February 8, 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
More New Dads Take Paternity Leave
Liz Sadler • The Arizona Republic (The Journal News - Westchester, NY) • February 8, 2008
"While the United States still lags behind many European countries, family leave is evolving, particularly for dads. The average job-guaranteed leave for men increased from 13.1 weeks in 1998 to 14.5 weeks in 2005, according to figures from the Families and Work Institute, a New York City research organization that studies work trends. The group found that fathers, especially young ones, are spending more time with their children than they did in the past. Meanwhile, a few cutting-edge companies are offering new dads paid time off, ranging from a few days to a few weeks.”
You're Looking for the Best Employee, Right?
• ONREC.com (UK) • February 8, 2008
"Keywords: Most potential candidates will search on something generic to a job,for instance, working mothers who are looking for flexible work will search on terms like flexibility, work life balance, etc. According to WorkingMums.co.uk, the top five search terms used by working mums seeking jobs are part-time job, part-time work, women back into the workplace, women back to work and mothers back to work.”
Award Encourages Career Flexibility for Faculty
Jennifer Sawmiller • The Arbiter Online ( Boise State University, ID) • February 7, 2008
"Boise State was recently awarded $200,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and American Council on Education in order to implement plans that encourage flexibility in faculty careers. BSU was one of six colleges and universities to receive the 2007-2008 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Faculty Career Flexibility, which was open to 325 competitors… According to the winning award proposal submitted by the university, career flexibility will involve making more part-time positions available for tenured and tenure-track faculty."
Worklng Life: Out of Sight, Yes. Out of Mind, No
• BusinessWeek (BusinessWeek Magazine - 02/08/08 Print Issue) • February 7, 2008
"As more and more people decamp, companies are grappling with how to manage these invisible armies and what kinds of people are cut out to work offsite. Hewlett-Packard offers a personality test so workers can determine whether they are suited to solo toiling in pajamas. Among other things, the test assesses whether workers can handle limited supervision. But even those who can require some face time. Researchers at IBM learned that if teams went more than three days without gathering, their happiness and productivity suffered.”
Council Advances Sick-Leave Bill in DC
Nikita Stewart • The Washington Post • February 6, 2008
"The D.C. Council gave initial approval yesterday to a bill that would grant paid sick leave to all workers in the city, voting 11 to 2 after four hours of debate in front of an overflow crowd of T-shirt and sticker-wearing people on both sides of the issue. If the council approves the Accrued Sick and Safe Leave Act next month, the District would break ground in expanding workers' benefits."
How to Get Your Boss to be Flexible: Ask
Cindy Krischer Goodman • Miami Herald • February 5, 2008
"Remember the saying, if you don't ask, you don't get. Such wisdom applies increasingly to the quest for better work/life balance. Two separate surveys show more than half of Americans say finding better work/life fit is their top goal in 2008. But only 15 percent of private workers believe they have the option to work at home occasionally.”
The Project-Based Workforce
Tammy Erickson • BusinessWeek (Harvard Business Online) • January 31, 2008
"Companies are beginning to offer a wider array of flexible arrangements that make it easier for individuals to create a life that includes both leisure and work…. Over the next several decades, as more sectors face the looming talent shortage, there will be a rapid increase in the number of people who work in cyclical or project-based arrangements—many with no fixed affiliation to one corporation. It's even possible that project-based work will become the norm in several decades—with most workers operating as what some have called "intellectual mercenaries" assembled by project, as needed.”
Blogs
Work & Family Mailbox
Sue Shellenbarger • The Wall Street Journal • February 7, 2008
"Many staffing firms and flexible-job boards that cater to women are seeing an increase in male job seekers. A spokeswoman for Mom Corps, Marietta, Ga., which has offices in six cities including Chicago, says more fathers are looking for the professional part-time, flexible and contract positions it fills; see www.momcorps.com. Most of the skilled professional job seekers at Ivy Exec, a job board at www.ivyexec.com that specializes in flexible positions, are male."
Sen. Dodd Celebrates 15 Years of FMLA with New Proposal for 8 Weeks of Paid Leave
Magdalene Perez • Capitol Watch - Courant.com • February 5, 2008
"U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd wants to toughen the federal Family and Medical Leave Act to give Americans 8 weeks paid leave after having a child or during a family illness. Currently, the law mandates 12 weeks of unpaid leave for childbirth, adoption, serious illness or to care for a family member with a health condition."
Reports & Press Releases
FUEL Event: "When Work Works" Boot Camp @ Manpower Headquarters
• FUEL Milkwaukee (WI) •
Feb 25, 2008: “FUEL [Milwaukee] invites Regional employers to attend an information session about "When Work Works," the Alfred P. Sloan Award process and, the business case for workforce flexibility as a central talent strategy. If your organization is interested in learning more about fostering a flexible workplace and being recognized for organization success in working flexibly, you won't want to miss this boot camp.”
Balancing Business, Babies & Bottom Lines
• Family Works (Scoop Independent News, New Zealand) • February 8, 2008
"Employers who provide flexibility for their staff and encourage a work-life balance report improved productivity over all. This is a striking incentive for both employers and employees, and to further promote this, Family Works and the EEO Trust are holding an employer conference, It’s About Time: Balancing business, babies and bottom lines, at the Holiday Inn on Avon in Christchurch on March 7, 2008. “Family-friendly policies and flexible work procedures are proving essential to the long-term success of companies,” says Family Works Business Development Manager Penny Taylor. “Research internationally shows very good outcomes, including improved productivity, less stress and fewer lost work days through sickness.””
The Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Faculty Career Flexibility
• American Council on Education • January 29, 2008
"Boise State University (ID), Canisius College (NY), Santa Clara University (CA), San Jose State University (CA), Simmons College (MA), and the University of Baltimore (MD) have been named recipients of the 2007 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Faculty Career Flexibility. Each accelerator award of $200,000 will enable the institutions to expand and enhance flexible career paths for faculty.…The awards program is sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and conducted by the American Council on Education (ACE) with support from the Families and Work Institute.”