August 29, 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
Obama Takes Fight to McCain
“Speaking in generally broad terms, Mr. Obama offered a contrast between Republican and Democratic views of the role of government. “We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500,” he said, “but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job — an economy that honors the dignity of work.””
Bayport weighs a permanent four-day work week
“The Albertville City Council recently decided to extend the trial period for the four-day workweek through Nov. 1. By then, there will be an estimate of how much money they city is saving, said Lannes, the city's finance director. Albertville Mayor Ron Klecker said he believes the 10-hour days have made employees more productive and city services more convenient for residents. "Now a lot of them can handle [city business] on their way to work or on their way home, so they don't have to make a special trip to City Hall," he said. Bayport officials say rising fuel and utility costs were key factors in their decision to offer employees a shorter week.”
The Torch Passes. Really.
“And just as her husband has little patience with the culture wars of the Clintons’ generation, Michelle has no interest in the mommy wars. She refuses to decry young women with Ivy League degrees who opt to use them on full-time motherhood or to worry that all the talk about the problems will discourage young women from trying to combine husband, kids and high-powered career. “I was raised to believe I could do it all, and that was very empowering,” she said. “Then I got into the work force and realized there was really no support for me to do it all. ... We either have to fix that or be honest about it.” Her approach feels like a genuine preference, but, of course, it’s also politically pragmatic. She reminds every audience that she’s first and foremost a mom, albeit one who can bring home the bacon and fry it up in the pan. But if she comes under fire for being too soft, the Obama campaign headquarters will pass out Champagne.”
Many employers making up for gas
Sick leave, more family leave urged
“The Economic Roundtable with the governors and several working women from across the nation provided the forum for Michelle Obama to share her husband Barack Obama's plan for working women and families which includes at least 7 days of paid sick days for all workers. "Working women are struggling in this nation," Obama said. "They are asked to shoulder enormous burden. The challenges that face working families are not new to Barack and they are not new to Joe." She emphasized that her husband will pour billions into education and create universal healthcare by the end of his term in office to a loud and resounding cheer.”
Family Friendly Can Mean Politically Savvy
“Working Mother Magazine and Corporate Voices for Working Families are both taking note of lawmakers who support family-friendly employment practices — both in legislation and in personal practice for their own employees. Just in time for the Democratic National Convention (DNC), this week's Mocha Moms — Jolene Ivey; Asra Nomani; and Carol Evans, founder of Working Mother Media — discusses the significance of family-friendly employment practices, and how lawmakers are being graded on their support of related policies.”
Compressed Work Week Survey, Flexible Scheduling
“Ultimately, the compressed work week pilot illuminated the dichotomy of opinions regarding flexible schedules. Individuals in support of the program cited individual financial savings and better work+life balance as key benefits. In contrast, business requirements, department conflicts and personal conflicts were cited by those concerned with the compressed work week. Given the divergent business needs and input received at the Transportation and Energy Summit, the Division of Human Resources has recommended that we continue with our current policy on flexible schedules. The Paid Time Policy 3300 [. . .] states the importance of work schedules that meet the missions of the university and the departments. However, it does give managers the opportunity to permit flexible work schedules for employees.”
Blogs
The Wife Job
“I’m about to go public with a secret few people from my current world know: When I was a senior in high school I won the Betty Crocker Homemaker Of Tomorrow award. OK, stop laughing. It was based on a multiple choice test that I signed up for only because it got me out of two class periods. I happened to get the highest score, a surprise to everyone, especially me. It came with a shot at a $1500 scholarship (which I didn’t win), a charm bracelet and a letter, hand signed by Betty Crocker, stating “You now have the satisfaction of knowing you are prepared for the most rewarding career a woman can have—that of a homemaker.” Words I will never forget, because even back then, in tiny Portville NY, where no woman I knew had a professional career, I had a feeling that the world contained more rewarding careers than that of a homemaker. And yet, and yet…I am regularly reminded that much of the nation still thinks like Betty Crocker.”
Has Flexibility Gone Too Far?
“Those of us who have worked in the work-life arena for a while are thrilled that telework and the four day work week are getting such great press and appear to be gaining in popularity. Typically, these trends are evolving due to high gas prices and concerns about pollution and traffic congestion. Another driver is real estate costs and the expenses associated with providing and maintaining offices for workers. But perhaps the pendulum has swung too far?”
Playing With Employee Perks
“Last week’s post about a virtual assistant, Emily Morgan, who had taken an entrepreneurial approach to her work, evoked some heated discussion in the comments about the nature of entrepreneurship. The comments touched on what motivates people to choose different types of work arrangements, particularly whether the trappings that tend to accompany employment, like health insurance and paid vacation time, are more valuable than those that flow to the self-employed — like the ability to choose which projects to work on, the flexibility to work how and where a person wants, and a general feeling of controlling one’s destiny. One thing that is clear on the subject of perks is that if you have something you value as part of your working arrangement — a free parking space, discounts at museums or a health club, on-site child care, a Whole Foods-style cafeteria, or the ability to work from home — and it is taken away from you, you will feel cheated.”
Cracked, Not Shattered: An Interview With Congresswoman Maloney
“But you see we're a country that talks about family values. But we haven't passed anything to help family values since the Family and Medical Leave Act. And the Family and Medical Leave Act was one of the first things I voted on when I came to Congress. It was very thrilling to me, because when my first child was born, I was terrified of being fired. When my second child was born, I was a member of the city council, and in some ways it was easier to respond to 250 constituents than it was to respond to one employer. I just remember when my first child was born I called the personnel office and I asked them about their leave policies. And they said, "Leave policies? Women just leave and they don't come back." And I said, "But I want to come back." They said, "We have no leave policy." And then they said, "Why don't you apply for disability?" Well, having a child is not a disability.”
Flexibility - Just do it
“When we acknowledge that implementing flexibility is a challenge, especially for managers who have not gone through their own flexibility experience (eg working in a job-share - and frankly, how many people have done that?), we can create a space for a more open conversation about what managers need to implement flexible work practices.”
Global News
New twist in work-life balance
“VICTORIAN employers from Monday will be faced with the first laws in Australia specifically dedicated to favouring workers with family responsibilities. Employers will have to ensure that they do not "unreasonably refuse" to adjust their working arrangements to accommodate the family or carer's responsibilities of staff, whether this occurs by allowing them to work from home or job-share or work irregular or part-time hours. If they fail to do so, amendments to the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 1995 mean that they will be guilty of discrimination and will be liable to claims by workers seeking reinstatement or uncapped orders of compensation.”
Increase in shift work takes heavy toll
“Almost 30 per cent of Canadians now work irregular shifts, which can mess with their sleep cycles and cut into family time, Statistics Canada reported yesterday. And, not surprisingly, shift workers are more inclined to be unhappy with their work-life balance than employees who work regular day jobs, Statscan found in analyzing the results of a general social survey conducted in 2005. Analyst Cara Williams wrote that working 9 to 5 may be what many consider a normal full-time job. However, "in an economy that often demands 24/7 activity," shift work has become increasingly common.”
Social factors key to ill health
“The report, drawn up by an eminent panel of experts forming the WHO's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, found that, in almost all countries, poor socioeconomic circumstances equated to poor health. The differences were so marked that genetics and biology could not begin to explain them [. . .] The report highlights education, affordable housing, management of access to unhealthy foods and social security protection as key. It also said that governments should take action to ensure a living wage for workers, and working conditions that reduce work-related stress and ensure a healthy work-life balance.”
High gas prices help spark big boost in teleworking
“Spiking gas prices, improved technology and work-life balance desires have led to a huge rise in the number of Canadian and U.S. employers offering the option of teleworking, a new survey of 2,700 organizations finds. In Canada, 40 per cent of organizations said they offer their employees the option of working from home or a remote location, up from 25 per cent last year. In the United States, 42 per cent said they offer telework options, up from 30 per cent last year.”