News Roundup

The New Workplace Perk: Gas

"IN Washington State, Microsoft has leased three large office complexes miles from company headquarters in recent months to shorten the commutes of about 7,000 employees.  In San Francisco, Citigate Cunningham, a public relations company, now encourages workers to stay home whenever possible, providing laptop computers and BlackBerrys to enable telecommuting, and reimbursing them $40 a month for high-speed Internet connections in their homes.  At Rejuvenation, a lighting manufacturer in Portland, Ore., employees skip one day of work completely. The company has gone to a four-day week, with each workday being 10 hours long. Alysa Rose, the president, also gives away a free bicycle to an employee every month."

• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/07/fashion/07Work.html

Not so lazy, after all

"The conventional view in Europe, held widely here also, is that they understand life better. So what if their per-capita incomes are lower than ours? They know what's really important, and it isn't slaving away like us job-crazed Yanks.  The trouble with this narrative is that it's based on a myth. Recent studies show that Europeans work much harder than most people think, and some, such as the Germans, work every bit as hard as we Americans do. An analysis of why makes it tough to say that one culture is somehow wiser than the other. "

• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/31/business/economy/31jobs.html?ex=1218168000&en=a579515b7000e5b2&ei=5070&emc=eta1

CA Bill Pushes for Extended Sick Pay

"A state Senate committee is set to take up a bill Monday that would grant paid sick days to every worker in California. The bill by Assemblywoman Fiona Ma is modeled on a law that's already in effect in San Francisco.  "For large employers who have 10 or more employees, workers can earn up to nine paid sick days. For smaller businesses they can earn up to five paid sick days," said Ma.  Ma estimates some 5- to 6- million Californians, or about 40 percent of the state's workforce, are currently not entitled to any paid sick leave at all."

• http://www.kcbs.com/CA-Bill-Pushes-for-Extended-Sick-Pay/2722335

Birth Trauma: Stress Disorder Afflicts Moms

"Amid the debate over how to effectively manage maternal mental-health disorders, a new type of postpartum illness is gaining attention: post-traumatic-stress disorder due to childbirth.  PTSD is most commonly associated with combat veterans and victims of violent crime, but medical experts say it also can be brought on by a very painful or complicated labor and delivery in which a woman believes she or her baby might die. Symptoms can include anxiety, flashbacks and a numbness to daily life. Even as medical advances have resulted in many more lives saved during high-risk births, extreme medical interventions can leave a mother severely stressed -- especially if she feels powerless or mistreated by health providers."

• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121789883018612223-search.html?KEYWORDS=depression&COLLECTION=wsjie/6month

Michelle Obama describes duty as 'mother-in-chief'

"Michelle Obama said the challenges women face in balancing their families and jobs should be highlighted in government policies — whether it's through better health care or more family leave time.  She also expressed her support for military wives and the additional stress they face when their husbands are away and have done multiple tours of duty. "Tack on the fact that there is no sustained mental health support for these families as they are struggling with loved ones who are coming back dealing with emotional issues," she said. "You've got people in pain and we don't hear those voices a lot.""

• http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g1HFNFuhnjjYz4i31NOCRmWnlDXgD92BN3RG0

Employers who work hard while fatigued may suffer from increased blood pressure

"Working hard when fatigued may be admired by many Americans, but it is a virtue that could be harmful to one s health, according to new research by psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The research supports a theory which suggests that exhausted individuals cardiovascular systems are forced to work harder when they attempt to complete tasks, such as those encountered on the job or at school.  The research, published in the July issue of the International Journal of Psychophysiology, found that fatigued individuals had larger blood pressure increases than rested individuals under conditions where they viewed success as both possible and worthwhile. Investigators believe the effects were determined by effort on the part of the study participants, said UAB psychologist Rex Wright, Ph.D., who led the study."

• http://hr.cch.com/news/hrm/080408a.asp

Groups prepare for fight on Milwaukee paid sick leave referendum

"Now that a referendum on paid sick leave is heading for Milwaukee's Nov. 4 ballot, advocates on both sides of the issue are planning campaigns to argue their case.  They'll be competing to get out their messages in the crowded media landscape of a presidential campaign — timing that could work in favor of the labor and community organizations that have been pushing the issue."

• http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=779369

Economic Woes Force Many to Postpone Retirement

"Plunging home prices and slumping stock markets have workers facing tough decisions as they near retirement. For people like Margie La Fond, that means going back into a job market that's weak to begin with, and not very welcoming to people her age."

• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93241950

Insomnia: A Tough Break For Working Parents

"I had never had trouble falling asleep before and it terrified me. I felt physically and mentally exhausted, and also dreaded trying to sleep, knowing I'd probably face another restless night. I soon sought help from my physician and saw a psychologist who specialized in sleep disorders. With the help of some relaxation techniques, exercise, medication and the healing power of time, I was able to sleep soundly again within days (well, as soundly as a mother of an infant can). I'm grateful that the problem was resolved before I had to head back to work, since I'm not sure how I would have coped with juggling an office schedule, a baby and insomnia."

• http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2008/08/05/insomnia-a-tough-break-for-working-parents/

Popularity of the 4-day Week Continues to Grow

"The four-day work week has enjoyed continued popularity across the country.  Some of the recent cities and counties to implement or move closer to implementing a compressed work week for public employees are listed below."

• http://www.delawareemploymentlawblog.com/2008/08/popularity_of_the_4day_week_co.html

10 Ways for Busy Parents to Manage Households

"Author Kathy Peel is not a fan of equal parenting. What happens if Mom's got a crush of work from the office for a month? Or Dad gets a serious illness?  Instead, Peel, who calls herself a family manager -- "None of us wants to be a 'housewife.' I didn't." -- believes in sharing the burdens of the household among everyone with each person taking charge of those things he/she likes best. Dad likes grocery shopping? Great. Mom wants the sinks to gleam -- that's hers."

• http://blog.washingtonpost.com/parenting/2008/08/kathy_peel.html

Small Businesses and the Use of Flexible Work Schedules

"The limited number of employees in a small business has led many to believe that the combination of small business and flexible scheduling is both financially and practically impossible. Many small businesses are defying this myth, however, and are implementing flexible schedules. In fact, research suggests that small businesses are more likely to implement various types of flexible schedules then their big business counterparts. A 2005 survey found that 17% of small businesses allow a majority of their employees to change starting and quitting times on a daily basis, while only 4% of big businesses do the same. In addition, many of today's small businesses make job-sharing, part time, and telecommuting policies available to their employees."

• http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/blog/small-businesses-and-the-use-of-flexible-work-schedules

Can working mums really have success in both their career and family lives?

"It is possible to have success at home and at work, but it requires lots of juggling and advance planning. Lots of employers are now switched on to the fact that working mums are often very loyal employees so are more willing to allow flexible working and part-time positions.  And as lots of business is now conducted by email and over the telephone, it has become less of a necessity for employees to be in the office on a daily basis. The key to success in both areas is ensuring that you balance time between the two."

• http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/business/s/1061142_can_working_mums_really_have_success_in_both_their_career_and_family_lives
  

Encouragement for former workers

"Companies are taking a more lateral attitude to staff hiring - they will look at job-share or part-time arrangements; whatever works. They have to, in order to tap into a latent skilled workforce who need a bit of encouragement before they will take the leap back into employment. Typically they might be women who have been raising children, or older men who have been made redundant and want a change of career."

• http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10524779

Pregnant?  Forget about a new job

"Simone Giblin is 25, desperate for work and pregnant.  Australia's equal-opportunity laws say it shouldn't count against her, but she knows otherwise.  She has applied for six jobs in the past month and has been knocked back six times. Hard-nosed employers give all sorts of excuses but she says the truth is they can't see beyond her baby bump.  "I think it's important to be honest that you're pregnant," said Mrs Giblin, who lives on Sydney's north shore with her husband. "I'm not ashamed of it, but it's made finding a job very difficult."

• http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,24118534-462,00.html