Life Meets Work Blog

The federal government is expected to expand teleworking opportunities for federal employees.

John Berry at the Office of Personnel Management has announced plans for an expanded federal telework policy. Reportedly, he has support from President Obama.

The plan would create an advisory group, require agencies to submit telework polices for review, encourage agencies to appoint a ‘telework managing officer,’ and provide training to reduce management resistance.

“I was raised in the D.C. metropolitan area, so I know a little something about the traffic congestion that frustrates commuters and saps them of energy even before they get to the office,” Berry said in a press release.

The new policy is based on provisions in two telework bills introduced in 2009: the Telework Improvements Act (H.R. 1722), introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., and the Telework Enhancement Act (S. 707), introduced by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii.

Timing is right to push the new initiative as many in both business and government look to telecommuting as a way to maintain essential operations during a flu outbreak.

The initiative is also designed to make the federal government a more attractive employer and to support President Obama’s work-life objectives.

Posted by Jaime

The U.S. declared a public health emergency over Swine Flu yesterday. In New York, where more than 100 school children are likely infected (following a recent trip to Mexico), Mayor Michael Bloomberg told citizens to stay home if they feel even slightly symptomatic.

Stay home if you feel sick – it’s not really meant as “take care of yourself and get well” kind of advice. It’s a serious mandate meant to prevent a flu pandemic.

As a nation, we’re not accustomed to staying home for a measly sore throat. So what does that mean in the face of a potential swine flu pandemic?  How will we maintain productivity and essential services when a few achy muscles are supposed to keep us away from the office?

Flu outbreaks don’t have to be disabling if companies are set up to telework. The federal government has long incorporated teleworking in its business continuity plans:

“By helping support a distributed workforce, telework is a tool for emergency planning at all levels - from snowstorms that close offices in a region for a day or two, to pandemic influenza that may affect operations over the course of weeks or even months.” (Source: telework.gov)

Even in the face of a global flu pandemic, business CAN continue if your employees are equipped to log-in remotely.  To be successful, your company should have a telework program with as many staffers as possible equipped to work from home. The best way to test your system is to use it as a routine course of business, to ensure all tools are operational.

Get more tips to prepare your business for a flu pandemic from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management at telework.gov.  Tailored workplace flexibility plans are also available from Life Meets Work.

Posted by Jaime

Sun Microsystems made two big announcements this week. One we applaud and one we will be watching with trepidation.

First the good news:

Sun has received a 2009 Climate Protection Award from the Environmental Protection Agency, after cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 23% between 2002 and 2007–five years ahead of schedule. The company has set a new goal to cut an additional 20% by 2015.

The EPA is recognizing Sun for two major initiatives-–its flexible work program and its energy-efficient datacenter solutions.

Sun’s Open Work program gives employees the freedom to work wherever they want or need–at home, at a Sun offices, or in a café. As of December 2008, nearly 19,000 employees (56% workforce +) worked away from the office two or more days a week.

In 2007, the Open Work program prevented 31,000 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere and helped Sun to reduce its real estate holdings by 15 percent in that year alone.

Now for the worrisome development:

On April 20, Sun announced that it’s being sold to Oracle. What does that mean for flex? History says the outlook is dim. Yet Sun president and CEO Jonathan Schwartz seemed determined to assure his staff that company culture would remain positive. In an announcement to employees he wrote,

Having spent a considerable amount of time talking to Oracle, let me assure you they are single minded in their focus on the one asset that doesn’t appear in our financial statements: our people. That’s their highest priority - creating an inviting and compelling environment in which our brightest minds can continue to invent and deliver the future.

Maybe, just maybe, Oracle understands it is getting more than intellectual property.  Maybe it recognizes that Sun’s value extends far beyond its products and into its business processes. Maybe Oracle will adopt Sun’s award-winning, much publicized, eco-friendly Open Work program.

Maybe Oracle understands that “inviting and compelling” = flexible.

Posted by Jaime

NPR posted an encouraging report last week about Utah’s four-day work week for state employees. Six months in, analysts are finding “unexpected” boosts in productivity and worker satisfaction.

It seems the state was aiming for energy savings and got happy employees instead.

With 18,000 state employees on a mandatory 4-day work week, only about 20% are reporting dissatisfaction with the new schedule. Meanwhile, absenteeism and overtime are both down.

According to NPR, the state has cut energy consumption by 13% and is still striving to meet its 20% reduction goal. Still, an earlier report from the Associated Press indicates Utah is realizing is realizing other green benefits.

Reportedly, the initiative will cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 12,000 metric tons, reduce gasoline consumption among employees by 744,000 gallons annually, and pump as much as $3 million into the economy from workers who have to spend less on gas.

Notably, the state is also saving more than $200,000 on janitorial expenses.

Opponents argue that compressed workweeks limit productivity and increase accidents late in the work day. Other point to obvious day care difficulties for families with young children.

Utah state office are closed on Friday, meaning customers must get accustomed to conducting state business the first four days of the week. However, compressed work weeks are still an option for businesses that want to stay open five to seven days a week, provided schedules are staggered.

Check into your state laws for overtime and compressed work schedules before implementing any new policies. While federal law calculates overtime after 40 hours in seven days, some states require overtime after eight hours in a day. Examine objectives and company culture before introducing a compressed workweek option in your own company.

Posted by Jaime

NPR revisited the “babies in the workplace” story this morning (we blogged about similar news coverage last July), highlighting the family-friendly practices of WS Badger, a skin care company in New Hampshire.  The company, which has 40 employees, allows new parents who work in the administrative offices to bring their babies to work, up until six months of age.

According to the story, the U.S. Census reveals that ¼ of mothers quit their jobs after having their first child.  A “Babies at Work” policy is meant to ease a new mother’s anxiety about returning to work.

An executive from the Parenting in the Workplace Institute said that parents at baby-friendly companies return to work sooner, and that overall the company benefits from higher morale and lower turnover.

Reportedly, only 140 companies across the U.S. allow babies in the workplace.

Badger Balm was kind enough to post its baby-at-work policy details on its website. Notably, Badger compensates these staff members for 30 hours a week–anticipating that at least two hours of each day will be spend in direct child care. Parents are expected to track their time and make up for additional missed hours.

Posted by Jaime

A newly released report from CareerBuilder and USA Today reveals six employment trends. Among them:

#2 - Upgrading Talent Rosters - Twenty-three percent of employers said they are taking this time, when hiring has slowed, to replace lower-performing employees with top talent that may not have been available in a healthier economy. Job seekers who stand to benefit the most include those operating in sales, accounting/finance, retail and customer service.

Bad news for poor performers and bad news for companies that aren’t doing anything to keep their top staff engaged. Your best performers are also the most mobile. Do what you can now to keep those employees connected and engaged.

Don’t believe it? Check out this story from World at Work:

The fast growing biotech company offered a sweet package: higher pay, a move up the corporate ladder and great career building opportunities. But Bill MacGowen, senior vice president of human resources at Sun Microsystems, said it still wasn’t enough to land one of his key employees. She turned the company down flat when she learned she’d have to trade her flexible work schedule at Sun for one that kept her in the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week.  “Once you have a taste for it, you don’t want to go back,” said MacGowen.

Work-life options appeal to every demographic. Now is the time to trial telecommuting, contracting, job sharing, flexible hours and even sabbaticals. Use these tools as an alternative to layoffs and then leverage them for workforce retention once the economy turns around.

Posted by Jaime