About Us: Activities
Research
Workplace Flexibility 2010's team of legislative lawyers assess how current laws and practices either advance or inhibit workplace flexibility for American workers, their families, and their employers. We review and analyze existing laws (such as the Family & Medical Leave Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the National Labor Relations Act) for their impact on workers and employers. Using research from the Sloan Foundation and others, we also explore public policies that might advance workplace flexibility.
Workplace Flexibility 2010's policy researchers work in close collaboration with Sloan Foundation and other academic researchers from diverse disciplines, including labor economics, social work, psychology, sociology, education, anthropology, public health and health services research who are studying workplace flexibility. We engage in an interactive dialogue with these researchers to bring their insights to bear on policy development, while having relevant policy questions shape their research agendas for the future.
Outreach
At Workplace Flexibility 2010, we disseminate the information we find through a range of venues and methods. We conduct briefings for legislators, hold meetings with advocacy groups, and are available to media outlets. When appropriate, we comment on pending legislation or regulations. Our website makes available our legal analyses of laws and regulations that impact workplace flexibility and links to academic research on workplace flexibility. Our close collaboration with the Boston College Sloan Work and Family Research Network, and its state legislative project, provides us with a ready mechanism for assuring broad and timely information dissemination.
Consensus-Building
The ultimate goal of Workplace Flexibility 2010 is to help break the stalemate that currently characterizes many of the debates regarding existing and proposed laws related to workplace flexibility. To that end, we engage a range of policymakers and advocacy groups in recognizing that workplace flexibility needs to become a standard of the American workplace so as to advance the health and well-being of American workers, their families and their communities. We respect and highly value the knowledge, expertise and commitment of those who have been involved in workplace flexibility related efforts for the past several decades. We offer legal and policy resources that can help advance what we believe is a widely-shared desire for workplace flexibility. Updated January 2005.