February 3 , 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
Michelle Obama crafts policy agenda
“Obama has been working to shape her new role and now appears poised to continue some of the outreach she did during the campaign — to women and, especially, to working women. [. . .] The biggest clue so far about the first lady’s likely role was her appearance at a recent bill signing for legislation that makes it easier for workers to sue over gender-based pay discrimination. In brief remarks, Obama called the legislation ‘one cornerstone of a broader commitment to address the needs of working women who are looking to us to not only ensure that they’re treated fairly, but also to ensure that there are policies in place that help women and men balance their work and family obligations without putting their jobs or their economic stability at risk.’”
Yale moms balance babies, the checkbook
“For expectant mothers on Yale’s staff, University policy provides leave benefits through two leave policies [. . .] Through these policies, an expecting mother with a normal childbirth could potentially take up to 34 weeks off to take care of her newborn. But since these leaves are all unpaid, four Yale-employed mothers interviewed by the News said they must use their personal, sick, holiday and vacation times — up to 52 days annually, plus rollover from previous years — to be paid during their time off. This often means these mothers must struggle to find the balance between child care and their full-time jobs, they said.“
Effort to Increase Parental Leave Benefits for Federal Workers Renewed
“A bill to provide four weeks of paid leave to federal employees after the birth or adoption of a child has been introduced in the U.S. Senate, a measure supporters say will boost recruitment and retention of younger workers for the government. Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), who introduced the bill Friday, called the matter "an issue of fairness for federal employees." The bill follows a similar measure introduced in the House on Jan. 22. Opponents have raised concerns about the cost of the measure, which the Congressional Budget Office estimates will be $850 million over five years. Supporters say the federal government lags behind the private sector, where 53 percent of U.S. employers provide some form of paid parental leave, according to Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), one of the sponsors of the House bill.”
Wall Street Crushes Retirement Planning
“A former economics journalist and recent retiree, Robert Lyle was caught short with too much of his savings in stocks. Now his retirement income is much less than what he had planned for. He wishes he had an old-fashioned pension instead of a 401(k).”
Calif budget talks resume as state delays payments
“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders resumed closed-door talks Monday in an effort to close California's $42 billion budget gap, with employee furloughs just days away and taxpayer refunds already on hold. State leaders are trying to strike a compromise on an annual spending plan as California runs dangerously low on cash reserves. Officials have already missed a self-imposed Feb. 1 deadline for a budget deal. The governor and lawmakers can't agree on a mix of tax increases and spending cuts to solve the deficit over the next year-and-a-half. They also disagree over whether the state should impose a spending cap and on elements of what they call an economic stimulus plan. Such a plan could include provisions for flexible work hours so businesses would save on overtime pay and regulatory rollbacks that Democrats fear will weaken existing environmental laws.”
Maternity leave policy lacking for U.S. moms
“Rarely does the conversation turn to the much more relevant issue of parental leave, despite the fact that the United States is one of four nations that does not offer paid leave to new mothers, according to a Harvard University survey of 168 nations. The other three are Papua New Guinea, Swaziland and Lesotho. Regardless of what side of the Dati issue you’re on, the French deserve some credit for maintaining a dialogue on maternity leave. For far too long, the United States has been content with having no parental leave policy. The closest thing we have is the Family Medical Leave Act, but that guarantees only unpaid leave for 12 weeks and is only available to employees who work for companies with 50 or more employees.”
Behind the scenes, Michelle Obama lays plan for policy role
“The Harvard-trained lawyer, community organizer and hospital executive offered a glimpse of what’s to come when her husband, President Barack Obama, on Thursday signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which gives women more legal standing to sue for pay discrimination. The first lady was in the audience, not at the president’s side — but she spoke at a private reception afterward. She told representatives of about 150 advocacy groups that the legislation is a ‘cornerstone of a broader commitment to address the needs of working women who are looking to us to not only ensure that they’re treated fairly, but also to ensure that there are policies in place that help women and men balance their work and family obligations without putting their jobs or their economic security at risk.’”
A Working Dilemma
“Working mothers face many stresses. Juggling child care and work responsibilities doesn’t always make for a balanced lifestyle – for mothers or their children. A new study by Dr. Christopher Ruhm, Jefferson-Pilot Excellence Professor of Economics, raises more questions, and possibly more worries, particularly for affluent mothers who work more than 20 hours a week. In a study published in the European journal Labour Economics, Ruhm looked at advantaged and disadvantaged working mothers and their 10- to 11-year-old children. He used variables that included education, ethnicity, marital status and income prior to pregnancy.”
Recent Reports
Making Work More Flexible: Opportunities and Evidence
“The organization of work in time and place has changed relatively little in theUnited States despite growing demands on families to manage increasingly complex health, retirement, and care arrangements. Many employers remain skeptical about the advantages of workplace flexibility. However, for U.S. industry to be competitive in a global market, employers and employees must find common ground on which to build a productive relationship that allows workers greater flexibility in where, when, and how they do their work while ensuring management that tasks will be completed and expectations will be met.”
Blogs
Fortune's 100 Best Companies: Myth or Reality?
“NetApp, Edward Jones, Boston Consulting Group and Google top Fortune's list of the 100 best companies to work for, which the magazine just updated for 2009. You can sort the list for best work-life balance, child care, pay and other perks or attributes. You can also look at which companies have over 350 job openings right now. Do you work for one of the top companies? Please write in and tell me what the reality is. So often, your immediate supervisor or management group has more to do with your job satisfaction than whether the overall corporation supports family-friendly policies. Indeed, the juiciest reading in this Fortune feature comes in the comments from people who actually work at one of the companies.”
Michelle Obama's Balancing Act
“Michelle Obama stepped into the policy spotlight as first lady on Thursday at President Barack Obama’s signing of the equal-pay bill. She hailed the legislation as symbolizing her and her husband’s commitment to policies that “help women and men balance their work and family obligations without putting their jobs or their economic security at risk.” How might Mrs. Obama bring her voice to issues of work-life balance? We asked some experts who have thought deeply about work and families what issues Mrs. Obama should elevate.”
Pregnant in the WNBA
“I was at the same time cheered and chagrined to read an article in the New York Times Sports Section last weekend (January 24) about WNBA star Candace Parker’s effort to balance career and family. I was pleased to read yet another example of a high achieving woman making choices about finding the right fit between parenting and professional life on her own terms. Over the past several months Americans have become familiar with a 40-something female candidate for Vice President who is the mother of five; a 30-something international film star and UN Goodwill Ambassador who is the mother of six; a newly appointed Senator from New York who is mother to two very young children; and now the 22-year old marquee star of the WNBA who is having a child in the early prime of her career.”
Global News
KPMG sweetens flexible work offer
“KPMG has softened the terms of a new cost-cutting flexible working programme in an attempt to tempt more of its 11,000 staff to sign up to the offer. The Big Four accounting firm asked its staff last month to volunteer for working either a four-day week with a proportionate pay cut or a sabbatical of up to three months on reduced pay. The deal is the first of its kind among the Big Four firms, all of whom suffered badly after the 1990s recession. During that period, they cut staff and froze recruitment, only to struggle to cope when the economic recovery arrived.”
Britain needs the wisdom of older workers more than ever
“Far from equipping the country better for the future, by ditching more experienced workers, we are piling up problems for the public finances - where there are plenty of problems already - and weakening corporate culture when it needs to be stronger. Add to that the human misery. According to a YouGov poll for the same Dispatches programme, 67% of those who retired at 65 said they felt forced to do so when they were not ready. These days, with falling markets and zero interest rates, they must cope not only with idleness but collapsing pensions - oh yes, and the ageism which even doctors report is rampant in the NHS as well. This has all the elements of a catastrophic policy failure. What's needed, as Age Concern says, is to scrap the retirement age and to allow people to keep working so long as they are fit and keen.”