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April 2014
 
Reflections on Work & Life
Leading in a Global Diverse and Fast Paced World:  
The Important role of Work-Life
Director of Corporate Partnerhsips, Danielle Hartmann

There have been some amazing articles recently about women and power, the dynamics of workload, the role of millennials as future leaders, and why inclusion and diversity are critical to successful global businesses. The common thread that connects these topics is the fabric of organizational culture and the environment that helps employees thrive professionally and personally. Read more on the BCCWF blog.  

CWF News & Notes 



Global Summit in Basel, Switzerland 
Next-Generation Work-Life: Leading in a globally diverse and fast-paced world will take place July 8-9, 2014 in Basel, Switzerland. Hosted by corporate partner Novartis, this member-only event will focus on advanced global work-life topics related to women's advancement, the multi-generational workforce, inclusion, and workload. For more on the Global Workforce Roundtable, contact [email protected].

 

 


Paternity Leave Debate Ignited
When NY Mets' player Daniel Murphy took advantage of the MLB paternity leave policy to spend a few days with is wife and new baby, a lively debate on paternity leave was ignited. Our research was often cited in the discussion: Wall Street Journal, ABC News, NBC News, NPR, Fox 25 Boston, Main Street & more. Watch for the release of The New Dad 2014 report on paternity leave, coming in June!



You Raised Us - Now Work With Us 

Executive-in-Residence Lauren Stiller Rikleen's new book explores the Millennials and provides advice on strengthening inter-generational teams. Recent press includes AARP, WBZ Radio, AGEnda Blog, Boston College Chronicle. Members of our National Workforce Roundtable will hear a presentation from Lauren and discuss corporate implications at our meeting next week in Chicago.

 

 

   Kanter logo  

2014 Kanter Award web conference series 

Our first Kanter Award webinar of 2014 on April 30th (TODAY at Noon ET) features Prof. Jeremy Reynolds of the University of Georgia discussing "Don't Blame the Babies: Work hour mismatches and the role of children." More on the Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award webinar series here. Watch for the announcement of the 2014 nominees and winner in coming months!  
Articles & Resources

"What About the Men? They Need Life Outside of Work, Too" 

When New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy missed the season's first two games for the birth of his first child, he and his wife faced something they likely weren't expecting: A media firestorm that pitted men's work responsibilities against their family lives. The stigma some men face in working flexibly to juggle personal and professional goals suddenly stepped right up to the plate.  

 

5 Simple Office Policies That Make Danish Workers Way More Happy Than Americans 

According to most studies, the happiest employees in the world are in Denmark. The U.S.? Not so much. Here's just one data point: a recent Gallup poll found that 18% of American workers are actively disengaged. The same number for Danish workers is only 10%. But why are Danish workers  

so happy compared to their American counterparts? Here are five fundamental differences.

 

Out of hours working banned by German labour ministry 

Germany's employment ministry has banned its managers from calling or emailing staff out of hours except in emergencies, under new guidelines intended to prevent employees from burning out. The guidelines state that ministry staff should not be penalized for switching off their mobiles or failing to pick up messages out of hours. See also: In France, a Move to Limit Off-the-Clock Work Emails 

 

National Study of Employers Takes Pulse of U.S. Workplaces  

The 2014 National Study of Employers (NSE), which looks at changes in the workplace since 2008, found that flexibility over when and where full-time employees work is on the rise. This includes options such as working remotely occasionally (telecommuting), which saw an increase to 67 percent from 50 percent in 2008, and control over overtime, up to 45 percent from 27 percent. More on the new report from FWI.

 

The View From Behind the Workplace Flexibility Curve

If you think the purpose of an interview is to determine whether a candidate is right for your company's open position, know that professionals are sizing up your business for just the same reasons. As more professionals are growing accustomed to working when and where they are at their most productive, the reality is that if they can't find flexibility in a role with your business, they'll find it with another one - or start their own.

  

Paid Sick Days Access in the United States: Differences by Race/Ethnicity, Occupation, Earnings, and Work Schedule  

Paid sick days bring substantial benefits to employers, workers, families, and communities. The economic and public health benefits of paid sick leave coverage include safer work environments; improved work life balance, reduced spread of contagion; and reduced health care costs. Access to this important benefit, however, is still too rare, and is unequally distributed across the U.S. population, with differences by race and ethnicity, occupation, earnings levels, and work schedules.   

 

Students' Tops Goals Are Work-Life Balance, Security  

Global employer brand research firm Universum released its 2014 rankings of the employers students most want to work for. Based on a survey of more than 46,000 undergraduate students, the rankings reveal which employers are most attractive to today's students and why.

Students' top career goals are returning to pre-recession levels. As in recent years, students' top career goal this year is to have work-life balance, followed by job security and being dedicated to a cause.

 

How Your Office Is Harming Your Health 

Many of us spend a large chunk of our waking lives at work, but rarely do we give much thought to how our on-the-clock environment might be affecting how we feel around the clock. Working in offices could be making us feel dissatisfied. Open office plans (and cubicles, to a certain extent) may be the worst offenders when it comes to harming employee wellness and productivity.

  

To Reduce Inequality, Start With Families

Since President Obama declared in his State of the Union address that fighting inequality was the "defining project of our generation," Democrats and Republicans alike have seized upon the theme to connect with voters. A relatively straightforward and simple way out of our current dead end has been hiding in plain sight. President Obama alluded to it in the State of the Union when he issued the call "to do away with workplace policies that belong in a 'Mad Men' episode."    

 

How Wall Street's Life-Ruining Work Habits Hurt All Of Us 

You might feel no sympathy for young bankers and the punishing hours they work. But you might want to pay attention, because their bad work habits could be contagious.

When bankers leave Wall Street mid-career for new gigs in consulting, media or other industries, they often take their taxing work practices with them, influencing their new colleagues, according to a study due to be published in the forthcoming summer issue of the journal The Sociological Quarterly.

 

The Flexibility Bias 

A new study shows workplace bias against those who use flexible-work arrangements -- often for child-care needs -- may increase employee dissatisfaction even among those who don't have children. Flexibility stigma, the stigma attached to professional workers who have responsibilities at home that lead them to work flexible hours, is rampant in corporate America. Even when those flexible hours are provided through policy and seemingly supported in the workplace, stigma exists.

 

5 Reasons Why Paternity Leave Is Crucial for Fathers and Families 

When New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy took a two-game paternity leave recently to spend time with his newborn son, he inadvertently sparked a national debate. While maternity leave for new moms is often considered a given, men like Boomer Esiason aren't convinced that dads deserve to take time off after the birth of a child too.  

 

Simulating Silicon Valley 

Companies can learn from the tech hub's playbook by focusing on speed and risk-taking. Increasingly, the ideal Silicon Valley employee is the ideal employee anywhere as the successful use of digital technologies becomes a necessity in every industry, not just those with the focus of consumer technology.  

 
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