May 23, 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
The Joy of the Staycation
“I've always liked distant getaways, so the delicious ease of a stay-at-home vacation took me by surprise. I've since learned that other busy folks are discovering that time off doesn't mean heading off. There is comfort in vacationing in a place where the beds are soft and the company is good. Lois Backon, vice president of the Families and Work Institute, reports that 37% of U.S. employees take less than one week of vacation at a time. Many of those people are choosing to stay home, she says, "to be with family and friends they don't get to spend time with because of their hectic lives." The rising costs of plane tickets and gas make staying close to home even more appealing.”
Patterson: Work 4-Day Week
“1,600 Oakland County employees [would] be eligible for the plan Patterson announced at a news conference. Patterson said he plans to formally present the idea to county commissioners for their approval within seven to 10 days, and he hopes to see other elected officials consider it for their employees as well. "I think we are all painfully aware of the escalating price of gas at the pump," Patterson said at the news conference. "If I can cut your cost and drive time by 20%, I think that helps." Gas prices have risen to an average of $4 per gallon and are expected to continue to rise as the summer driving season approaches. The idea of a four-day workweek to conserve fuel is popular and could benefit employees, but it has to be monitored closely, according to business experts. "Four-day workweeks help worker morale," said Ellen Kossek, a professor of human relations at Michigan State University. "But management needs to learn to manage it, too." Kossek said the program should be piloted first to make sure it is workable, and it needs to be cost neutral by not creating additional need for overtime.”
Bill Seeks to End Salary Penalty for Rehired Retirees
“Bring back federal retirees for short-term projects. Bring them back as mentors. That was the message delivered by the Office of Personnel Management yesterday to a House subcommittee reviewing legislation that would remove a financial penalty for federal retirees who wish to rejoin the government. Currently, the salaries of retirees are reduced by the amount of their pension during their period of re-employment. In some scenarios, a retiree could return and be working for free. The Bush administration and some members of Congress, such as Reps. Tom Davis (R-Va.) and Kenny Marchant (R-Tex.), have proposed allowing agencies, on their own, to rehire federal retirees without a salary offset. Now, agencies must ask the OPM for a waiver to bring back a retiree.”
Wachovia Banks on Three-Year Leave Plan
“Under the Family and Medical Leave Act, companies are required to provide 12 weeks of extended unpaid leave to workers. But it’s good practice for employers to exceed the minimum whenever possible, says Kathie Lingle, executive director at WorldatWork’s Alliance for Work-Life Progress in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wachovia’s program is generous not only with the time employees can spend away from the workplace, but also with the definition of who is eligible for the extended leave. Traditionally, such initiatives are granted to employees who need to care for immediate family members. In Wachovia’s case, this has meant spouses, children, parents and domestic partners. The company broadened the parameters in January to include grandparents, siblings, grandchildren, in-laws and the parents of domestic partners.” Also includes quotes from Ellen Galinsky of the Families and Work Institute.
Blogs
Backup Childcare, Cubicle Doctor Visits: Keeping Workers Loyal, Happy
“When I left my previous job for this one, I was excited about the new work, but there was one corporate perk I was leaving behind that made me think twice: a free, on-site back-up childcare center that employees could use up to 20 days per year. It was perfect for unexpected daycare closures and odd school holidays. Colleagues cited the center as a reason for staying with the company. On other posts, Juggle readers have said that they stay with their employers because of health-care benefits or location.”
Incoming ATLA-NJ President Understands Balance
“I came across an enlightening article that describes the top two goals of incoming ATLA-New Jersey president Tommie Ann Gibney, one of which is to recognize the importance of balance and flexibility in the legal profession. The article is misleadingly titled “Woman targets victims' rights”, so I nearly passed it over. I'm glad I didn't, though, since Ms. Gibney offers great perspectives on an issue that is increasingly affecting the legal profession. From the Article: Gibney is in favor of flexible work schedules for men and women to give them time to care for children. "The business of law has to change to reflect the reality of the American family. It's inappropriate that women have to choose between a career and a family.”
$10 Gas! The National Work+Life Flex Strategy
“Some experts are beginning to predict that gas prices could climb as high as $10 a gallon in the next two to three years. However, all of the solutions under consideration, such as developing alternative sources of energy, will take years to have a meaningful impact and hold no guarantees. But there is one powerful solution that leaders could implement today. It would have a guaranteed positive impact, not only on the environment but also on the people and organizations using it—work+life flexibility. Isolated efforts have started such as the UK's Work from Home Day on May 15th, Houston's Flex in the City, and the state of Georgia letting employees work from home one day a week. But to have a meaningful impact, it needs to be broader. It needs to be national.”
Reports & Surveys
Study: Fewer Monetary Benefits, More Flexibility at Work
“While employers are slashing benefits to save money, they are using other tactics to try to retain workers, according to a study that will be released today in Philadelphia. In its "2008 National Study of Employers" the Families and Work Institute found that employees are more likely to stay on the job if employers provide flexibility in the workplace. The study also found that while employers are dealing with the faltering economy by cutting benefits, such as health care and pensions, that directly take away from the bottom line, programs that cost money but improve the quality of life at the workplace, such as on-site child care, are not being reduced. "Where they are cutting back is paid benefits," said Ellen Galinsky, the president and co-founder of the Families and Work Institute.” Click here to view a full a copy of report on the “2008 National Study of Employers” from the Families and Work Institute (PDF).
Are Successful Women Avoiding Motherhood?
“A new study from Washington & Lee University shows professional women are walking away from motherhood and marriage -- more than the general population. Law professor Robin Wilson's research makes up a chapter in a new book called "Rethinking Business Management." She says, while four-fifths of senior male lawyers have children, only two-thirds of senior women do, and there is a similar break from marriage. She looked at more than 100,000 people with at least a college degree, and found that women lawyers, doctors and MBA's are opting out of marriage at a higher rate than their male counterparts. When they do marry, women professionals have a harder time making it last. Joan Williams founded the UC Hastings Center for WorkLife law eight years ago. She's made a career of studying the problem of balancing work and life for women and men. "Professional men are much more likely to be married to homemakers or women who don't have the financial withdrawal to leave, even if they want or need to," says Williams. Wilson's research show that among women with a law degree, just shy of 6 percent have a stay-at-home spouse, versus nearly 40 percent of male lawyers.”
e-Book: Workplace Flexibility Means One Thing in the Private Sector, Another in Academia
“Workplace flexibility is simple to grasp in principle, but not always
as easy to define so that it’s clearly understood by managers in all sectors. In the fall of 2007, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation funded a working retreat on workplace flexibility that was proposed and organized by Alliance for Work-Life Progress at WorldatWork. For the first time, 30 leading practitioners from both higher education and private industry met with the sole purpose of defining workplace flexibility and sharing best practices, triumphs and challenges. While there were many similarities between the private sector and academia, there was one striking difference. Workplace flexibility in private industry still focuses primarily on scheduling flexibility (e.g., flex time, compressed workweeks, job sharing, part-time work or teleworking). By contrast, higher education institutions are working hard to provide career flexibility and the need to offer.” See this link for a complimentary copy of WorldatWork’s new e-Book, Workplace Flexibility: Innovation in Action (PDF).
Global News
The Case for Taking a Vacation
”On the spectrum of U.S. workers' efforts to secure paid time off, vacation historically has taken a backseat to sick days and leave for medical reasons and family caregiving responsibilities. But it's rising as a benefit that Americans want to protect, said John de Graaf, executive director of Take Back Your Time, a Seattle-based nonprofit that addresses overwork and time poverty. "We feel vacation time or the lack of it affects many Americans, and in many ways has a negative impact on our health," he said, noting that the U.S. spends 16% of its gross domestic product on health care but fares relatively poorly in international comparisons of life expectancy, infant mortality, chronic illness and obesity.”
Greater Workplace Flexibility Helps Beat Downturn
“The [UK Trade Unions Congress (TUK)] has described the current economic downturn as having the potential to be a catalyst for more flexible working, rather than an excuse to retreat from innovative working practices. Speaking at the annual Work Wise UK summit, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said that while there has been impressive progress in the availability of flexible working over the last few years, there are worrying signs that long hours are enjoying a cultural renaissance, along with unpaid overtime and wasteful commuting time. Recent TUC reports on work-life balance have found that in the last year alone, the ten-year decline in long hours working has stalled and then started to rise again, with 175,000 more people working more than 48 hours per week in 2007, compared to 2006.”
Women at Work Are Present Yet Unaccounted For
”As work-life consultant [Nora] Spinks explains, "presenteeism" refers to a condition in which employees are physically "there" and technically doing the work, but not 100 per cent engaged. "We haven't found a way to structure jobs where women feel supported and valued," says Spinks, president of Work-Life Harmony Enterprises. Her Toronto-based consulting firm works with government agencies and businesses to create flexible work environments better suited to accommodating employees' personal needs. On the bright side, Spinks says entrepreneurial opportunities for women are now extremely diverse. On the downside, despite the availability of more resources such as bank loans and mortgages, not every woman has the means – or desire – to start her own business. For women pursuing traditional career paths, the lack of opportunity to customize work arrangements to accommodate life's evolutions can cause significant stress.”
Spain's Defense Minister Becomes a Mother
“Spain’s first female defense minister, whose pregnancy became a symbol of Spain’s new commitment to sexual equality, began maternity leave Tuesday after giving birth to a boy. The decision to appoint Carme Chacón, 37, defense minister in April raised eyebrows in Spain, a traditionally macho society whose new sexual equality laws placed the country, at least on paper, at the vanguard of Europe. Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero named Ms. Chacón to Spain’s first female-dominated cabinet, in which nine of 17 members are women.”
Ivey Launches Leadership Renewal Program For Professional Women Returning to Work
“The Richard Ivey School of Business [The University of Western Ontario] today launched “ReConnect: Career renewal for returning professional women.” Sponsored by CIBC, ReConnect is the first executive development program in Canada specifically designed to help women step back into their careers with confidence. ReConnect is a seven-day immersion program that will renew critical business knowledge, provide leadership skills, and serve as an important stepping stone for professional women looking to return to the workforce. The course will be taught by Ivey faculty with ongoing participation from CIBC’s senior leaders. As the program’s Founding Sponsor, CIBC is providing $1 million over five years to fund program development, underwrite program costs for participants and provide financial assistance to ensure access to the program for women with financial need… According to a recent study by the Center for Work-Life Policy and the Harvard Business Review, more than one third of highly qualified women take a leave from their careers for a period of time. Of those women, 93% want to return to work, but only 74% succeed in doing so, and only 40% return to work full time.”