News Roundup

Michelle Obama in Richmond

“Amid new anxieties over the economy, Michelle Obama said yesterday that Virginia women voting with their pocketbooks need a candidate who knows the economy is broken, not one who thinks it's "fundamentally fine."  "It is the economy and the strength of this economy that's going to be really critical to women," Obama, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, said in an interview with the Richmond Times-Dispatch.  "The economic issues are women issues," she said, after a discussion with women on economics and work-family balance at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.”

• http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-09-18-0181.html

Women still face many hurdles in the workplace

“But go no further than this year’s political arena to confirm that women still are measured differently. The pitch of their voices, what they wear, how they juggle work and child care, and their bodies still draw scrutiny in a way that’s not the same as for men.  Maybe it will forever be thus. Maybe nature dealt a hand that can’t be changed.  The fact remains that for all the talk of inclusion, diversity and nondiscrimination … for all the statistics about college and post-graduate degrees and hiring and promotion percentages held by women … there’s still something different.  We often hear about the double standard. That’s a facile claim, easily tossed out but not always backed up with facts. Some women get breaks precisely because they’re women. Others don’t.”

• http://www.kansascity.com/196/story/801956.html

Coping With the Empty Nest, or Enjoying New Freedom

“Empty nest. It sounds neat, spare and tidy, but it can be a messy time. When children arrive, they upend our routines, our sense of self and our work-to-life ratios. We expect that. But when those same children leave, everything goes topsy-turvy again, changing work and life in ways we might not predict.  Or so I am told. My own entrance into the emptying nest is a year away, and already I am stocking up on Kleenex. When my firstborn leaves, followed three years later by his brother, they will be off on a journey of self-discovery — and so will their father and I.   For years, I have squeezed work into a corner to make room for family life, vaguely aware of a parallel reality where my time might be my own. Will I fill that space with work again, or will the ability to concentrate lose its appeal once it is actually possible? Will it in fact be possible?”

• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/fashion/18Work.html?em

8 Secrets to Work-Life Success

“With all the talk about work-life balance, who's really finding it? What makes the difference between the people who find time for an enriching personal life and a successful career, and those who struggle in vain for balance, peace, and focus amid the madness?  Finding a balance is largely up to employees, rather than employers. A recent survey of chief financial officers by BDO Seidman and Work+Life Fit found that nearly all of the executives surveyed said work-life flexibility has a high or moderate impact on improving retention and recruitment, but only 39 percent said their organizations have formal policies for flexibility in place.”

• http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/careers/2008/09/17/8-secrets-to-work-life-success.html

Mercedes scaling back to four-day workweek at Vance factory

“Mercedes-Benz will shorten the workweek at its vehicle assembly plant in Vance to four days starting next month amid an industrywide sales slump that is forcing automakers across the spectrum to slash inventory.  Workers were told on Wednesday that the plant's day and night shifts will be canceled on Fridays starting in October and extending through the end of the year, according to an employee.  Officials told workers no layoffs are expected. They will be able to take vacation days to maintain their regular pay, and they also can sign up for limited nonproduction duties if they need to work, the employee said.”

• http://www.al.com/business/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/business/1221725708231050.xml&coll=2

Support This Bill

“Imagine the enormous difference it would make to our communities and nation if every American served for a year with a community-service group, nonprofit enterprise or faith-based organization. This month we're introducing in the Senate the Serve America Act, which provides funding and incentives for service programs, so that as many people as possible can serve at any or every stage of their lives. We want to make it feasible for many to devote a year or more to service. We've already seen lives change as Americans give their time and talents to service organizations. But we know much more could be done. It's time to encourage many more Americans to roll up their sleeves and volunteer in communities at home and abroad. Americans across the nation are beginning to answer this call, devoting one year or more to volunteer service and, in the process, changing the world.”

• http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/printout/0,29239,1840466_1840320_1840298,00.html

Retailers Reprogram Workers In Efficiency Push

“Retailers have a new tool to turn up the heat on their salespeople: computer programs that dictate which employees should work when, and for how long.  AnnTaylor Stores Corp. installed a system last year. When saleswoman Nyla Houser types her code number into a cash register at the Ann Taylor store here at the Oxford Valley Mall, it displays her "performance metrics": average sales per hour, units sold, and dollars per transaction. The system schedules the most productive sellers to work the busiest hours.”

• http://s.wsj.net/article/SB122100270555417001.html

Sick leave benefits praised

“The proposal to require all Milwaukee employers to offer paid sick days — set for a binding referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot in the city — will directly benefit more than 77,000 workers and save employers millions of dollars in turnover costs, according to a new study.  Conducted by the non-profit Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the study was released at a news conference Tuesday by 9to5, National Association of Working Women, the organization that’s leading the coalition to pass the measure. The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce opposes the measure. Steve Baas, government affairs director for the group, said he had not seen the study but disagrees with its conclusions.”

• http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=792887

A Legal Pitfall to Telecommuting

“As a lawyer and policy specialist, I am, not surprisingly, interested in the legal backdrop of our work-family policy issues. This week, I want to share news about one possible legal pitfall to telecommuting across state lines– the potential to be taxed twice on income by an employee’s resident state, in which the employee teleworks, and the state in which their employer resides.  As my colleague, Sandee Tisdale, has previously discussed on this blog, telecommuting is steadily gaining popularity as a practical business arrangement, especially with the surge in gas prices, an increased awareness of global warming, and the need to conserve energy. Moreover, telecommuting promotes, for many workers, increased work-life balance and engages employees that might otherwise not be able to work (e.g,. older and disabled employees).”

• http://wfnetwork.bc.edu/blog/a-legal-pitfall-to-telecommuting

Fitting Together the Puzle of Work and Family: Obama, McCain Platforms a Start

“When we try to fit together the pieces of the puzzle we call our work and family lives, often there's a piece missing, another ripped in half, or one whose place we simply cannot find. That's why everyone wants to know just how Sarah Palin does it, because we ordinary moms  with jobs that are less demanding and time consuming than those of Governor or Vice President still find it a struggle to do two full-time jobs: mothering and working. [. . .] It's worthwhile to note that the platforms of both Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama recognize the issue of work-family fit.”

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nanette-fondas/empeaceful-revolutionem-f_b_126969.html

Legal Considerations for the Four-Day Work Week

“Any employer considering a four-day work week should consider the possible legal implications before making the plunge. Four-day-work-week policies potentially invoke several employment laws that may impact the decision-making process.  So, prior to switching to a compressed schedule, read on for some thoughts on how such a switch may trigger obligations under the ADA, FMLA, NLRA, and other significant employment laws.”

• http://www.delawareemploymentlawblog.com/2008/09/legal_considerations_for_the_f.html

Keeping Them Happy With Less Pay, More Perks

“Second, this is a generation that values work-life balance. They saw their parents slaving away at jobs and had it explained to them that "quality" time was more important than "quantity." This generation is opting out of the 55+ hour work week that the Baby Boomer generation subscribed to. So if you can't reward them with money, reward them with time. If they complete a task or do a great job on a project, give them the rest of the day off. Allow them to work remotely on Fridays. As long as they are getting their work done, be flexible about their hours. Remember, time is a currency to Gen Y.”

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christine-hassler/retaining-young-employees_b_126690.html

Older, wiser and still working

“He says there are two groups of people who work beyond the standard retirement age. The first group love their job and feel they still have a lot to contribute — Donnellan, who was Ireland’s longest-serving detective, seems to fall into this category. The other group wants to avoid a big drop in income when they realise what their pension entitlements are.  Anecdotal evidence suggests there’s a growing number of people over 65 doing part-time work, for example security or caretaking. Timmons says phased retirement should be made available to Irish workers, as well as flexible working such as job sharing, so we make the most of the resources we have.”

• http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/jobs-careers/older-wiser-and-still-working-1477520.html

Mom at Work

“The notion of the "ideal worker" as essentially male and free of domestic responsibilities still permeates the thinking of many employers. This misconception fails to acknowledge that for many working women, trying to juggle unpaid work in the household, paid work, as well as parenthood, has created an inevitable "time squeeze" or "care crunch".  Combining paid employment with the demands of providing care to others is a growing workplace concern. The number of women entering the labour force has increased. There has also been an increase in the number of people in need of care: young children needing early childhood care, the elderly and infirm, and -- as a result of HIV/Aids -- those orphaned or ill. The state, with employers, has been slow to respond to the needs of employees as caregivers.”

• http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-09-18-mom-at-work

A fair compromise in the parental leave debate

“In the emotion charged world of social policy debate, nothing stirs up passions more than the ongoing argument over paid maternity leave. Stay-at-home versus working mums, feminism versus patriarchy, big business, big government, fertility and even super-sized mortgage repayments - this debate has it all. But the whirlpool of discussion boils down to one simple question: who pays?  Many submissions to the Productivity Commission's inquiry into paid maternity leave call for a 'minimalist' scheme of 14 weeks paid at the federal minimum wage. A short, universal, payment like this ensures that all new mums get the opportunity to spend at least the first few months of their baby's life as a full-time carer. It also won't require any significant new public spending, as existing benefits such as the Baby Bonus can be incorporated. “

• http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/18/2367689.htm

Flexibility rules in the modern workplace

“This year’s survey received responses from 500 employers accounting for more than a million staff, and ranged from manufacturing through retail and services to the public sector. More than 40% of respondents employed fewer than 200 people. And, as ever, there were some fascinating findings in the results.  One of the key trends in employment practice in recent years has been the growth in flexible working, driven partly by changing legislation and government pressure, but also by an increased determination by employers to keep good staff. And it is an issue that emphasises the differences between the labour market of 2008 and that of 10 years ago.  When we first asked about family-friendly policies in 1999, the only one achieving more than 30% take-up was part-time working, and many of the options that we include today, such as compressed hours, didn’t even register.”

• http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2008/09/17/flexibility-rules-in-the-modern-workplace-91466-21833514/

Women in govt service to get 3 yrs' child care leave

“The order, effective from September 1, increases maternity leave of women employees from 135 days to a cool 180 days for each of their two children. From now on, women employees can take paid leave up to two years (730 days) during their career for "taking care" of their two children without affecting their seniority.  Even if a woman has only one child, she can take the two-year leave. Termed "child care leave", this will be besides the maternity break they are entitled to. The new rules came into force on September 1.  Adding to the bonanza, a woman employee can avail of child care leave in any combination till her two children are 18 years of age. In line with the Sixth Pay Commission proposals, the new leave regime for women means that during their stint with the government, they can avail paid leave of as much as three years, provided they do it only for two children.”

• http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Women_in_govt_service_to_get_3_yrs_child_care_leave/articleshow/3487022.cms