August 26, 2008.
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 WF2010@law.georgetown.edu.
Articles
Mothers struggle to balance career and family
“Aside from not being able to be there for their kids during the week, the three women agree the sacrifices are worth it. "You go where the money is," said Mrs. Singh. "The compensation is great, because we all want to accomplish having the good things in life." Mrs. Sipp said it is important for women to make sacrifices because it shows ambition and the desire to always move up in the world. Although these mothers are working extra hard to balance their full-time responsibilities as a corporate woman, wife and mom, they still get a lot of sarcastic criticisms by their single co-workers.”
Weigh benefits carefully in today's job market
“Many American workers are understandably anxious about job security and compensation. Unemployment hit 5.7 percent in July, the highest level in four years; state and local governments are reducing workforces across the country; and real income has fallen 1.1 percent between 2000 and 2008, despite an 18 percent expansion of the economy. This Labor Day, the United States will recognize the efforts of its 155 million employed people. Those Americans are well advised to become educated on the value of job benefits, both monetary and nonmonetary. Benefits represent 30 percent of total compensation. They often include the traditional: retirement plans, vacation and sick leave, health insurance, as well as maternity and family leave.”
Firm support for the family
“When Beth Reilly returned to work this spring from nearly nine months of maternity leave, her husband, Patrick Callahan, began a summer at home in Needham tending full time to their son, Ryan. Next month, they'll get a nanny. But the couple was thrilled to share care for their son's first year of life. Their story isn't all that surprising, except when you consider that Reilly and Callahan are high-flying litigators at the prestigious Boston firm WilmerHale. Traditionally known for long hours and workplace rigidity, the field of law is shifting, as firms try to retain talented lawyers - especially women - who seek better balance.”
U.S. office workers should take time out to ask for time off
“When family rights advocate John De Graff started doing some historical research, he came across a shocking discovery -- that medieval European peasants had more vacation time than modern American office workers. De Graff, the national coordinator of Take Back Your Time Day, based his figures on the number of religious holidays peasants took off to eat, drink and spend time with their families, and found it was about two weeks extra. He even printed up T-shirts saying: "Medieval Peasants Had More Vacation Than You." As the economy falters and fewer employers give raises, it might be a good time for some American workers to negotiate more time off instead.”
Flextime Has Green Appeal And Lures Younger Workers
“They have replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, cut the number of cars in their fleets and embraced hybrids. They have planted native grasses to cut down on lawn maintenance and, with it, fuel consumption. Now a growing number of businesses and state and local governments from Fairfax to Detroit to Salt Lake City are pondering a strategy for saving on utility costs and being kind to the environment: telling their workers, stay home . . . Such scheduling arrangements, in which employees work longer hours but fewer days, share jobs or stagger start or quitting times, have been a part of the U.S. workplace for years. But in recent months, interest in flextime has been growing quickly. From Howard County to Chrysler's manufacturing lines, employers who want to cut costs, show environmental sensitivity and attract young workers who seek flexible schedules are brushing aside some critics' productivity concerns to embrace the new proposals.”
Putting retirement on hold
“Numbers that should be going up are dropping, and numbers that should be going down are climbing. So Ouhl now sees at least five more years of work in her future. "It's scary, because at this point you expect to be well set," she said. "And through no errors on my part, I'm not. That math is forcing many other older workers to make the same call Ouhl did: postpone retirement. U.S. labor statistics show that 16 percent of Americans over age 65 were working last year, compared with about 11 percent two decades ago. An AARP survey in May found that today's difficult economic times, specifically, have up to one-fourth of respondents 45 and older planning to work longer. Up to one-third of them put the blame on falling home values and shrinking investments.”
Blogs
Joe Biden: What's His Track Record on Work and Family?
“As a senator, Mr. Biden is perhaps best known for his focus on foreign policy, but he has had a hand in legislation targeting work-and-family issues. According to a cached version of his senatorial campaign Web site (which since this weekend has automatically referred visitors to the Obama-Biden campaign site), Mr. Biden is a co-sponsor of the Healthy Families Act, which would require employers with more than 15 employees to offer seven paid sick days a year. In the 1990s, he was the primary sponsor of the Violence Against Women Act and supported the Family and Medical Leave Act, which guarantees workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a family member.”
Unplugging: Four Steps to Reconnecting With What Matters
“Two minutes ago, while on my little rant, I noticed a 30-ish young woman racing by my window, across the street. Like a bat out of hell, her ponytail flying in the wind beneath her red baseball hat, holding a cell to one ear, a Starbuck's cup, in the other, as she zooms down the road in full-tilt sprint. Did I mention that she was steering a stroller with one finger, while balancing her coffee with the same hand? No doubt, she was multi-tasking. True story. You should have seen the expression of terror on her little girl's face. Screaming at the top of her lungs, eyes wide open, her baby clad in pink. "Pinky" looks positively frozen. She's not having fun. Mommy's not exactly within eye range. No contact. No connection. Only speed. No more than four feet away, cars moving at a clip to beat the morning rush hour. Rushing to beat the rush.”
TGIT: Thank Goodness It's Thursday
“The five day per week, eight hour per day work schedule is facing its first major overhaul in decades. Employers, in an effort to reduce fuel and energy costs, are allowing employees to work longer but fewer days. By adding two hours a day, employees can work just four days per week. Governments are taking the lead in this movement; from Alabama to California, local government offices are closing on Fridays. Going even further, the entire state of Utah is making the shift. By closing all government offices in Utah on Fridays, they estimate that they will save approximately $3 million a year from lights, heat, and air conditioning, not to mention the gas that 17,000 employees would have used for their commutes. Florida’s Brevard Community College has also transitioned into a four-day week, much to the pleasure of many college students who prefer not to meet on Fridays. Ohio’s Kent State University offered the compressed workweek to their custodial staff, and 78% of them accepted.”
How to Renew the American Dream for Working Families?
Global News
Meet the supergrandparents
“The problem, according to Professor Sarah Harper, who carried out the research, is that, as the Government emphasises that more care should be made available in the community, the family is again hit. Women in their fifties who want to remain in the labour market are being increasingly pulled in two directions, to look after their grandchildren and parents …“But last year, we found in our study, The Future of Retirement, that people aged 60 to 79 years were contributing around £4 billion a year in voluntary work - and saving the country between £11 billion and £50 billion by looking after their families. “Given the pensions crisis, these people often need to stay in the labour market to provide for their retirement, so the balance between work and care is becoming a real work-life question.” “
How to cope with life in overcrowded cities
“European research on people who commute more than 45 minutes each way suggests that they suffer more headaches, aches and pains, and increased susceptibility to flu viruses. Psychologists point out that people have two basic space requirements: personal space and territorial space. When these are infringed, stress levels rocket . . . Ultimately, the best thing you can do is to avoid commuting in the rush hour. Dr Goodwin says: “In recent years flexible working has really started taking off. If you work one or two days a week at home, that reduces 20 per cent of the traffic load. This has also been shown to make people work more efficiently and keep them happier.”
New Legislation means Victorian employers must consider requests for flexible working
“Changes to Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act mean that employers must consider seriously any request for flexible work arrangements from staff members who have children or people who depend on them for care. From 1 September 2008, changes to the Equal Opportunity Act 1995 (Vic) will protect working parents and carers from discrimination when trying to balance their work and family responsibilities. “The new legislation is significant as it delivers extra protection from discrimination to working parents and carers who have family responsibilities,” Chair of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission Michael W Gorton, AM, said.”
"Corporation Meets Culture -- Beyond Employer-Branding"
“So if the future success of a company depends on its ability to recruit capable employees it must be ready to offer them development prospects and the possibility to determine their own work schedule so that the job also has the aspect of being intrinsically meaningful. Employers who intend to retain talents should not only take interest in their professional lives, but also be considerate of their personal lives. As the philosophy of employment changed from lifelong employment to continuous employability, work-life balance is of utmost importance. The employees of the future have been rising to the challenge of today’s labour market. Now it is the companies’ turn to set a change in motion to promote and nurture a corporate culture that truly commits to employees. In the contest for talents corporate culture means a competitive advantage for companies that live it rather than write about it. Hence corporate culture must not only be drawn up on corporate websites but must be authentic and provide for the potential to be filled with life.”