Are you worried about the future of work/life programs in a slow economy?
Does the thought of losing flexible hours, the privilege of telecommuting, child-care resources or extra perks–such as discounted tickets to sports events and free ice cream served to you at your desk–haunt you?
Who me worry?
Well, not anymore.
Ongoing research is the backbone of any field, and that’s why I find it extremely positive that professional work/life organizations actually are expanding, with two new and important research enterprises now on board.
One of the newbies is the Center for Designing Work Wisely, a nonprofit research and advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. Its aim is to “enhance the performance of organizations and outcomes for employees.”
Research will focus on “improvements in organizational design and work processes and on increased flexibility in the location and scheduling of work.”
That’s an ambitious plan, particularly when so many companies claim they’re strapped for cash–but that’s exactly why research and advocacy are needed right now, according to Kimetha Firpo, co-president of the center.
Starting a new business devoted to workplace issues, says Firpo, whose co-president is noted labor economist and researcher Eileen Appelbaum, “is a challenge because of the economy, but the big driver–the reason we’re excited about the center–is that the new technology, globalization and the changing nature of the workforce all require businesses to take a fresh look at workplace practices.
“Unfortunately, right now those practices in many companies reflect what the world looked like 30 years ago.”
Firpo, who is based in Oak Park, is a former bank vice president, and more recently was vice president of account management at the Minneapolis-based Ceridian Corp., a provider of work/life services.
An early designer of work/life programs–her first was in 1991, when work/life was in its infancy–Firpo has an undergraduate degree in economics and sociology and an MBA in finance and marketing.
Still in its early stages, the Center is lining up companies to be part of its innovative program called WorkPlace 21 Group, a “pioneer effort to help businesses attract and retain quality workforces,” according to Firpo.
“We want to help these organizations think through what to do to keep people excited about what they’re doing,” she said.
“With so many mergers and layoffs, employers recognize they can’t only ask remaining staff just to work harder–they also have to work smarter. The companies that want to be around and have a workforce that will deliver for them need to embrace this.”
And more good news to embrace: Another research group, the Center for Work and Family Balance–who could argue with a name like that–is a new division created by the Employment Policy Foundation, also located in Washington. It also is a nonprofit organization that specializes in workplace trends and policies.
Is now the time to start such a center? Edward Potter, president of the foundation and a veteran work/life professional, lawyer and labor and employment expert, says yes.
“Family-friendly employment policies are essential to businesses wanting to recruit and retain the best workers, regardless of the highs and lows in the current economy,” said Potter.
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Ever the researcher, Potter points out that his organization “projects that by 2010 there will be at least 58 million job openings, but the American labor force may fall short of filling these by more than 4.8 million workers. If regulations and company policies aren’t in place now, businesses will not keep or hire the workers they need to meet the demands of the future.”
And Potter emphasizes: “To many in the workforce, time is more important than money.”
That means work/life balance lives. And I’ll take a double dip chocolate and vanilla ice cream in a hard cone.
With jimmies on top.
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Carol Kleiman’s column also appears in Wednesday’s Working section and Sunday’s Business section. Watch her Career Coach segments on CLTV. E-mail [email protected]