November 9, 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
Clearing the Roadblocks to Telecommuting
"Concerned that too few federal employees are getting plugged into telecommuting, House Democrats are drafting legislation that would encourage agencies to allow eligible employees to telework four days a month, on average.”
Home-Office Politics
"Like other businesses, politics these days is conducted less in person than on speaker phone and laptops. Campaign consultants, policy analysts, fund-raisers and bloggers do most of their work in the comfort of their own homes, or in their cars, or maybe at Starbucks. Political professionals have as a result become part of a much larger American movement. In his new book, “Microtrends,” the Democratic pollster Mark Penn notes that 4.2 million Americans now work exclusively from home (a nearly 100 percent increase from 1990), while some 20 million do it part time. Some of these workers are employees who telecommute to traditional offices, but most represent a kind of modern, untethered American work force.”
Blogs
Including Samuel
"Samuel is now seven. He has cerebral palsy, which means his brain has trouble controlling his muscles. He uses a wheelchair and it is difficult for him to talk. ‘Including Samuel’ the 58-minute documentary film his doctor inspired me to create, is being released nationally this fall… My experience is that parents of children with disabilities face a different balancing act. One big struggle is balancing time spent supporting a child with a disability vs. the family's other child(ren). Others include marshaling the time, energy and financial resources needed to manage a child's medical care and therapy, and the scarce resources left for yourself, your relationship with your spouse, and your work.”
Press Releases
White House Proclaims National Family Caregivers Month
“A Proclamation By the President of the United States of America. Each year during National Family Caregivers Month, we celebrate all those who dedicate themselves to caring for others and recognize their efforts to comfort and improve the lives of their loved ones in need. One of our Nation's defining values is compassion, and we must do our best to see that every citizen is treated with dignity and respect. Family caregivers demonstrate this compassion, often at great sacrifice, to assist with everyday activities for family members who are elderly, chronically ill, or disabled. This dedication contributes to a culture of caring and responsibility across our country.”