Posts Tagged Workplace-Flexibility
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The Business Case for Flex
At State Street Corp., a multinational financial services provider, we view flexible work arrangements as a strategic tool for achieving business objectives and employee engagement. In 2009, we created an executive committee to strengthen our ability to recruit and retain top talent. One of the findings: the necessity of having tools…
May 4, 2012
| in Trends
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#Nextchat Recap: Why You Can No Longer Say “No” to #Workflex
Workplace flexibility is replacing the one-size-fits-all, 9-to-5 way of working in a growing number of organizations. What’s motivating companies to consider new ways of making work “work?” And what impact does giving employees more choice over how, when and where work gets done have on workplaces…
May 2, 2012 | in Trends
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#NextChat: Why You Can No Longer Say “No” to #Workflex
As the 2012 National Study of Employers (NSE) suggests, workplace flexibility is replacing the one-size-fits-all, 9-to-5 way of working in a growing number of organizations. What’s motivating companies to consider new ways of making work “work?” And what impact does giving employees more choice…
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Is Your Organization Prepared to Support Virtual Work?
Whether your virtual teams are in the formation stage or have been operating for a few months – it is critical to ensure that they are set up for success and get off to a good start. Organizations that proactively plan how to structure their virtual teams to set…
April 25, 2012 | in Trends
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Telecommuting and BYOD Hottest Workplace Technology Trends
It’s no secret that technology as well as social media are changing the way we work and live. Thankfully, corporate America and the U.S. Government are finally getting the clue, learning that technology offers an opportunity to provide more employees flexibility while cutting overhead costs…
April 12, 2012 | in Trends
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Work/Life Balance, Safety Climate Impact Workplace Injuries
Injury risk increases 37 percent for employees with difficult family issues, researchers reported. The findings come from the survey “Occupational Injury in America: An analysis of risk factors using data from the General Social Survey,” conducted by Dave DeJoy, a University of Georgia professor, and Todd Smith, a recent…
March 19, 2012
| in Workplace
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Virtual Collaboration is Not For Everyone
Many organizations have migrated toward telecommuting and virtual work due to rising travel costs, a global customer base, and the dispersion of talent. While numerous organizations have made significant investments in virtual teams and the technology to support them, a surprising number of virtual teams are not successful. OnPoint Consulting…
March 9, 2012 | in Trends
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Telework Week 2012 Encourages More Work from Home
The second annual Telework Week, taking place March 5-9, 2012, encourages businesses, government agencies and individuals to telecommute. Individuals and organizations can visit Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership, to calculate potential commuter cost and environmental savings and to pledge to telework. "According to a recent report by The Texas Transportation Institute,…
March 5, 2012
| in Workplace
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“Advocating” for Workplace Flexibility
Over the years, I have been involved in several trench advocacy campaigns on issues related to workplace flexibility. Whether it was responding to a Department of Labor request for information on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations, garnering support for SHRM’s efforts to clarify the…
March 5, 2012 | in Workplace
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Top 10 Workplace Flexibility Blogs Worth Reading
As the workforce grows more complex, businesses and organizations are tapping into new trends and people strategies to recruit and retain the best and brightest talent. With today’s four-generation workforce and the increasing globalization of business, workplace flexibility is an imperative for today’s 21st century workplace.…
February 3, 2012 | in Workplace
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Celebrating a Milestone for #Workflex!
Paper — symbolizing strength from the connection of individual threads — is a traditional gift for a first anniversary. Making a strong connection is a fitting description as SHRM marks the first anniversary of the groundbreaking partnership on workplace flexibility with the Families and Work Institute (FWI). …
February 1, 2012 | in Workplace
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Tools and Training Prepare Managers for Workplace Flexibility
During the past decade, much of work/life research has been dedicated to identifying and measuring the bottom-line benefits of workplace flexibility to an organization and its employees. Unfortunately, far less attention has been paid to the challenges that managers face when integrating flexibility into their work groups. A 2010…
February 1, 2012 | in Workplace
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SHRM Survey Shows HR Has Active Role in Social Media Policies
Social media was clearly among the hottest business topics of 2011, and the results of a survey released on Jan. 12, 2012, by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) shows that human resource professionals have an important role in helping employers deal with this red-hot issue. Approximately 40 percent of randomly selected…
January 25, 2012
| in Workplace
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Social Media Policies: Promoting vs. Regulating Use
Fact: most employees occasionally use social media tools at work for personal reasons, anyway. Unsurprisingly, business leaders want guidelines in place for regulating employee use of social media outlets--and protecting against misuse--on personal and company accounts alike. Many 2012 corporate to-do lists include creating an official policy for regulating employees’…
January 24, 2012 | in Workplace
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Report: Paid Leave Policies Support Workplace Flex in Competitive Economies
Researchers have found that workplace policies such as paid maternity and paternity leave and paid leave to care for sick children exist in countries that are economically competitive and have low unemployment rates, contradicting the argument that costs associated with paid leave would reduce employment and undermine the international competitiveness…
December 27, 2011
| in Workplace
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Experts: Flexible Workplaces Should Rely on Social Media
What does flexibility have to do with social media? Plenty. Social media can help employees stay engaged—particularly those who work remotely. That’s what conference attendees learned during a session at the inaugural Work-Life Focus: 2012 and Beyond Conference held recently in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the…
December 13, 2011
| in Workplace
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Work-Life Balance Starts with HR
I saw Jack Welch speak at the 2009 Society for Human Resource Management's annual conference in New Orleans. Welch delivered the opening speech for the conference and completely dissed the idea of work-life balance for women in corporate America. As reported by The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Welch…
December 7, 2011 | in Workplace
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Workplace Flexibility: What are YOU doing?
Workplace flexibility initiatives are moving more workers out of cubicles and into home offices. This can represent meaningful cost savings for companies, reduced stress for employees and higher productivity. The challenge for management is to keep these isolated employees working well together. How are you devising ways to make…
December 1, 2011 | in Workplace
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2012 ‘Bold New Ideas’ Guide Highlights Workplace Flex Success
Practices by award-winning companies influenced by recession and aided by technology; special focus on meeting military families' needs Fueled by technology and the recession, leading companies are focusing on their employees' measurable work results rather than face time in the office, according to the newly released …
November 30, 2011
| in Trends
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Misperceptions Hinder Flexibility, FWI-SHRM Report Shows
Research finds ties between workplace flexibility and positive business results Workplace flexibility programs benefit employers of all sizes and industries, resulting in increased employee job satisfaction, lower turnover and lower insurance costs, according to a new report, Workplace Flexibility in the United States: A…
November 29, 2011
| in Workplace
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Mobile Collaboration: An Interview with Michael Kroth, author of “Managing the Mobile Workforce”
The growth of mobile technology is simply staggering. According to mobiThinking, there are 5.3 billion mobile subscribers (that translates to 77% of the world's population.) By 2014, it's expected that mobile will overtake the PC as the most popular way to access the web. People are using mobile technologies for…
November 28, 2011 | in Workplace
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Survey: FLSA Inhibits Workplace Flexibility Policies
The Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) anomalous and vague requirements are forcing employers to impose precautionary workplace policies that are overly restrictive and out of step with modern work habits, according to a Nov. 3, 2011, report based on a survey conducted by the HR Policy Association. The survey, to…
November 23, 2011
| in Workplace
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Avoiding the Boomer Drain
Like most developed countries, the U.S. faces a major demographic challenge. This year, the oldest of nearly 80 million baby boomers turn 65. According to the Pew Research Center, about 10,000 Americans reach that milestone every day. Most organizations can’t afford to suddenly lose such a reservoir of work experience…
November 18, 2011 | in Workforce
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Experts: Telework Still a Hard Sell for Managers
Supervisors find creative ways to engage remote employees What’s the biggest obstacle to telework? It’s not technology. It’s management. So some human resource professionals say they’ve begun to tie management acceptance of telework directly to managers…
November 10, 2011
| in Workplace
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Today’s Managers Must Be Connectors
By Shirley Davis and Lisa Horn, Co-Project Directors, SHRM’s Workplace Flexibility Initiative The first joint SHRM and Families and Work Institute work-life conference is next week in Washington, D.C. The conference — Work-Life Focus: 2012 and Beyond/Workplace Effectiveness Strategies that Work — promises to…
November 7, 2011 | in Workplace
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U.S. Companies More Open to Remote Work Arrangements
One-third of U.S. chief financial officers (CFOs) say remote work arrangements—such as telecommuting and working from satellite offices—have increased at their companies in the prior three years, according to a survey by staffing services firm Accountemps. The 2011 survey drew on telephone interviews with 1,400 CFOs across…
November 3, 2011
| in Workplace
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‘Male Mystique’ Puts Name to Conflict
Men in the United States—especially those in two-income families who are fathers and working 50 or more hours a week—are experiencing the kind of work/family conflict that women long have felt, according to a study, The New Male Mystique. Researchers Ellen Galinsky, Kerstin…
October 25, 2011
| in Workforce
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Work/Life Balance – Are we Kidding Ourselves?
Since October is National Work and Family Month, it’s a good time to discuss work-flex. I love how Jason Seiden described “work/life balance” recently at Illinois SHRM: “We talk of it as something we separate by a slash and then hope we can balance…
October 20, 2011 | in Workplace
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SHRM: Workplace Flexibility Is ‘Business Imperative’
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) continued to push flexible workplace options as a business imperative during a congressional briefing that SHRM and the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute Inc. hosted Oct. 12, 2011, on Capitol Hill. “This is an issue whose time has come. It’s good for workers,…
October 17, 2011
| in Workplace
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The Future of the Evolving Workplace
Few would argue the pace of change is increasing, especially in business and technology, along with their impact on the workplace. Wise company leaders sense these changes, and adjust, adapt, plan and execute. Each day brings an evolving convergence of many external influences that shape upcoming days, weeks and years.…
October 10, 2011 | in Workplace
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Experts: Prepare Now for Aging Workforce
The workforce is aging around the world. Estimates indicate that by 2050, the number of people over the age of 60 will exceed the number of those in younger generations. Experts say companies should prepare now for this global shift. Yet what most U.S. companies don’t realize, experts say,…
October 7, 2011
| in Workforce
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Eldercare: The New Childcare?
The U.S. is getting older. Americans are living longer, and there are more seniors in the workforce. That means more care-giving responsibilities for everyone. SHRM’s research shows that members feel two key demographic trends are the growth in the number of workers with eldercare responsibilities, and…
September 27, 2011 | in Workforce
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Life Meets Work
A few months ago I had the opportunity to coffee shop with an executive who, ironically, had decided to resign from her job the very same morning of our meeting (see my post about her decision: Resignation Day). It was bold decision and beginning of an entirely new chapter…
September 26, 2011 | in Workplace
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What Gen Y Women Want: Autonomy and Self-Direction
Generation Y women (born 1978-1994) are concerned about the impact that family and child care decisions will have on their long-term careers, according to a report by the Business and Professional Women's (BPW) Foundation, Gen Y Women in the Workplace. “In order for businesses to engage successfully with…
September 22, 2011
| in Workforce
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SHRM’s Workplace Flexibility Initiative
After a long weekend on a business trip, I can’t help but think about motivation on this Monday morning. What is it that drives us to work hard (even weekends), perform at a high level, and do it consistently for an organization? Is money enough? According to SHRM…
August 22, 2011 | in Workplace
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Workplace Flexibility: Changing the Way We do Business
Flexibility in the workplace is imperative. It should be seen as a result-based business strategy—not a benefit. With the variety of employee demographics now in our workforce, the importance of workplace flexibility becomes even clearer. For instance, millennials prefer flexible working arrangements and consider…
August 15, 2011 | in Workplace
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‘Most Admired’ Tie Rewards to Performance, Address Work/Life
Rewards are linked to performance effectively at 89 percent of the "world's most admired companies" vs. 77 percent of their industry peers, according to the 14th annual World’s Most Admired Companies list compiled by Fortune magazine and Hay Group, a global consultancy. The most admired also are more likely…
August 3, 2011
| in Workplace
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2011 Employee Benefits Research Report
SHRM’s 2011 Employee Benefits research report, sponsored by Colonial Life, provides comprehensive information about the types of benefits U.S. employers offer to their employees. In 2011, 284 benefits were explored, covering the areas of health care and welfare benefits, preventive health and wellness benefits, retirement savings and planning benefits, financial…
August 2, 2011
| in Public Policy
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Working Dads: The New Working Moms
I recently attended the Families and Work Institute Legacy Award dinner in New York City where I was able to hear an intriguing working mother-daughter panel. As I listened to this dynamic group share their experiences, I couldn't help but think about my two sons who are both…
July 21, 2011 | in Workforce
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Modernizing our Laws to Fit the 21st Century Workplace
As technology transforms the workplace, companies look for ways to compete in a global work environment, and new generations of employees put a higher value on having control over when and where they do their work, flexible work arrangements have become an increasingly important offering. To educate human…
July 18, 2011 | in Public Policy
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With Benefits Cuts, Business Looks for Ways to Compete
A new survey we released today at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) 63rd Annual Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas shows that 77 percent of human resource professionals said the poor economy has negatively impacted employee benefits. But this survey of 600 HR professionals that examines nearly 300 benefits – SHRM…
June 26, 2011 | in Workplace
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White House Advisor: Workplace Flexibility ‘Will Keep America Competitive’
A top-level advisor to President Barack Obama advised Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) members at the 2011 SHRM Employment Law & Legislative Conference to encourage workplace flexibility and to select employees who have a life outside the office. Valerie B. Jarrett, senior advisor and assistant to Obama for intergovernmental affairs…
June 21, 2011
| in Public Policy
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Bridging the Divide: SHRM’s 2011 Guide to Legislative Issues
Connecting Washington and What’s Next to the Workplace
June 1, 2011
| in Public Policy
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Pressure to Work: Employee Perspective
The following presentation, based on a portion of the results from a recent survey of U.S. workers, focuses on data related to the pressure, self-imposed or otherwise, that employees feel to stay connected to the workplace outside of traditional work hours or when they are away from the office…
May 13, 2011
| in Workforce
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SHRM: Flexibility Needed to Recruit, Retain Older Workers
Public policy needs to provide a framework that is flexible so employers are able to develop programs that address the needs of businesses and older employees, a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) told the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The commission heard testimony Nov. 17, 2010,…
May 9, 2011
| in Workforce
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Nonparents Want Work/Life Balance Too
Working parents and nonparents share similar opinions about work/life balance, according to the latest Adecco USA Workplace Insights survey, released June 9, 2008. But when asked if they have the same level of access to work/life benefits as their colleagues, only 44 percent of nonparents said they did, compared…
April 29, 2011
| in Workforce
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Indian Firm Helps Women Find Jobs Offering Flexibility
Everything changes once women start families, but it doesn’t mean it has to be the end of their careers. So says Saundarya Rajesh, founder and president of Avtar Career Creators, an India-based talent strategy consulting firm dedicated to helping women balance work and life through flexible work arrangements…
April 22, 2011
| in Workplace
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SHRM Executive Roundtable on Workplace Flexibility
The 2010 SHRM Executive Roundtable on Workplace Flexibility was held Sept. 23, 2010, in Washington, D.C. This event brought together leading experts on workplace flexibility. This group included current and former HR practitioners, academicians and researchers, thought leaders, representatives from multiple organizations that focus on the subject of workplace flexibility, policy makers,…
April 15, 2011
| in Workplace
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What Does Generation ‘Why?’ Really Want?
Workers from Generation Y (those born between 1980 and 2000) might be comfortable texting, talking, typing, Skyping, Googling and Facebooking simultaneously—and feel anxious and disconnected when they aren’t—but they are much more than a generation of tech-heads. The youngest generation of workers seeks balance, meaning and…
April 15, 2011
| in Workforce
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New Guide Spotlights Flexible Workplace Successes
Cutting-edge U.S. employers are developing successful work-fit practices—and reaping positive outcomes that employers attribute to their flexible and effective workplace practices and culture—even while the economy slowly moves from a recessionary entrenchment, according to a new publication on workplace flexibility. The Families and Work Institute …
April 6, 2011
| in Workplace
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Survey: Work/Life Balance Off-Kilter in US
Work/life balance is a problem in the United States, say 89 percent of 1,043 Americans in survey findings released September 1, 2010. And while more than two-thirds of 613 full- and part-time workers say they have adequate balance in their lives, the recession has upended that balance for 31 percent of workers. When that happens,…
March 24, 2011
| in Workforce
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How Can You Tell If Workplace Flexibility Is Working? Ask the Employees
"Every clued-in business leader in America is now aware that workplace flexibility is a business imperative." Kathleen E. Christensen is the Program Director for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This article was published on her blog on Huffington Post on February 1, 2011. Click here to see the entire post.
March 11, 2011
| in Workplace
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Shipman and Kay: Flexible Workplace Policies Bolster the Bottom Line
Shortly after joining ABC News as a senior consultant for "Good Morning America” in 2001, Claire Shipman learned she had been branded a “nonjumper.” And not in a good way. “It’s just that everyone else at this company jumps and you don’t,”…
February 22, 2011
| in Workplace
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It’s Because We Are Asking, Listening and Acting: Creating Workplaces for the 21st Century
At a press conference on February 1, 2011 at the National Press Club announcing an unprecedented partnership between Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to create workplaces for the 21st century, Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that when he…
February 22, 2011
| in Trends
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Thought Leaders Call Flexible Workplaces ‘Strategic Imperative’
Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was among representatives of prominent recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility who shared their experiences "moving work forward" during a Feb. 1, 2011, event in Washington, D.C. The event, sponsored by the Society for…
February 14, 2011
| in Workplace
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New Model for Work-Life Balance on Wall Street?
I was summoned to a pitch by a PR guy a few weeks ago. The scene was typical of Wall Street: a swanky bar and two earnest would-be sources: Nick Leopard, 30 and Andy Blechman, 27. These guys were polished, young and had impressive suits and equally impressive resumes. Heck, they were…
February 14, 2011
| in Trends
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Successfully Transitioning to a Virtual Organization: Challenges, Impact and Technology
With an emphasis on a solutions-based approach, this article explores key factors of a successful transition to a virtual organization and includes real-life scenarios to illustrate both effective and ineffective approaches, with a focus on leadership styles, the effectiveness of virtual working teams, communication, technology, virtual meetings and management, and…
February 14, 2011
| in Workplace
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Workplace Flexibility: An American Imperative
The word is spreading far and wide: Workplace flexibility is not a “nice to have” – it’s a business and national security imperative. Last week, a new partnership dedicated to sharing best practices and research on workplace flexibility was formed between the Society for Human Resource…
February 9, 2011
| in Workplace
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Flexible Work Might Improve Employees’ Health
An analysis of recent studies suggests that employee-controlled flexible working arrangements, such as self-scheduled work hours and telework, have a positive impact on employees' mental and physical health and their general well-being. The analysis, Flexible Working Conditions and Their Effects on Employee Health and Wellbeing, is by Britain's Cochrane…
February 7, 2011
| in Workplace
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Why the Office is the Worst Place to Work
Companies spend billions on rent, offices, and office equipment so their employees will have a great place to work. However, when you ask people where they go when they really need to get something done, you'll rarely hear them say it's the office. If you ask, you'll…
February 7, 2011
| in Workplace
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The Impact of the Recession on Employers
Ellen Galinsky and James T. Bond Economic recessions are associated with significant revenue and earning declines for most employers, and, consequently, with higher rates of unemployment and underemployment for American employees—as well as with other changes in life on the job. In order to better understand…
January 19, 2011
| in Trends
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Make Employees a Non-Monetary Offer They Can’t Refuse
High salaries and hefty bonuses aren’t what keep high-performing employees devoted to their jobs, even in a dismal work environment. What you must give them is something they can’t put a value on. Managers must turn to sustainable alternatives that truly satisfy employees’ needs and…
January 19, 2011
| in Workplace
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Flex Time Flourishes in Accounting Industry
As the peak season for the nation’s accounting firms begins, David Leeds’s team at Ernst & Young is once again bracing for two months of 60-hour weeks auditing the books of a major bank in Atlanta. In years past, those grueling weeks often fueled nasty marital…
January 19, 2011
| in Workplace
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Research Spotlight: Workplace Flexibility in the 21st Century, SHRM Staff
The quality of employees’ personal/family lives is positively affected as a result of implementing flexible work arrangements, according to two-thirds of HR professionals (68%). Another two-thirds (67%) of HR professionals believe implementation of formal flexible work arrangements has a positive impact on employee morale, job satisfaction and engagement.
January 19, 2011
| in Workplace
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Meeting the Needs of the Changing Workforce Survey Report
Changes all around us, including economic factors, are forcing organizations to re-evaluate the way they do business and develop alternative approaches to work. Findings from this research report reveal that the reasons that prompted organizations to offer flexible work arrangements (FWAs) range from requests from employees to organizational reasons and…
January 19, 2011
| in Trends
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21st Century Workplace Flexibility
In November 2008, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) conducted the SHRM 2008 Workplace Flexibility Survey. The purpose of the survey was to identify 1) the prevalence and types of flexible work arrangements (FWAs) that employers offer 2) employee utilization of FWAs 3) employers that collect metrics/analytics on FWAs 4) successful FWAs,…
October 19, 2010
| in Workplace
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Employers: Embrace Workplace Flexibility
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is urging members to get their organizations to become “Business Champions” by signing a pledge to embrace workplace flexibility policies. The national Business Champions campaign, which was launched in March 2010 and ends in March 2011, comes from a coalition SHRM has joined…
October 19, 2010
| in Workplace
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Flexibility Leads to Innovation, HR Chiefs Say
SAN DIEGO—A panel of high-profile senior HR executives shared their insights at the June 29, 2010 general session of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference held here, discussing their challenges, victories and strategies as they craft the role HR plays within their organizations and industries. “You…
August 18, 2010
| in Workplace
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Successful Telework Programs: The ‘STIR’ Model
By Robin Rodensky, Jan Rybeck, Heather Johnson and Margaret Rollins, ICF International There are dozens of benefits to creating a flexible workplace and supporting telework programs, but this venture is not free from challenges. Below, we present the Strategize, Transform, Implement, Recalibrate (STIR) model developed by ICF…
August 18, 2010
| in Workplace
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Obamas Push for Flexible Workplaces
President Obama and the First Lady recently held a forum with policymakers and businesses to discuss workplace flexibility. Read the full story from The Chicago Tribune here.
April 1, 2010
| in Workplace
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Improving Work-Life Balance
Gap Outlet: Second Retailer Adopts Results-Only Work Environment Strategy Art Peck, president of Gap Outlet, a division of Gap Inc., in San Francisco, no longer hears about employees’ doctors’ appointments or parent-teacher conferences. And he couldn’t be happier. For the past year,…
March 16, 2010
| in Workforce
