the country (Flexible hours for parents of under-17s, 6 April). As your article explains, “millions of parents with children up to the age of 16 will be able to request flexible working from their employers”. This is a key milestone which has the potential to give the face of the UK workforce a much-needed lift. The only thing standing in its way is our fear of change.

Talent War:  The Winners (ALB Legal News, Asia)

Management take note: lawyers stated that a firm’s reputation and value rest on whether it fosters its culture and better work/life balance, which far outweighed other factors such as partnership prospects or firm size. Teamwork, assertive colleagues and a positive work environment featured heavily on lawyers’ agendas.

Mom’s The Word: Our Practical Survival Guide for Moms (canada.com)

Balance:  Real mom tip: “I’m not sure that a perfect balance ever exists. Life changes–some things get easier and some get harder. You’ve got to be flexible and be up front with your time restrictions or boundaries. Don’t overcomplicate your life to make other people happy.”

Pioneering GP and medical boss says “have good work-life balance” (Enfield Independent, UK)

he says dinnertable conversation is rarely about medicine and emphasised the importance to the next generation of doctors of having “a good work life balance.”

Cameron Clyne: the banker who swims with sharks (The Sunday Times, UK)

“He has a life outside work and is strongly family-orientated,” says Lynne Peacock, who runs the Clydesdale and Yorkshire and first interviewed Clyne for a job when she was in charge of group human resources in Melbourne. “It’s this acceptance that everyone needs a reasonable work-life balance that helps him get the best out of people.”

Press Releases

New Employee Engagement Study Defines How Employers Can Harness the Power of a Multi-Generational Workforce (MetLife)

“We found that different factors ‘drive’ the levels of engagement of different groups of employees. There is no single solution to low levels of engagement. Therefore, it is in employers’ interests to strengthen multiple aspects of the quality of employment. Some of these include training and development, workplace flexibility, compensation and benefits, and relationships with supervisors. It is worth the effort to invest in organizations’ most important asset – their employees.”

In the Blogs

An Evolutionary Leap Toward Rewiring Career Perspective (WorkLife Nation)

The guidelines were simple: no agenda but a commitment to keep an open mind, an open heart, and to suspend all judgement of what people were saying.

What emerged was a mishmash of stuff:  work life balance, integration, flexibility, career direction, human values, goals, family, animals, children and what brought joy into our lives inside  - and outside  of the career sphere.

Recession and Work+Life Reality: Survey Finds Flex Unchanged, Careers Changed and Willingness to Sacrifice to Keep Job (Fast Company Blog)

What does all of this mean?  In means, that regardless of economic boom or doom, work life flexibility is here to stay.  Instead of focusing on whether or not flexibility exists, our attention has to turn to figuring out how to use flexibility to help manage our businesses and our lives, both of which are forever changed by this recession.

Commuter Benefits: Helping Employees, Employer and Environment (YoungWomenMisbeahavin’)

Workplace Flexibility and Cost Savings

• Telecommuting and compressed work weeks give employees the opportunity to spend more time with their families and less time commuting, thus taking their vehicles off of the road during the peak of rush hour. Employees typically save hundreds of dollars on an annual basis by simply participating in Calvert’s commuter benefits program, and Calvert saves money on office usage by telecommuting workers.

Card Check: Sen. Webb and Other Developments (ShopFloor)

Seems like the Senator is listening to his constituents, who must overwhelmingly oppose card check’s attack on the secret ballot and workplace flexibility. The enthusiastic unveiling last week of Virginians for Workplace Fairness certainly made that opposition clear.

My Life in Oracle (EMEA Oracle Recruiter blog)

How does Oracle support its staff?

Flexible working, such as being home based. This helps with work/life balance. This is a win-win as watching the clock is not something that enters my mind…if I need to be on call or travelling out of hours its not a problem. Likewise if I need to do personal errands during “working hours”, these are accommodated.

International Employee Relations Report (Thinking Made Easy, UK)

These provisions, which apply to men and women, are likely to be used widely, particularly by returning mothers. Hospitality firms experiencing recruitment and retention difficulties are recommended to adopt a flexible approach towards all employees, as this also helps employees address work-life balance. New mothers may opt for different modes of flexibility, seeking different arrangements, such as term-time working, once the child is of school age ( 2003).

Is Gen Y that Bad? Yes (My Small Business, Australia)

How is the global financial crisis affecting our beliefs about work, money, the environment and each other?

Broadcaster Libbi Gorr gathered Australia’s top social researchers to get the lowdown on the meltdown.

Events

University of Kentucky – April 28th

Leveraging Workplace Flexibility as a Strategic Management Tool

Washington, DC – April 29th 6-8pm

Young Government Leaders holds a discussion on work/life balance with the Office of Personnel Management and the laws, rules and regulations that govern the topics. Wednesday, April 29th from 6 to 8 p.m. at the National Academy of Public Administration. RSVP to younggovernmentleader (at) gmail (dot) com.

Career Life Connection in the News

Advice Isn’t Always Good For You (MSNBC)

Leanne Chase, president of Career Life Connection, was excited about attending a SCORE meeting in Boston, but didn’t end up with much help. Despite that, she plans on attending again next week.

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube

This week I am starting a new feature…a digest of news on workplace flexibility and work/life balance for both employees and employers.  It is my hope that you comment on and share this news and move the conversation about more flexibility in the workplace forward.  It is also my hope to show the work world how robust and important a topic this is and illustrate why it is important for corporations to include workplace flexibility issues in their talent management strategies and workforce planning.

In the news…

Everyone Is Working for the Weekend (The Progressive)

…He met with Obama three years ago as part of a group of people to talk about work/life balance. He came away with the impression that Obama really understands the issue.

“His wife especially is very concerned about the work/life balance issue. But Obama is facing huge pushback from the other side,” says de Graaf.

CEO of Me (Washington Post)

A business class at George Washington University encourages students to take an entrepreneurial approach to balancing work with a personal life

Jill Smart (Accenture) on Work-Life Balance (Businessweek.com video interview)

Listening to its diverse, far-flung workforce has helped management devise programs that work for both employees and the company

Aging Your Workforce (The Wall Street Journal)

An employer that offers flexible work options to both older and younger employees may find a distinct competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining employees. As the talent shortage grows, the balance of power in the employer-employee relationship continues to shift toward employees.

Get a Life!: Work life balance has no gender (Federal Computer Week)

The study found that younger men are increasing the time they spend with their young children. They are feeling the stress of balancing their often long hours at work with their desire to spend time with their children.

One reason for the change is the related finding that young women want to advance to jobs with more responsibility just as much as young men. Being a mother does not change a young woman’s career ambitions.  And women are contributing an increasing share of the family’s income.

Coalition Praises Ohio for it’s Work-Family Balance (The Columbus Dispatch)

“Success” means a balanced life, not something that can be measured in dollars and cents, according to a study commissioned by Northwestern Mutual.

Do We Work Too Much? (LaDepeche, France)

In many businesses, going the extra mile is now taken for granted; it is almost expected that employees work longer hours. However, on the other hand, it is agreed upon by businesses and employees that work-life balance leads to a healthier and happier workforce. In recent years, the British government has tried to highlight the benefits of having a happier workforce in order to encourage employers to pay greater attention to worker needs.

Case Study: Health and WellBeing at First Scottrail (HR Zone, UK)

“We set out to address striking a good work-life balance by bringing as much help and support regarding positive wellbeing to the workforce” Nicola Macpherson, First ScotRail

Flexible Working Rights Extended (IT Pro, UK)

The right to request flexible working has been extended to any parent with children under the age of 16.

In the blogs…

Woman, Help Thyself… (To MBA or not ot MBA)

I want “work-life” balance to no longer be considered a “women’s issue”. I want to see pay parity by gender. I think all of these things are interrelated.

4 Approaches to Work-Life Balance (Change Meme)

The first thing I read this morning was an SMS from a friend who’d just finished work, at 5am. No she’s not a shift worker, she and a colleague had worked through the night. I could feel the words “she’s insane” scrolling through my head, but really I’m not much better having worked a couple of 12+ hour days this week.

So what happened to the work-life balance?

Whether You’re Ready or Not We’re Millennial-Bound: Recruiting and Motivating Today’s Millennial Generation (The AGA Weblog)

(KPMG has) created a culture of flexibility, so people can fulfill their job responsibilities and address personal obligations in ways that achieve work/life balance

The Fact in the Fiction (Random Walks in Low Country)

I know that the downturn has stimulated talk among friends about proper work-life balance. Some have voluntarily cut their hours at work in response to management programs for payroll reduction, allowing them to put more emphasis on the lasting and fulfilling parts of their life.

Job Shadowing Experience (CTCH 792 Leadership in Higher Education)

she is dedicated to her family and does not allow work to get in the way of her family responsibilities and time with her children. She expects her directors (those reporting to her) to follow the same outlook… work should not take away from personal and family time. She believes and supports work-life balance, and she certainly lives it.

My Work-Vacation to Paris (momspa.net)

During a trip to Paris last week for an international conference, I ran into two colleagues in the women’s room, both French, discussing the favorite topic of working moms everywhere – the difficulty of achieving work- life balance – l’équilibre entre le travail et la vie personnelle.  They complained about being tired.  Very tired.

Women Lawyers Still Barred From Parity (Sloan Work & Family Research Network)

As a lawyer -mom, who knows first hand how challenging it can be to balance law and family, I was not surprised by the new Catalyst Quick Takes Report, “ Women in Law in the U.S.” This report reveals that female lawyers have yet to achieve parity in position and salary to male lawyers. Highlights of the report include:

Stay/Work-at-Home Dad Adjusts to new reality (Miami Herald Blog – The Work/Life Balance Blog)

I think we’re going to see many more men and women working from home. What it means for all of us is an adjustment to new rules in our quest for work/life balance.

Upcoming Events

Workshop to Focus on Multi-generation Workforce (May 7, Hungtingon, West Virginia)

Workplace Flexibility Workshops Offered to KY Businesses by Univ. of Kentucky (April 23, Louisville, KY, April 28, Lexington, KY)

BSC hosts Bob Upgren program on work-life balance (April 14, Bismark, ND)

Career Life Connection News

New Nanny Math (Forbes)

Leanne Chase, 40, mother of a 3-year-old and owner of a business, Career Life Connection,

Twitters Work-Life Balance Tips (BusinessWeek.com)

It takes many villages – 1 at home to help with family life, 1 at work to fill in as needed, 1 full of friends to keep you sane #worklife

Career Life Connection on You Tube