June 9, 2006
Articles
Government Opens Drive to Offer New Hires Flexibility in Work Locations and Schedules
"The president's chief civil service adviser yesterday rolled out a new approach to hiring the next generation of federal workers, part of an effort to help agencies better compete for talent in the labor force as baby boomers leave the government. Linda M. Springer , director of the Office of Personnel Management, launched a ‘career patterns’ initiative aimed at making the government a more attractive employer by offering increased flexibility and better work-life balance to potential hires who are less interested in the traditional 9-to-5 job and 30-year federal career.”
'Working Families' Gain Political Focus
"Working families, a deliciously ambiguous segment of society, are hands-down the most coveted demographic among candidates vying to be Maryland's next governor. When Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. strives to mitigate the electric rate increases, he's doing it ‘for Maryland's working families.’ Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's recent win in his lawsuit against the Public Service Commission is ‘a victory for working families.’ And Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan? He has ‘a plan to begin to give hard-working families the affordable health care they deserve.’ The working family. So noble, so needy. So politically perfect.” Mentions Judi Casey.
A Life Between Jobs
"Many young people in the workplace are finding that quitting their job is becoming the satisfying new alternative to the standard, entry-level benefit for vacation. As they found out, the two weeks allowed to most young employees is barely enough time to visit their parents for Christmas, go to a friend's wedding and take a long weekend.” Mentions Families and Work Institute.
Study: Grim Retirement Awaits Many
"Almost 1 in 2 American families is headed toward years of financial struggle in retirement, according to a new report that says workers are unprepared for cuts in pension and Social Security income. Much of the pain will fall on Generation X, those born between 1965 and 1972, the report said. That's primarily because these younger workers face the prospect of diminished Social Security income and fewer of them will have pensions. Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are generally in better shape. The study by Boston College is the latest addition to a growing body of research that suggests households headed by working-age adults are poorly prepared for retirement.”
Coming Out of Retirement Won't Be that Easy to Do
"We hear a lot about how unprepared American workers are for retirement, but their bosses may be just as flat-footed. Questioning about 1,000 U.S. companies and 5,111 adults this year, Harris Interactive found a gap between what employers think older workers want and what they actually do want in their second careers.”