December 12, 2006
The Workplace Flexibility 2010 News Roundup is a compilation of the latest news articles, reports and other materials related to workplace flexibility. The News Roundup appears twice-weekly. If you have questions about any of the items, please contact Jennifer Hedrick at jlh62@law.georgetown.edu.
Articles
Door Opens to Changes in Family Leave
"Like squabbling kids, companies and workers have argued over the Family and Medical Leave Act ever since the law was passed in 1993.”
To Retain Valued Women Employees, Companies Pitch Flextime as Macho
"Here's a novel approach to keeping women in the work force: Focus on men. Some employers are trying to overcome a perceived stigma on flexible work schedules -- often viewed as a concession to women -- by redefining the issue as a quality-of-life concern for everyone. The approach is gaining traction, especially in the male-dominated financial-services sector, where employers have long struggled to retain and promote women.”
Motherhood Movement Picking Up Momentum
"Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner appeared an unlikely revolutionary -- a stylish suburban mom and the wife of a Republican state senator -- as she grabbed the microphone at the Wayward Coffeehouse in Seattle. Once the Kirkland mother of two started speaking, she was decidedly zealous, rattling off concerns about paid leave for parents, workplace flexibility and discrimination against mothers.”
DA's New Flex Time Unit
"Nassau's new Early Case Assessment Bureau is more than just an opportunity for prosecutors to look at cases sooner -- for District Attorney Kathleen Rice, it is a chance to redeem herself to some of the people she angered when she eliminated a dozen part-time positions earlier this year.”
Companies Slow to Adjust to Work-Life Balance Concerns of Generation Y
“Businesses are struggling to keep pace with a new generation of young people entering the workforce, who have starkly different attitudes and desires than employees over the past few decades.”
Don't Let Stress Break Your Company's Back
"It's anybody's guess how much productivity is lost from all the walking wounded, who are too tired, too stressed, too worried by conflicts between work and home life to give their job their full attention.”
Reports
After School Worries: Tough on Parents, Bad for Business
"Countless stories in the popular press offer pronouncements about working mothers who leave the workforce. Few look at why or whether the so-called trend is real. These stories “sell” because they resonate with popular, yet antiquated, ideas about women, motherhood and work. But a close look at the factors contributing to a working parent’s stress at work tell a different story—one that is not just about women but men—and the bottom line.”
Workplace Flexibility for Lower Wage Workers
"Recent academic research and business reports have demonstrated strong positive outcomes of flexibility for businesses and employees. This research on the “business case” for workplace flexibility has proven to be influential both in garnering the attention of business and the press and in demonstrating the feasibility and importance of workplace flexibility as a business tool.”