June 20, 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
Finding Balance: Study Explores the Best Family-Friendly Policies
Dr. Malcolm Smith • New Hampshire Business Review • June 20, 2008
“The Families and Work Institute, a New York-based national think tank focused on issues concerning work and family life, has just released an important piece of research [the 2008 National Study of Employers] for anyone striving to balance work and family life.”
Paid Parental Leave Act Passes House, But Faces Veto Threat
Simone Baribeau • Washington Post • June 20, 2008
“Under the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, federal and congressional employees would receive four weeks of paid parental leave after birth or adoption, or taking in a foster a child. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) would have the discretion to grant an additional four weeks of paid leave.”
Is There an Encore Career in Your Future?
Robert Powell • Wall Street Journal • June 19, 2008
“An estimated 6% to 9.5% of Americans ages 44 to 70, or as many as 5.3 million to 8.4 million people, are working in what are called "encore" careers -- careers that provide not just income but also purpose and meaning.”
Today’s Fathers Are Choosing to Be More Involved with Their Children
Stacy Downs • The Miami Herald • June 19, 2008
“Dad, you've always been great. But now, you're so much better. The proof is in the amount of time you spend with your kids. The typical dad devotes 6.5 hours per week to his kids, according to a University of Maryland study. That's still not as much as mom's 13 hours, but it's more than double the time fathers spent with children 30 years ago.”
Rochester Employers Earn Awards for Being Flexible with Employees
Jeff Kiger • Rochester Post-Bulletin, MN • June 19, 2008
“Sixteen Rochester area employers were presented with Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility on Thursday for their approaches to workplace flexibility. Flexibility means giving employees ways to adjust their work, schedules and other aspects of their jobs to better fit their lives.”
Show Up at Work... In Your Robe
Michelle Goodman • ABC News Online • June 19, 2008
“Thirty-three percent of U.S. companies allow employees to telecommute on a part-time basis, while 21 percent allow it full-time, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.”
How to Attract Generation Y
Jo Causon • CNN.com • June 19, 2008
“Research by the Chartered Management Institute looking at career needs and aspirations reveals a number of factors influencing the career decisions of younger managers. Clearly financial rewards will play a part in attracting fresh talent but, according to the figures, employers looking to attract Generation Y also need to focus on career development, working environment and values.”
More Workers Telecommuting, Seeking Closer Jobs
Frank Langfitt • NPR Morning Edition • June 18, 2008
"As gas prices hover around $4 a gallon, surveys show that more companies are making changes to help commuters cope. That includes more telecommuting and even condensing the work week from five days to four days of 10 hours each. Workers and employers are trying to cut fuel costs but still remain relevant in their workplaces."
Blogs
One Step towards Paid Leave for All
Rachna Choudry • MomsRising.org • June 19, 2008
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives got us one step closer to paid family leave for every working family in the country. Thanks to the grassroots efforts of organizations representing women and families everywhere—including MomsRising and the National Partnership for Women & Families —the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill guaranteeing paid parental leave to federal employees. The final vote was 278 to 146 in support of paid parental leave, and we applaud the Members of Congress that stood with our nation’s working families.
The Renewed Allure of Telecommuting
Marianne Kolbasuk McGee • CIO Weblog - Information Week • June 18, 2008
” With gasoline prices rising above $4 a gallon, a recent survey found that 40% of tech workers would willingly take a pay cut to telecommute. Meanwhile, more employers are apparently offering IT pros the choice to work remotely as a perk to attract hard-to-find skills. Is telecommuting an option you offer your staff?”
Who Has to Sacrifice What?
Skerrington • Jot and Tittle • June 17, 2008
“The best thing about my first real job after college was watching the two high-powered lawyers balance work and family life. They both had spouses and kids, so they both worked four days a week and used one weekday for volunteering at their kids' schools or otherwise helping to raise the kids. Every now and then they'd have to come into the office on that day, but most of the time it was no problem for them to "miss" a day of work because we planned around it, everybody knew not to expect them in on that day, and they could telecommute if they needed to. I wish that more companies would give their employees that kind of flexibility."
Work Life Balance, Work Life Integration
• Allen Snook • June 17, 2008
"You hear a lot of people talking about work-life balance, about the lack of it, about achieving it, about getting the balance right. I talk about it a lot too. About working hard to bound or restrict the time spent on the job so that there is time left over for family and friends and fun."
Reports & Surveys
2008 Met Life/Civic Ventures Encore Career Survey
• Civic Ventures • June 18, 2008
“A survey released today provides clues to a question with major implications for the American economy and the lives of millions: What will 78 million baby boomers do as they continue to work into traditional retirement age? The question was explored recently with more than 3,500 people between the ages of 44 and 70.”
Global News
Program Helps Women Return to Work
Sarah Treleaven • Working.com, Canada • June 20, 2008
“To address the struggle for women opting back into the workforce, the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London recently announced the launch of ReConnect, Canada's first leadership-renewal program aimed at women who have taken a pause or two in their professional lives. The program is similar to re-entry programs now being offered at business schools in the United States...”
New Class for Paid Parental Leave
Kitty Holland • The Irish Times • June 19, 2008
“Calls for the introduction of paid paternity and parental leave have been renewed following the publication of a report showing women still do the bulk of unpaid care and housework despite their increased participation in the paid labour force.”
Unruly Parental Leave Program Could Use a Spanking
Konrad Yakabuski • The Globe and Mail, Canada • June 19, 2008
“Quebec's parental leave program was as adorable as a chubby newborn when it was introduced in 2006. With vastly more generous benefits than its federal counterpart, it had prospective parents making a beeline for the bedroom and social policy advocates going gaga.”