"Workplace Flexibility in the United States: The Current State of Play" posted by Katie Corrigan and
Jessica Glennis - 12 October 2009
In the United States this October, we’re recognizing National Work and Family Month – a time to raise awareness around the work/life conflicts experienced by millions of Americans across professions and income levels. And we at Workplace Flexibility 2010 (WF2010) are using that designation to further amplify our message to policymakers, advocates, business groups, employee representatives, labor unions and other crucial stakeholders – that now is the time to develop a comprehensive workplace flexibility policy that works for both business and families.
Why is a National Work and Family Month necessary?
For most Americans, the reality of today’s economy is that both members of a couple must work full-time. The result is that workers are struggling to succeed in the workplace while also fulfilling serious personal responsibilities – be it caring for a sick child or parent, obtaining advanced training in order to move up, attending religious services, or even seeing a doctor to address a health crisis. But the structure of the American workplace has failed to adjust to that dramatic shift in the demographics of our workforce.
We believe workplace flexibility – from compressed workweeks and telecommuting to phased retirement and extended time off – will be a crucial tool in the next decade for both employers and employees. It can help workers meet the often competing demands of work and personal life – while also supporting the development of more productive, efficient workplaces and a stronger, more resilient economy.
Indeed, despite concerns that the global recession would cause employers to limit or eliminate workplace flexibility, new data from the Families and Work Institute reveals that 81 percent of employers are maintaining current levels of flexibility, and 13 percent have actually increased the flexibility they offer. As we chart a course toward economic recovery and expansion, employers are recognizing that workplace flexibility can be an important tool for increasing their competitive advantage in the 21st century economy.
What is WF2010 doing to make a difference?
WF2010 has been working over the last several years to develop a broad range of policy options for expanding workplace flexibility – in a manner that works for both employers and employees:
In the spring, we released a Public Policy Platform on Flexible Work Arrangements – a comprehensive set of policy solutions to expand Americans’ access to flexible work arrangements such as compressed workweeks, predictable schedules, and telecommuting. We developed this report with extensive input from employer, employee and consumer representatives – and it provides a detailed blueprint for the White House, Congress and other policymakers to build on innovative workplace flexibility strategies and provides numerous examples of effective business practices.
This fall, we have been looking closely at the role Flexible Work Arrangements can play in improving job quality for low-wage workers and increasing workforce stability for employers across a range of industries, occupations and work schedules.
At the same time, we are continuing to examine the need for Time Off experienced by employees across professions and income levels at one or more times during their working lives. More specifically, we are examining financing mechanisms for providing employees with Time Off – and at whether policy approaches can provide job protection for employees who must take Extended Time Off from work.
We are thrilled to see a renewed, rich policy dialogue happening now in Washington on these very issues – dialogue that is moving us away from the longstanding political stalemate around labor and employment law and moving us toward solutions that can make a difference for both employers and employees.
What’s happening on Capitol Hill?
On Capitol Hill, a Bipartisan Senate Study Group was formed by six Senators interested in taking a closer look at the data on the need for workplace flexibility – and in discussing potential bipartisan solutions that can address that need.
In addition, the Obama Administration has made work/life balance a priority – and is addressing policy concerns in this area through the White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families, in conjunction with the White House Council on Women and Girls. Among other policy proposals, the White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families is now considering the merits of several bills designed to provide all American employees with access a minimum number of sick days.
First Lady Michelle Obama has raised the profile of issues at the intersection of work and family tremendously. In the spring, at a Corporate Voices for Working Families event, Ms. Obama called for a broad, national conversation on how we can best support working parents – particularly through policies providing paid sick leave, increased maternity leave, and flexible work arrangements.
The final word …
We could not agree more with Ms. Obama on the need for a high-level, national conversation on the dramatic changes that have taken place in our workforce – and on the need to shift the structures of our workplaces to meet the realities facing working families today. Our goal is to spur that conversation forward – toward common-sense public policy solutions that will weave workplace flexibility into the fabric of the American workplace.
Katie Corrigan (Co-Director) and Jessica Glennis (Communications Director), Workplace Flexibility 2010, Georgetown Law, Washington, DC, USA
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