new_indu98.htm

The International Telework Association and Council (ITAC) has launched the premier issue of its official publication Telecommute (November, 1998). In her initial message to readers ("murphy's memo"), Publisher Melissa Murphy tells of choosing Telecommute (a command, not a noun) overTelework even though a strong case was made for the latter by many telecommuting experts because she feels Telecommute is more accepted and recognized by outsiders. At forty-eight pages, the first issue if full of practical advice on working at home. There is a column for "Home/Work" issues and the first topic is "Tips for juggling the many pressures of home and work."

The annual subscription rate is $24.95 and you can contact them at their web site www.telecommutemagazine.com or e-mail them at info@telecommutemagazine.com.

A small but growing movement to create on-site schools, most offering kindergarten through third grade, is reported in the December/January issue ofWorking Mother magazine. There are only 30 nationwide, but because of the advantages for both the employer and employees experts predict this will be a growing trend. Benefits for the employer include increased productivity, reduced absenteeism, and lower turnover. Examples of on-site schools include 3M in Minneapolis, American Bankers Insurance Group in Miami, and Hewlett-Packard in Santa Rosa, California.

WorkLife Productions, Inc. is preparing a book on the topic of work-life and is issuing a call for manuscripts, case studies or any other written material on work-life. If you are interested in participating, or would like to recommend material to be included, please contact us by e-mail, or by using our toll-free number 1-888-325-7308 and ask for Jim Kisela.

After we posted our commentary entitled "Work-Life Questions for Politicians?" on September 9, 1998, we came across a news item in Working Mothermagazine("Cast a Mom-Friendly Vote", Working Mother, November, 1998: page 10) that alerted us to the fact that we may have misinterpreted, in our current negative frame of mind about politicians in general, the purpose behind the questions posed by the National Partnership for Women & Families. So off we went to surf over to their web site. There we found a very impressive site, which informed us that this organization was formerly known as the Women's Legal Defense Fund, and they are a "nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that uses public education and advocacy to promote fairness in the workplace, quality health care, and policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family".

We realize now, after reading about the suggested questions for political candidates, that The Wall Street Journaldidn't capture the real sense of what the National Partnership for Women & Families is trying to do. To help clarify their position, we are reprinting their press release of August 24, 1998, in its entirety. You can this and much more helpful information on their web site: www.nationalpartnership.org

"Ask Your Candidates" Offers Timely Questions on Child Care, Elder Care, and Family Leave

Washington, DC Ð What role should the government play in helping Americans meet their work and family responsibilities? Would you support making family leave available to more working people? How do you suggest improving the quality of child care for the children of working Americans? These are among the questions in the new guide, Family Matters: Ask Your Candidates About Work/Family Issues, published by the National Partnership for Women & Families. This free guide suggests ten basic questions about work/family issues for Americans to ask their national, state, and local candidates. It also explains how to identify and contact candidates for public office.

"The struggle to meet both work and family responsibilities is a top concern for American women and men today," said National Partnership President Judith L. Lich®an. "Issues like child care, elder care, and family leave are not merely personal -- everyone has a role to play in addressing them."

In the 1998 Family Matters survey conducted by the National Partnership, two-thirds of Americans said that time pressures on working families are getting worse. Large majorities said that both employers (90 percent) and government (72 percent) should be doing more to help working families.

"This political campaign season is an ideal time to raise important work/family issues with elected officials and candidates for public office. Our guide can help voters find out where their candidates stand," said Lich®an.

Have you ever had a conflict between your responsibilities to your family and your job, and if so, how did you resolve it?

What are your ideas for helping working parents find and afford quality child care?

What do you think the government can do to help low-income families Ð including minimum-wage earners and families moving from welfare to work Ð take care of family responsibilities and climb out of poverty?

What would you do to help working Americans meet their elder care responsibilities?

What role should employers play in helping employees meet their work and family responsibilities?

What are your views about "family leave insurance" for working people who need to take family or medical leave Ð the way unemployment insurance now helps people who are out of work?

The guide also includes tips to help working Americans approach candidates about work/family issues, including meeting with candidates at their offices; going to candidate forums, debates, speeches, or other public appearances; calling in to radio or TV shows when candidates are on the air; calling, writing letters, or sending email to candidates' offices; and suggesting that reporters for local newspaper, TV, and radio stations ask candidates these questions.

NOTE: Members of the public can obtain a free copy of Family Matters: Ask Your Candidates About Work/Family Issues by writing to National Partnership for Women & Families, Pub. # A55, 1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 710, Washington, DC 20009; or by sending email to info@nationalpartnership.org. The guide is also on the National Partnership's web site, www.nationalpartnership.org.

Family Matters: Ask Your Candidates About Work/Family Issues is not an endorsement for or against any particular candidate, nor is it intended to advise you about how to vote in any particular election.

In an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer(Monday, September 28, 1998) Amy Lindgren of the Knight Ridder News Service reports that in this time of record low unemployment and with a general loosening of the ties between employee and organization, retention of employees should be the emphasis of every organization. She points out the business case by citing a study that estimates the cost of replacing an employee at a minimum of 25% of salary. Another study uses the 6% national average rate of turnover to estimate that a company with 50,000 workers will pay $18,000,000 in replacement costs in one year.

What should organizations do? Along with making sure you are paying competitive salaries, the most important factors include: (1) flexibility in work schedules, and (2) help for "workers of all ages and wages (in the) struggle to integrate their work lives with their personal and family goals." (posted 9/28/98)

Working Mothermagazine announced its 13th annual list of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. There were 17 new companies on this list, and 14 companies that returned to the list after having been dropped off previously.

Deborah A. Wilburn, Deputy Editor of Working Mothermagazine, emphasized that "companies in the WM 100 list continue to devote time, money and attention to the issues that originally gave rise to this list because it gives them a competitive edge and enhances the bottom line. Companies say their family-friendly policies translate into reduced absenteeism, lower turnover and a more loyal, focused workforce."

The complete report has been published in the October issue of Working Mother magazine. The Working Motherwebsite features highlights of the report, including:

The Wall Street Journal (Tuesday, September 8, 1998) reports in its "Work Week" column that the National Partnership for Women & Families is suggesting that political candidates be asked questions relating to work-family issues. The example used asks if the politician ever had a work-family conflict, and if so, how it was resolved. We wonder: since most politicians are workaholics and as a group have questionable credibility with the populace at large, what's the point? (posted 9/9/98)

Flexible work arrangements continue to grow as an alternative to the traditional 9 to 5 office set up. Telecommuting is one of the older flexible work arrangements, and Gil Gordon is the guru of telecommuting. Gil’s TELECOMMUTE ’98 conference in Baltimore, Maryland, June 21-24,1998 was his seventh annual conference dealing with this exciting concept. As usual, Gil ran a well-organized program that covered the theory and philosophy of telecommuting, but focused on the practical nuts and bolts of making it happen. Visit Gil’s web page at www.gilgordon.com to learn more about telecommuting.(posted 8/11/98)

The July/August issue of Working Mothermagazine contains their sixth annual survey of child care across the country, summarized on a state-by-state basis. Betty Holcomb wrote the story with the help of Catherine Cartwright, Shaun Driesbach and Sarah Hutter.

Factors used to rate the states included quality, safety, availability, and commi®ent. Each of these factors was broken down into sub-elements and then rated on a scale from one to five stars, although no state has achieved the five star rating yet.

They found that although the overall picture was mixed, funding from the federal government combined with increased taxes driven by the strong economy were resulting in "…many new initiatives from coast to coast."

The top ten states (alphabetically) are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.(posted 8/11/98)

The four-year pilot project to experiment with tax-deductible contributions to accounts used only for medical expenses is encountering some problems.

In a New York Timesarticle (Sunday, July 5, 1998), reporter Margaret O. Kirk analyzes two contrasting case studies. She reports that even "…supporters of the concept, who saw it as a way for consumers to help control health costs and have more choices, now conclude that there are serious problems – including the complexity of the program’s administration, the 50-employee cap for eligible businesses and the high deductibles."

The program works best for healthy high-income families, but can be a disaster for a low-income family with sudden major medical expenses.

Proposed changes to address these major issues are working their way through Congress.(posted 8/11/98)

MacDonald Communications Conferences and Working Mothermagazine conducted the 1998 Work/Family Congress September 16-18, 1998, at the New York Hilton in New York City.

In addition to the Congress, there was a dinner honoring Working Mothermagazine’s "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" and the 1998 CEO Summit on Corporate Involvement in Education.(posted 8/11/98)

1.	A summary of the report by Deborah A. Wilburn,Deputy Editor of Working Mother
2.	The 100 Best (alphabetically): A -L and M - Z
3.	The Townsend Award: Family Champion of the Year honoring a recipient who has taken the lead in the promotion of family-friendly policies in the workplace. This year's recipient is Raymond V. Gilmartin, CEO of Merck, Inc.
4.	Innovative ways to make life better for the workforce
5.	Moving Women Up: which companies are doing the best job of getting women into the best-paid and most-responsible positions?
6.	Exceptional Child Care: news on options for child care at family-friendly companies
7.	Focus on Flexibility: every one of the WM 100 offers flextime. But many have gone beyond this. Read about what some companies have come up with and why they believe it's worth doing.
8.	Companies to Watch: these companies didn't make Working Mother'slist this year, but they're clearly making the right moves to help employees balance work and family responsibilities. Maybe next year will be their year.
9.	All-Time List: these are the companies who have made the list at least once during the thirteen years Working Motherhas been doing the survey.
10.	Frequently asked questions about the Working Mother Best 100 Companies.
11.	Nominate a company for next year.
12.	What work/life benefit would you most like to see provided by your company?