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HR Believes in Benefits of Flex Programs but Executives Not Convinced
Only 37% of executives see tie to business results
Hewittassociates.com – Flexible Work Arrangements 2008 survey: April 30, 2008
While 75% of HR representatives view flexible work arrangements as a critical business tool, only 46% of managers and only 37% of executives agree. A survey of 90 U.S. employers revealed that:
- 73% had no company-wide formal policies
- 31% offered flexibility only at the discretion of the manager
- 26% did not formally communicate to their employees about flex programs
- 26% relied on ad hoc manager communication
- 61% said managers could not explain their flexible work program
- 61% did not offer training to managers on how to manage employees on flex programs
- 70% said flexibility program results were not measured in any way
“Using hard data such as turnover statistics, recruiting results and employee engagement surveys, companies can establish an ongoing measurement strategy that ensures their programs meet company and employee expectations,” said Carol Sladek, principle at Hewitt Associates. “Even more important, it allows executives to more readily buy into these programs and see the positive implications on the business.”
More >> Download Full Report
Call For Papers June 4, 2008
Abstracts of papers or posters for the conference, Expanding our Horizons: Moving Mental Health and Wellness Promotion into the Mainstream (formerly "From Margins to Mainstream: Promoting Health and Wellbeing") are now being accepted for consideration. Click on the link below for more information on the conference and submission guidelines.
More >> Call For Papers (PDF file)
Deadline for submissions: September 30, 2008. ...
Global Study of FWA Legislation May 28, 2008
Majority of high-income countries legislating flex work arrangements to facilitate workplace change
Canada the only high-income country lacking statutes
Institute for Women's Policy Research & Centre for Worklife Law University of California Hastings College of the Law Report - Statutory Routes to Workplace Flexibility in Cross-National Perspective: May 28, 2008
Of the 21 countries reviewed, the report found that:
- 17 countries have statutes that allow parents to move to part-time work or otherwise adjust their working hours
- 12 have statutes to help workers adjust work hours for training and education
- 11 allow reduced hours with partial pension prior to full retirement
- 5 allow working time adjustments for workers with family care-giving responsibilities, and
- 5 give everyone the right to alternative work arrangements.
The report highlights how other countries are encouraging flexibility:
- In Belgium all employees can take a career break of up to 1 year fulltime over the course of their working life and may stretch this out to a maximum of 5 years working 80 percent of usual hours
- In Norway, parents can return to work for 50, 60, 75, 80 or 90 percent of their usual working hours for the first two years after the birth or adoption of a child
- In Spain, parents caring for children under eight years of age are entitled to reduce their working hours between 20 and 50 percent
- In Denmark, employees, who did not complete high school, may request reduced working hours or alternative schedules to go back to school for up to 3 ½ years
More >> Download Full Report Statutory Routes to Workplace Flexibility in Cross National Perspective (PDF, 32 pages)
Working adults indicate strong demand for back-up child and elder care April 1, 2007
Ninety-three percent of respondents said back-up care would be clearly or extremely valuable
Workplace Options Survey: April 23, 2007
A national survey polled working adults with dependents about their back-up care needs and opinions. Respondents indicated the following:
- 59% of employees or their spouses missed 3 to 10 days of work last year due to lack of back-up child or elder care options
- 59% called in on short notice to use vacation or sick time
- 93% felt back-up care would be “clearly valuable” or “extremely valuable”
- Demand for back-up care was equal amongst men and women
- 90% were “nearly certain” or “extremely certain” they would use back-up care if it were available at their company
More >> Download Article Back-up Child Care: Canada's New Employee Benefit by Nora Spinks and John Marvin
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