November 28, 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
Extreme Jobs Mean Long Hours, Little Sleep--A lot of Money
"A new study in the upcoming issue of the Harvard Business Review estimates that 1.7 million Americans now hold extreme jobs. The study defined "extreme" as any job that requires more than 60 work hours per week and fits various parameters regarding work flow, travel, responsibilities away from the office and outside commitments.”
Caring is a Man's Job Too
"Both genders, it turns out, are playing a crucial role — and at significant personal cost — in providing hands-on care to ailing relatives. Their efforts have emerged as a foundation of the larger U.S. healthcare system, helping family members survive at home and perhaps prolonging their lives.”
Work/Life Balance: What's It Worth?
"’Study after study shows that it is extremely cost-effective and very good business to provide flexibility to your employees, ‘ says Barbara Wankoff, national director of workplace solutions at KPMG LLP, an audit, tax and business advisory firm in New York. ‘Employee morale employee productivity, retention, historical knowledge—all of those things improve when people feel they have more control over when, where and how they work.’”
Flexible Schedules May Increase Productivity
"Stress during the holidays is a given for many people, and those who work for a small business may feel particularly pressured if they want to take time off for their children's holiday plays, to pick relatives up at the airport or to get some shopping done. Many small-company owners find ways to help their workers out--and actually get more productivity out of the deal.”
Businesses Balance Employees' Child Care with Bottom Line
"While the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 did much in terms of preventing employers from firing employees because of family issues, there have been relatively few programs designed to specifically require or encourage companies to provide any kind of child care assistance or family-friendly policies, such as flex time or telecommuting. Therefore, it has been left to individual employers to determine what, if anything, they will offer their staffs in terms of assistance with family obligations.”