July 31, 2007
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
Family-Leave Values
"Until recently, lawsuits claiming workplace discrimination because of family care-giving obligations were rare — in part because, however harsh it may seem to lose your job under circumstances like [Karen] Deonarain’s, employers could often get away with it… But what constitutes discrimination in the eyes of the law is changing. And one reason it’s changing is that the ranks of people like Karen Deonarain have grown.” Mentions Joan Williams.
Make Flex-Time Work For You
"A flexible work schedule can get mom or dad to Little League games, even if it means taking along their laptop, or just out of the office on time to pick up the kids from day care. A flexible schedule also is a good gig for those taking college classes or caring for an elderly parent. Numerous studies have shown that flexible schedules not only improve employee morale, but also productivity. But only about 28 percent of full-time and salaried employees in this country had flexible work schedules, according to a 2004 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
A New Way to Phase Into Retirement
"If you're planning to retire in five or 10 years, you may feel both anticipation and anxiety as you prepare for this next phase in your life. While you may be looking forward to traveling or spending more time with loved ones, you may not be looking forward to a potentially abrupt change from working full-time for a company to planning your own time every day as a retiree. To soften this transition, some baby boomers are exploring a middle path: phased retirement.”
Blogs
More Moms Want Part-time?
"The PEW Research Center just released ‘From 1997 to 2007: Fewer Mothers Prefer Full-time Work,’ by Paul Taylor, Cary Funk and April Clark. Basically, using a fairly large survey sample, the percentage of employed moms reporting full-time work as ideal fell from 34% to 21% over the period, while among non-employed moms the percent wanting full-time employment fell from 24% to 16%. The other big jumps, however, were for employed moms preferring part-time (up from 48% to 60%) and for non-employed moms preferring to stay at home (39% to 48%).”
Can Job Sharing Work in Law Firms, Big or Small?
"We recently posted about whether it’s possible for attorneys to truly work part-time. Some said it’s workable if you have a good supporting cast while others said that part-time equals career suicide.”