October 14, 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
Workers quite in droves; Atlanta jail trying 12-hour shifts
“Atlanta corrections officials have come up with an unconventional plan to slow the exodus of officers leaving the department. Twelve-hour shifts. Not every day, officials say. The plan is to have officers work 12 hours on three consecutive days and then have at least two days off. Chief Frank Sizer believes the shifts will reduce overtime and give officers more time off, particularly on weekends. “We’re hoping that it will [improve] retention rates and [reduce] sick leave,” Sizer said in a telephone interview.”
Inducing the Labor Vote
“Working women deserve pay equity and all workers need family-friendly policies to help balance their work and home lives. Barack Obama supports equal pay for equal work and has vowed the full adoption of paid-leave systems, pledging to create a $1.5 billion fund to assist all 50 states with costs-incurred. John McCain has opposed pay equity measures in the Senate, saying he believes women simply need more training to achieve equal pay. While McCain supported the unpaid Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, he opposes the expansion of coverage.”
A Perfect Match
“Generation Y, Millennials, Echo Boomers, the Net Generation. Whatever you call them, there are about 75 million people ages 16 to 29 in the U.S. -- and small businesses have a unique opportunity to get the most out of them. Why? Because of their size and structure, small companies are well positioned to offer Gen Y job seekers exactly what they're looking for. For this generation, a good workplace environment is vital, often more so than salary or a company's name recognition. They want meaningful responsibility, continuous feedback from managers and peers, an active say in what goes on and a good work-life balance. It's much easier for small companies to offer that kind of flexibility and personal touch -- which means they can land the talent they need for a relatively cheap investment.”
Pa. nurses gain victory in long drive to ban forced O.T.
“Pennsylvania nurses breathed a collective sigh of relief last week with the passage of a bill banning mandatory overtime at all health-care facilities in the state. The bill, which took seven years to pass, ensures that nurses and other caregivers will not be forced to work double shifts - a common practice at hospitals and other facilities, and one that can be dangerous for nurses and patients alike. According to a 2004 study by University of Pennsylvania researcher Ann Rogers, the risk of medical error was as much as three times higher when a nurse worked a shift of 12 1/2 hours or longer.”
Family, friends help Obamas juggle kids, campaign
“When class lets out for Michelle and Barack Obama's two daughters, their grandmother is there to pick them up. When 10-year-old Malia needs her hair done in the two-strand twist style she likes, a family friend brings a beautician to the Obama house. And when Michelle Obama and her husband both recently campaigned out of town, their girls stayed with another friend who regularly shuttles 7-year-old Sasha to ballet class. Like countless other working parents, the Obamas rely on a close group of friends and family — especially Michelle's 71-year-old mother — to help juggle home life and work. The Obamas' jobs may be more high-profile than most, but those close to them say many of the everyday challenges are the same as when she worked as an administrator at a Chicago hospital and he was just another U.S. senator: shuffling the girls to play dates, piano lessons, drama, ballet and soccer games.”
Working Mother's '100 Best' shows family-friendly has come a long way, baby
“Twenty-three years ago, when Working Mother magazine started evaluating companies for their family-friendly practices, the list was slim. There were probably about 10 firms on it, said Jennifer Owens, special projects director for the magazine. "And the whole concept of benefits for working mothers was a (baby) shower," she recalled. Women's co-workers would get together, give the mother-to-be lots of adorable gifts, then hope she returned to work as soon as possible. American companies - and the mothers that work for them - have come a long way since then.”
The art of mentoring, modernized
“As part of intensive efforts to retain institutional knowledge at American Express Co., exiting employees enrolled in a new phased retirement program are mentoring their successors. As well, those joining a new retiree network can volunteer to mentor younger employees. People are paired according to their area of expertise. The initiatives, both launched this year, arose in part from employee suggestions.”
Firms Squeeze it all into 4 days
“The advent of flextime put an end to the 5 o'clock exodus. If the four-day workweek takes hold, Friday happy hours could get a lot harder to plan. Condensed workweeks typically allow employees to work four 10-hour days in exchange for a third day off each week, with Friday being the most popular. Elsewhere in the U.S., firms and governments have adopted the policy to help with commuting costs. That's not as big an issue in New York, since mass transit is the norm. Here, a growing number of small businesses are allowing four-day schedules to attract and retain workers seeking more flexibility, or to save money on operations. As the recession deepens, firms may consider a companywide shutdown one day a week in an effort to avoid layoffs.”
Proposed sick leave ordinance raises legal, business questions
“A proposed ordinance, which would require all non-government employers in the city of Milwaukee to provide up to nine days of paid sick leave annually, has some attorneys feeling a little queasy. The referendum will appear on all Milwaukee ballots on Nov. 4. If approved, it could cause clients of local employment law attorneys to scramble to dramatically help companies alter policies to comply with the new mandate. [. . .] Backer and other attorneys, who primarily represent employers, suggested that the ordinance as written could generate litigation regarding documentation and usage of sick leave, along with questions about how unionized trades can legitimately fold the mandate into current collective bargaining agreements.”
Blogs
"No, mommy, you're not going to work!"
“My son is in an interesting stage these days. We had few of the typical two-year-old tantrums and stresses, but as he’s turned three, he’s become more demanding and opinionated. And he’s made clear that he’s quite independent and knows what he wants to do. In some ways, I’m happy to see his little personality developing and shining through. But with this spirit has come a sense of time and place, along with a common, unpleasant refrain. When I drop him off at day care, he grabs onto my leg and says, “No, mommy, you’re not going to work!” Sometimes his demand is followed by tears, sometimes by a plea to stay and play and sometimes he’s over it quickly and runs off with his buddies at day care. This morning, he told me he would put me in time out if I went to work — as if it’s a punishable offense. On the teary days, I stand outside the door and am relieved to hear that he is fine within a minute. On Saturdays, he wakes up telling me it’s not a work day, that it’s a family day.”
Telecommuting Our Way Out of the Downturn
“Here’s some advice for businesses looking to cut costs because of the down economy: Shut down the office. Letting workers telecommute can increase productivity and save money. That’s according to CompTIA, a technology-industry group. Telecommuting is one of those double-edged swords. On one hand, it increases flexibility for workers. But we’ve also seen studies that say telecommuters make work uncomfortable for the folks who still go to the office.”
The Parenting Vote
“Ask people with children what most shapes their worldview, and being a parent would likely be high on the list. And yet we don’t make our political decisions as “parents,” don’t base our vote on the candidates views of how to help families juggle life and work, don’t see parents as an interest group. It’s not that there hasn’t been a lot of talk about parenting in this election. But it has been mostly about the candidates as parents.”
Obama and McCain on Work and Family: What Do They Actually Stand For?
“Despite the fact that over 20,000 working families asked that these questions be posed in the national debates (thank you, MomsRising), we've heard nothing at the debates. Today, Families and Work Institute (FWI) released full notes from conference calls it convened with policy leaders from both the Obama and McCain campaigns. Why should we care about "work life" issues when our savings and retirement funds are literally halving by the day? Because "work life," as nondescript as it may sound, is the stuff that keeps American families afloat. Work life refers to issues ranging from sick leave to health care to early education and child care. It also encompasses flexibility and better work-life balance, which have strong effects on companies' bottom lines and employee productivity. The economic crisis has overshadowed the fact that this is the first-ever Presidential campaign in which both nominees have formally articulated how they would support work life issues. These issues don't go away just because our mutual funds are empty; they become more important than ever.”
Global News
More is less if life becomes a tyranny of tasks
“HEALTH PLUS: Divisions between personal and work time, while essential, are being eroded. IT SHOULD be so simple. Life should be easier. With technology removing the burden of many manual and mental tasks, energy should be higher, time should be greater and space created for what is important to us. But this has not happened. It would seem that we are more mentally tired, more physically exhausted, more socially stretched, more stressed about work, more time-tied and with higher expectations of ourselves than ever before. Life has not got easier.”
Law firms 'losing talent over hours and work-life balance"
“A long-hours and “jacket on the chair” culture in City law firms is draining talent from the legal profession, according to new research to be published this week. A study of 13 top City law firms to be presented by Baroness Scotland of Asthal, the Attorney-General, shows that law firms are still suspicious of home-working and of employees who want a healthy “work-life balance”. And despite some reforms in recent years that allow a degree of flexibile working, the present economic climate now threatens to turn the clock back, the study says.”