April 14, 2009 .
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
EDITORIAL: Paid sick leave bill is well intentioned but, its provisions are too broad
“If you are sick, you should not go to work. Aside from not being able to do your job well, you might infect coworkers or, if you work in a restaurant, your customers. Most employers recognize this by providing paid sick leave to workers. However, a substantial minority of workers do not have paid sick leave. A bill being considered by the state legislature would require paid sick days for workers. It is an improvement over last year’s proposed legislation, which would have applied to businesses with 25 or more workers. This year’s bill would apply to businesses with 50 or more workers and excludes temporary or per diem workers.”
Panel: women hit hard by recession
“A packed room of SIPA students heard grim prognoses on the current job market, work-life balance, and the gendered nature of professional stress as Sylvia Hewlett, director of SIPA’s Gender Policy Program and founding president of the Center for Work-Life Policy, outlined the effects of the recession on women. She said that although men and women had both experienced an increase in stress levels at work, women were more likely to quit their jobs as a result. Working longer hours in increasingly high-pressure environments puts women at “flight risk” due to the imbalance it introduces into their relationships and childcare responsibilities, according to Hewlett.”
Weighing Furlough vs. Layoff
“Window maker Pella Corp. has been battered by the construction downturn. Rather than lay off some workers, executives in February ordered 2,400 hourly employees to take rotating weeklong furloughs. A week earlier, newspaper publisher A. H. Belo Corp. rejected furloughs and laid off 500 employees, more than 14% of its work force. "The revenue trends we continue to experience simply do not support or require the same number of people as we have previously employed," Chief Executive Robert Decherd wrote in a letter to employees. [. . .] Amid the steep job losses, some managers and advisers are touting alternatives to layoffs, including furloughs, pay cuts and reduced workweeks. Some economists say these alternatives slow the recession's downward spiral by preserving jobs, albeit at lower wages.”
Longer Unemloyment for Those 45 and Older
“The recession’s onslaught has come as Mr. Sims and many others belonging to the baby boom generation remain years from retirement. But unemployed baby boomers, many of whom believed they were still in the prime of their careers, are confronting the grim reality that they face some of the steepest odds of any job seekers in this dismal market. Workers ages 45 and over form a disproportionate share of the hard-luck recession category, the long-term unemployed — those who have been out of work for six months or longer, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. On average, laid-off workers in this age group were out of work 22.2 weeks in 2008, compared with 16.2 weeks for younger workers. Even when they finally land jobs, they typically experience a much steeper drop in earnings than their younger counterparts.”
CEO of Me Inc.
“Krissy Laubach is a perfectionist. By her own account, the 21-year-old George Washington University senior has been pushing herself for years -- to earn good grades, hold down jobs and internships and join the leadership ranks of her sorority. So when Krissy was assigned to analyze her skill at balancing work and personal life as part of a unique women-focused business class this spring, she found ample material. "I pushed myself to the point of exhaustion but always managed to convince myself that I was not doing enough,'' she writes in a self-analytical case study. "Many times I would experience panic attacks, convinced that any free time in my schedule would ultimately lead to failure in my future." In her relentless drive, Krissy has much in common with the 21 other young women enrolled in Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership, a course that highlights the different ways in which men and women confront business challenges. At its heart is an exploration of work-life balance, an issue that will become crucial for these students later, when child care and other demands drive some women out of the workforce and slow others' ascent.”
$80,000 for a Year Off? She'll Take It!
“Only in a financial world turned upside down would an arrangement like this one make sense. Looking to cut costs like everyone else, but not prepared to lay off employees, Skadden has chosen instead to offer all of its associates — about 1,300 worldwide — the option of accepting a third of their base pay to not show up for work for a year. (So far, the partners have no equivalent arrangement.) [. . .] Only at a corporate law firm would the managers underestimate employees’ interest in taking a year off from the grind for what most of America would consider a small fortune.”
Work and Family in Oregon
“Oregon lawmakers don't need the business lobby's blessing to pass a landmark program for paid family leave. They should seek it anyway -- or at least address a nagging concern about creeping costs. If they do, they'll fix a potential fatal flaw in an otherwise rock-solid idea. Oregon may soon become the fourth state to pass paid family leave, if the Legislature approves the worker-funded insurance program this session. Under Senate Bill 966, workers could take paid time off to care for a new child or seriously ill family member. The benefit would piggyback on existing laws governing unpaid leave, with a few exceptions. The weekly $300 checks would last no more than six weeks at a time, while unpaid leave can last longer. Also, workers could use paid leave only for extended caregiving, not for personal sick time.”
Utah Finds Surprising Benefits in 4-day Workweek
“Last summer, amid surging gas prices, Utah became the first state in the nation to mandate a four-day workweek for state employees. A recent assessment of the program by state planners found the expected energy cost savings haven't materialized, but there have been unexpected boosts to productivity and worker satisfaction. Sonia Smith is one of the 18,000 state workers who began a four-day, 10-hour workweek eight months ago. At first, she says, she was shocked and scared about the change. The state accountant is a single mom, and she worried about child care for her 10-year-old son. Now, Smith is a champion of the switch.”
Blogs
Men Are Idiots to Not Fight for Paternity Leave
“The chance to nap. The chance to ponder NBA playoff match-ups or your favorite baseball team's pitching rotation. The chance to hang out on a bench in the sun with a friend. Men. You are missing this. Thanks to the Swedish welfare state, I spent six months on paternity leave with my daughter last year. And I will be home with my son for nine or ten months next year. These are not times to be missed. Yeah, for all that bonding time with your kid. Yeah, because your family does mean that much more than your career (You know all the deathbed cliches? I suspect they are true). Yeah, for equality in the marriage and family and society. Yeah, to set a good example.”
Flexibility: A Research Wish List
“I’m usually out in the trenches, talking with employers about flexible work practices or others who monitor their attitudes. As I hear their questions and hunt for answers, I notice some that seem to not yet have been answered. So, I pass them on to those of you who do research and discover answers so well. I should say up front that if anyone’s already doing this work, I’m eager to know about it. Let’s get the word out.”
How to Reward Gen Y Employees
“A common mistake made by well-intended employers involves how they reward employees. The value of rewards must be judged by a different standard. To be effective, the reward must be tailored to its recipient. When Boomers were on the receiving end of the rewards, it was common for the reward to involve more work. [. . .] Today, the new reward is balance. Reward Gen Y employees by giving what they want--flexibility. To celebrate a big success, allow the employee to set his own schedule for the week. If you know that your hard-working Gen Y is a late riser, change his schedule from 9 - 5 to 10 - 6.”
Law & Order: Family Responsibilities Discrimination Edition
Global News
Maternity pay seen as best for economy
“PAID maternity leave is a better way of stimulating the economy than the $900 bonus payments, a coalition of social welfare organisations says. Public support for such a scheme remains high, a poll commissioned by the groups finding 67 per cent of people surveyed want it to be announced as part of next month's budget. "People want to see it happening, and there would be strong support for it even in the current economic climate," said a spokeswoman for the National Foundation for Australian Women, Marie Coleman. The poll, conducted nationwide by Auspoll this month, found that of the 1700 people surveyed, 80 per cent believed paid parental leave was a better use of government money than the promised tax cuts to high income-earners.”
Mums heading back to work early as recession sets in
“SEVEN out of 10 stay-at-home mothers are heading back to work sooner than they planned because of money worries. According to a survey released today, a third of mothers who are not working plan to get a job as soon as possible, with 55% of those questioned saying they would be returning to work six to 12 months ahead of schedule. Lack of money and a fear of their partner being made redundant were the main factors pushing mothers back into work early.”