May 6, 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
Family-Friendly Work Pays Off for Kids
“A flexible work arrangement makes it easier to meet the challenges of parenting. Parents often face significant challenges in creating a family-friendly work arrangement. Lori K. Long wrote the book on this subject: "The Parent's Guide to Family-Friendly Work" (Career Press, 2007). "I don't have creative scrapbooks, well-organized closets or homemade meals every night," Long writes. "I've put homemaking on the back burner. Instead, I have a career that I find fulfilling, and I have quality time with my family." Long recommends: Use your family time carefully. Commit to only one volunteer organization at a time, preferably one that doesn't require too much time. Don't let your precious family time become a race to one kid activity after another. Let them pick one activity at a time. Avoid long commutes if possible. Take time to carve out some time for yourself. To find family-friendly work, you must find a family-friendly boss. Take control of your time so you do not waste precious time doing mundane things or working more than you need to when you could be spending time with your children.”
Four Stress-Less Tips for Working Moms: Managing Family and Work
“More often these days, dads are stepping in to take on parenting duties. A recent study by the Families and Work Institute found that fathers spend an hour more a day with their kids than dads did 25 years ago. Dad’s participation can come in especially handy when the kids get sick or when you just cannot make that parent-teacher conference. So when it comes to parenting, do not hesitate to share the load of responsibilities with your husband. Make Your Schedule Flexible. If you are feeling super stressed, ask your employer about rearranging your schedule so that you work four days instead of five, or have every other Friday off. This may incur a pay cut, but it might be worth it to strike that delicate balance between your career and kids.” Mentions Ellen Galinsky of the Families and Work Institute.
Net Expands Job Market for Stay-At-Home Moms
“Ever since women began entering the work force, mothers of young children have felt pulled between work and home. Today, U.S. Census data show that more than 5 million mothers are taking time out from their careers to stay home with their children. But many families find they need two incomes just to get by. At the same time, many highly educated women want to find a way to use their degrees. Now, as telecommuting and outsourcing become more common, many mothers find themselves closer to being able have it both ways…. Lesley Spencer Pyle, a 42-year-old stay-at-home mother in Houston, got the idea to launch HireMyMom.com after noticing how many companies were outsourcing work. An online matchmaking service, she thought, could connect other freelancing mothers with clients and help them avoid the work-from-home scams that flood the Internet.”
The Backward Plight of Working Women
“If you've been listening lately, the reasons for the tenacious wage gap between men and women in the 21st century have been dropped on the lap of working women. Women aren't paid equally because they have this nasty habit of giving birth. Or they "opt out." Or they choose jobs that let them get home before the kids' bedtimes. Or they don't know how to negotiate. The fault is not in our workplaces but in ourselves. The idea that the wage gap might be because of, um, sex discrimination seems soooo 20th century. In fact, the Supreme Court implied that Lilly Ledbetter's lower paycheck was her own fault because she didn't start investigating her employer for sex discrimination as soon as she started her job. As for the conductor of the Straight Talk Express? McCain said he was all in favor of equal pay for equal work, but that women don't need lawsuits, they need "education and training." So let's begin with a couple of basics.”
Business Women - Black or White, Republican or Democrat - Support Hillary Clinton For President
“Gender is not the only reason many of America’s women are actively endorsing the female candidate. Clinton’s policy positions on labor, education, healthcare and work-life balance are driving business women to support her campaign. Today, despite the progress women have made toward equality, they earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn, with women of color earning even less. Clinton has long been a champion for equal pay for women. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, of which Senator Clinton is an original cosponsor, would reestablish a fair rule for filing claims of pay discrimination based on race, national origin, gender, religion, age or disability. …Many women still assume the responsibility of primary caretaker for their children and elderly parents. For these working women juggling many responsibilities, Clinton’s plans to help families achieve a better work-life balance are especially appealing. She also plans to extend the Family Medical Leave Act, which enables new parents to take time off without loosing their jobs. …Clinton also promotes telecommuting by encouraging its use at federal agencies and planning to invest up to $50 million annually in local and state initiatives. Telecommuting provides flexibility for employees and allows employers to reduce increasing office space demands. If Clinton clinches the Democratic nomination in August, women—especially women in business-- will be largely to thank.”
Moms Not Opting Out of Work
“Whatever happened to the opt-out generation of moms? A few years ago, moms were supposedly dropping out, turned off by the rat race, to raise their children, at least according to some media reports. A quick glance at employment data shows moms did not drop out. The population of working moms with young kids has been stable in recent years - their labor force participation rate hovered around 76 percent in 2006 and 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The level is near the record high of 77 percent set in 2000, according to The New York Times. Author and feminist Amy Richards certainly doesn't believe there is an opt-out revolution. In fact, she wrote "Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself."
New Heights: McMasters Will Be Clifton Gunderson's Next CEO
“In a little more than one year, Krista McMasters will become chief executive officer of Clifton Gunderson LLP, a certified public accounting and consulting firm currently headquartered in Peoria, Ill. When she takes the helm of Clifton Gunderson on June 1, 2009, the company’s headquarters will be shifted to Milwaukee and McMasters will become the first woman to lead one of the 25 largest CPA firms in the country…. Flexible scheduling has played a crucial role in the company’s ability to retain talented women, she said. “If we had not embraced flexible work arrangements, it would be very difficult to develop women into leadership roles in the firm,” she said. “It’s just difficult for them to balance (their lives) in a traditional schedule from January to April because that’s where a significant portion of the work takes place.” Several high-level female employees use the flexible scheduling. …The task force is examining how the company can stay connected better with women who are out on maternity or other leaves of absence, McMasters said.”
Senate Aging Committee Leaders Introduce Bill Allowing Phased Retirement Under Narrow Circumstances
“Employers would be able to offer phased retirement programs to their employees under Senate legislation introduced this week, but they would not be able to limit the groups of employees eligible to participate. The Incentives for Older Workers Act (S. 2933), introduced by Sens. Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Herbert Kohl (D-WI), contains a number of provisions seeking to keep older workers in the workforce. Sens. Smith and Kohl are the Ranking Republican and Chairman, respectively, of the Senate Aging Committee, which has conducted several hearings on this need. The bill's phased retirement provisions would allow employers to have phased retirement programs allowing retirement-eligible employees to have access to their pension benefits without having to leave their employer.”
When Starting A Business at Age 75, One's Exit Strategy Matters
“In addition, economists say, there is a recent trend in corporations to outsource services they used to do themselves. Some retirees work as self-employed contractors, selling their former employers such services as delivery, computer support, training or printing. Economists agree that older workers are more likely than younger ones to be their own bosses. In a 2005 analysis of people age 50 and over who were active in the work force, Boston College's Center on Aging & Work found that 17 percent were self-employed (versus 12 percent of younger workers), and 9 percent owned a small business (versus 5 percent of younger workers). Experts say that it appears that the number of retired people starting businesses is growing…. But there is one thing that older entrepreneurs lack: time.”
Keep Pace With Older Workers
“88 percent identified integrating multiple generations of workers as the most significant business risk of employing older workers. One reason: They fear equity issues will arise among younger workers should they give older employees privileges such as flextime. Yet, a minority of companies that actively court older workers offers all employees special treatment—flextime, telecommuting, compressed and reduced schedules, and more. Further, companies that successfully integrate older workers into their workforces discover that other generations may have different priorities, but that the changes they put in place for their 55-to-64 cohort resonate with everyone.” Mentions Marcie Pitt-Catsouphes of Boston College’s Center for Aging and Work.
Recognizing the Wind of Change
“Outsourcing itself may not be a new trend, but there's something happening in this industry that is: Companies are taking another look at homeshoring. The emergence of work-at-home agents (WAHAs) gives companies access to a highly qualified workforce in the U.S., such as stay-at-home moms, semiretired professionals, and the disabled. In the destinationCRM.com article "Please Hold While I Answer the Doorbell," Senior Editor Marshall Lager covered the growing WAHA trend, noting that, between now and 2012, the number of home-based customer service agents will increase at a compound annual growth rate of 36.4 percent, one of the strongest expansion levels of any outsourcing market sub-segment.”
Blogs
Maternal Profiling - People Are Talking!
“And let's be clear: no parent is asking for the moon here from their employers. No one is expecting special treatment. Heck, almost every other country in the world manages to provide family-friendly benefits like paid family leave, and the world economy isn't on the brink of collapse (well, not due to that!). So it's not impossible. We just need a shift in corporate culture and in the laws of the land (that's all!). A shift that recognizes that society does not rest solely on the fourth quarter earnings of a corporation. And let's recognize that employees don't come from nowhere-- we were all born to someone, raised by someone. Maybe come home to someone who shares our life. Those someone's are our family. Bottom line: We cannot expect society to keep rolling along as usual if we don't acknowledge the reality of the time and effort of child-rearing. Raising kids is work. It's labor that takes time like any other job -- even if you have a paid outside job, even if you have paid childcare. Whether you're working and have kids in childcare or are a full-time parent, you know that the work of parenting is as much labor as any job. And it's worth just as much, at least. It's time our society came to grips with that fact. So the more mainstream media tells it like it is, the better chances we have of developing a work culture in this country compatible with -- instead of working against -- family life.”
Out of Office: How Long Should Maternity Leave Take?
“Plenty of other parents have offered advice. Many say, take as long as you can. Others advise playing it by ear, to see how my husband and I adjust to being new parents and our son’s sleeping habits. A few have said that after being a part of the work world for so long, I may grow quickly bored at home. A friend admitted that she was glad that her firm offered just three months paid leave — any longer and it would have been too difficult to pull herself away from her baby girl. There are also professional considerations: Some mothers don’t want to disconnect too long from the workplace. In a post about returning to work from maternity leave, a few readers remarked that they checked email from time to time while they were away. Former Morgan Stanley co-president Zoe Cruz was back at the office “within a few weeks” after giving birth. One expecting mother I recently spoke with was concerned that taking the six-months of unpaid leave offered at her company would signal to her managers that she wasn’t serious about her job. Clearly, how long to take off is an intensely personal issue. Of course, what makes it tricky is the finances. My employer allows up to nine months leave — unpaid. But that’s not an option for my family, and we’re not alone: For many, taking unpaid leave, like the 12 weeks guaranteed through the Family Medical Leave Act, is simply not tenable.”
Work/Life Nation: The Great Merge
“A new perspective on Work/life Culture is emerging. A new multi-faceted vision of how we work, live and thrive in our 24/7 world. The working and living experience, separated for so long, have merged. We have become part of a Work/Life Nation, thus the new title of my newsletter - Work/Life Nation, the release of Work/Life Nation media programs, and the re-launching of JudyMartinSpeaks.com. …As part of this emerging culture of awareness that is reaching critical mass, many are feeling an urgent call to live and work from a deeper sense of alignment, meaning and purpose. It's challenging to stay grounded in the world, while living up to our highest potential in a competitive marketplace and an ever changing workplace. The WorkLife Monitor Blog continues as the news and opinion venue of all things worklife, but I felt it was time to share the work of so many people who are the innovators on the cutting-edge of worklife culture in new ways and in new mediums such as radio.”
Reports & Surveys
Older Workers: Uncle Sam Wants You!
“It seems that about one-third of the federal workforce will become eligible to retire between now and 2012, according to a report by the General Accountability Office…. The report notes that, “Overall, the federal government already has a number of characteristics that appeal to all employees and is making progress toward becoming a model employer of older, experienced workers. For example, federal employees can telecommute, work flexible hours, and receive health and retirement benefits that older workers find especially attractive.” One agency, the Social Security Administration, which is said to be in danger of losing a “substantial portion” of its workforce to retirement, has been offering “recruitment, retention, and relocation bonuses” to lure workers.” This GAO report was released and presented as testimony to the Senate Special Committee on Aging’s hearing last week, at which Workplace Flexibility 2010 Co-director Chai Feldblum also testified. Click here for the GAO report released on April 30, 2008 (PDF).
Global News
Extended Parental Leave Bad for Business
“Research commissioned by Citrix Online shows that there are still concerns over government plans to extend parental, leave and parents and employers would prefer to introduce flexible working options. Parents also voiced worries over government plans to extend maternity leave from 39 to 52 weeks and give fathers the right to up to 26 weeks paternity leave with statutory pay, if the mother returns to work. Almost half of all dads (46 per cent) and 44 per cent of mums believe that taking extended leave would negatively impact their career. The majority of dads say that the ability to work from home would make the most positive difference to family life in the first year of their child’s birth, rather than taking extended paternity leave, with 87 per cent saying they would choose to ditch the daily commute over receiving a pension and an annual bonus.”
The Rise of The 'Mommy Wars'
“Meg Wolitzer, author of The Ten-Year Nap, a new novel about women who leave the workplace to care for their children, says the one-time noble goal doesn't always work out in real life - and that is not a bad thing. "Having everything is one of those cringe-worthy concepts that sound better than they actually are," Wolitzer said. "Is the point of life to amass a big jackpot? I think the point is the stuff that happens along the way." Wolitzer, 48, was brought up by a feminist mother, writer Hilma Wolitzer, who was adamant that women could have everything they wanted. So she was fascinated by the number of women now opting to stay at home rather than pursue the career paths chiselled out by their feminist mothers and grandmothers, sparking the rise of "mommy wars" between women who worked and those who stayed home.”
A Vanishing Workforce
“Whilst young professionals are always looking for challenges and change, and the inevitable brain drain, the older professional is more stable and dependable. “This is a population of workers who are not interested so much in moving around but content with stability,” he adds. “This generation shows a strong demand for working beyond retirement for financial reasons as much as them wanting to use their skills and experience,” he says. He adds that in order to reintroduce them to the workforce it is important to enforce widespread changes in employer’s practices relating to training, retention and recruitment.”
For Those Over 62, The Shape That Re-Employment Could Take
“Due to kick in by 2012, the law will require bosses to offer re-employment to workers up to age 65, and later, up to 67. The Tripartite Implementation Workgroup [TWIG], formed last October, has laid down some "good practices that employers should consider adopting"…. The workgroup also advised employers to offer performance bonuses, gain-sharing incentives or one-off bonuses, "where appropriate", to "incentivise and motivate these employees to perform well". Finally, companies are asked to accommodate the needs of older workers, such as re-assigning them to modified jobs or having flexible work arrangements. While the advisory does not necessarily dictate what will be implemented – companies' feedback will help shape guidelines to be issued next year, which in turn will serve as the basis for drafting the re-employment law – security officer Mr Jeyasingam, 56, said it "makes straightforward and clear what is to come."