September 19, 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
Institutions Hinder Female Academics Panel Says
"Women in science and engineering are hindered not by lack of ability but by bias and ‘outmoded institutional structures’ in academia, an expert panel reported today.”
Getting Back on Track
"[T]he debate over ‘Why Women Quit’ has taken a subtle turn. The problem may not be that so many women take a break from salaried life; the more troubling issue is why it's so difficult for them to restart their careers when they're ready. Instead of persuading women not to leave their jobs and to stay on track toward leadership positions, lately the talk among work-family advocates has focused on finding ways to support women's ‘non-linear’ career paths—and to build better ‘on ramps’ for women wishing to return to work after career pauses.”
Why is Me Time Such a Big Deal?
"Too many women, single or married, childless or mothers, are endlessly fulfilling every obligation except the one to themselves. For your mental, physical, and psychological well-being, you sometimes just need to stop. Then you need to do something you want to do. You need to take some Me Time.” Mentions Ellen Galinsky.
Kid-Friendly Policies Don't Help Singles
"Since corporations started paying attention to "family-friendly" benefits in the late 1980s, child-free and single workers have wondered where their benefits were. They have expressed dismay that they felt they were asked to work more when employees with families needed time away from work. Others thought they were given the more difficult jobs with less financial reward because those with children were considered to have greater financial needs.”
Retirement, Squeezed
"[F]inancial experts say workers fortunate enough to still have traditional pensions should not rely on them too much for retirement, as the long-term prospects of such plans are increasingly in doubt. While a new law signed last month by President Bush aims to shore up the private pension system by forcing companies to fund their plans more fully, some retirement consultants say the added expense may [impact] the trend of companies limiting their plans for existing employees or dropping them for new hires.”