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Baby blues
The Economist
November 26, 2011
http://www.economist.com/node/21539925 A juggler’s guide to having it all Maternity Buddies: Staying Linked to the Workplace
Globe and Mail
Leah Eichler
November 18, 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/leah-eichler/maternity-buddies-staying-linked-to-the-workplace/article2241974/ We want our work force to feel empowered to make important life choices, such as building a family, safe in the knowledge their professional development will not be negatively affected. Men have Lives Too
Diversity Magazine
Kathleen M Lingle
November 2011
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/mediatec/de_20111112/#/44 Shattering the myth that work- life support is for women or wimps can improve the bottom line by engaging the entire workforce. Stop casting work-life balance as a women's issue
Globe and Mail
Leah Eichler
September 2, 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/leah-eichler/stop-casting-work-life-balance-as-a-womens-issue/article2147142/ Although biology dictates that women bear children, research shows that men are increasingly struggling with working a second shift at home. This trend bodes well for career women who aim to even out their domestic workload with their partner. It also adds men to the work-life equation, turning this from a “women's issue” to just another element that career-minded individuals must jointly manage. Linking gender to this issue damages women’s hard-earned credibility by insinuating that employers need to go easy only on female employees. That's hardly equality, and employers must acknowledge that. Promote Work Life Equality
Diversity Executive
September 27, 2011
www.diversity-executive.com/article.php?article=1306 Achieving work-life balance is a give and take decision-making process where the employee and organization work to ensure both parties get what they need. Will working from home hinder your productivity and hurt your image?
Selena Dehne
msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2628-Flexwork-Freelance-and-PT-Will-working-from-home-hinder-your-productivity-and-hurt-your-image/ There are two key questions to ask yourself when evaluating these issues. Working from Home: Productivity Driver or Drainer?
Telecommuting Journal
Sept 18, 2011
telecommutingjournal.com/working-from-home-productivity-driver-or-drainer/1322 Telecommuters are working longer hours now than before the recession, according to a new CareerBuilder survey. But how many are coming up short of a full day’s work? US Survey: 1 in 5 telecommuters work an hour or less a day
The A Register
Brid-Aine Parnell
September 20, 2011
www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/20/pjs_every_day/print.html To avoid situations where telecommuters aren’t putting in the necessary time, managers need to be clear about expectations and establish daily objectives. The autonomy of working from home can be very rewarding as long as it doesn’t diminish productivity. Work-life balance finally fulfills its promise
Special feature of Fortune Magazine This feature, sponsored by the Alliance for Work-Life Progress, discussed flexibility as a tool to keep talent on board and also to get people to do what they need to d http://awlp.org/awlp/pub/TR_Section_2006.pdf Making Time Off Predictable -- & Required
Leslie A Perlow and Jessica L Porter
Harvard Business Review , October 2009 People in professional services believe a 24/7 work ethic is essential for getting ahead, and so they work 60-plus hours a week and are slaves to their BlackBerrys. The authors’ research in several offices of the Boston Consulting Group, however, suggests that consultants and other professionals can meet the highest standards of service and still have planned, uninterrupted time off—whether in good economic times or bad. Here’s how: Impose a strict mechanism for taking time off, encourage lots of talk about what’s working and what isn’t, promote experimentation with different ways of working, and ensure top-level support. To review an excerpt of the article hbr.org/product/making-time-off-predictable-and-required/an/R0910M-PDF-ENG You can also purchase a single copy PDF. How Gen Y & Boomers Will Reshape Your Agenda
Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Laura Sherbin and Karen Sumberg
Harvard Business Review , July – August 2009 Two large surveys of college graduates reveal remarkable similarities in workplace preferences between Baby Boomers and Generation Y—the oldest and youngest groups in the emerging workforce. Both Boomers and Gen Ys want to contribute to society through their labor; seek flexible working arrangements; value social connections at work and loyalty to a company; and prize other rewards of employment over monetary compensation. Given the large size of these generational cohorts—relative to Generation X, which lies between them—their workplace demands have significant practical implications for how employers should design work environments to attract and keep talent. To review an excerpt of the article hbr.org/2009/07/how-gen-y--boomers-will-reshape-your-agenda/ar/1 You can also purchase a single copy PDF. Work-Life Balance
Doing it Right and Avoiding the Pitfalls
Jim Bird
Reprint of article accepted for publication in Employment Relations Today, Autumn 2006 The demand for work-life-balance solutions by employees and managers is expanding at an unprecedented rate. As a result, work-life balance is an increasingly hot topic in boardrooms and government halls today. It has become one of the most important issues that executives and human resource professionals will be expected to manage. This article provides the methods for you to accelerate the implementation of a very successful work-life strategy within your organization. www.worklifebalance.com/assets/pdfs/article3.pdf On the Cover: Understanding Gen Y in the CA Profession
Amy Lam, CA and Lesley MacGregor
Beyond Numbers May 2008 This article summarizes results of research undertaken by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia with young CAs in firms of all sizes and industry. www.ica.bc.ca/kb.php3?pageid=4181 Father's Use of Parental Leave
Katherine Marshall
Statistics Canada, 2008 In 2001, shareable parental leave benefits under the federal Parental Benefits Program increased from 10 to 35 weeks, and in 2006 Quebec introduced its Parental Insurance Program. These changes led to a significant increase in the number of fathers claiming paid parental leave benefits. Between 2000 and 2006, the proportion of fathers claiming parental benefits jumped from 3% to 20%. The most common reasons for fathers not claiming the benefits were family choice, difficulty taking time off work and financial issues. www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75-001-x/2008106/article/10639-eng.htm The Work Life Balance Sheet So Far
John Lewison
Journal of Accountancy, August 2006 Work life balance is a crucial factor in getting and keeping staff, and successful programs are addressing a wider range of contemporary needs — from child care to elder care. Some firms are customizing the partner path: others are making managers accountable for setting an example. www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2006/Aug/
Workaholics have to learn to just say no
Virginia Galt, Globe and Mail
Published : October 12, 2007 It's a familiar rant: I have no life because I'm working all the time. Well, take the time back and get a life, admonishes Chris Higgins, a professor at the University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business and co-author of a ground-breaking series of reports on work-life balance. "I don't think organizations are the problem any more. It's us… we just can't say no," says Prof. Higgins, who, along with fellow researcher Linda Duxbury, a business professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, has chronicled the problems associated with work-life conflict for more than a decade. Ironically, some of the most common strategies employees use to try to balance their work and personal lives are to prioritize — usually at the expense of families — and "to work harder, and try to do it all." Instead of negotiating more manageable workloads, many working Canadians toil through lunch in order to leave at a decent time, take work home with them, or stay in touch with the office from the sidelines of their children's sporting events. www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/
RTGAM.20071012.wcoach1013/BNStory/Business/ Nero Fiddling
Higgins and Duxbury Higgins is a Professor at the Ivey Business School, and Duxbury a Professor at Carlton's Sprott School of Business. "As baby boomers retire, we are moving into a sellers' market where talent is scarce and jobs more plentiful," says Duxbury. "As this happens, managing work-life balance will become a huge issue." In their research, Higgins and Duxbury conducted two massive surveys in 1991 and 2000, and compared the results. Their findings were clear: people are experiencing more and more stress as they try to juggle family and career. There are an increasing number of dual career families and single parents who have both child and elder care responsibilities. Despite this, people are working longer hours than ever before. www.ivey.uwo.ca/publications/impact/Vol13No2-Higgins.htm National Study on Balancing Work, Family and Lifestyle
This series of reports have demonstrated that work-life balance is important to individual employees, the organizations that they work for, the families that support and rely on them, and the society in which they live. They have also established that the proportion of the Canadian workforce reporting high levels of work-life conflict increased substantively between 1991 and 2001. The final report delves into who is most at risk for conflict stress and for this there is no easy answer. Report 1 : The 2001 National Work-Life Conflict Study (March 2002)
Report 2 : Work-Life conflict in Canada in the New Millennium — A Status Report (October 2003)
Report 3 : Exploring the Link between Work-Life Conflict and Demands on Canada's Health Care System (March 2004)
Report 4 : Who is at risk? Predictors or Work-Life Conflict (September 2005) www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/publicat/work-travail/index.html Wake Up Canada: Put on the Coffee, Your Slippers and Work from Home!
Charlene Levis Given the escalating concerns about global warming, it is surprising that there has not been more discussion about the potential environmental benefits of working from home. www.worklife.ca/images/Global_Letter.pdf Balancing Two Career Households
Lisa Martin Logistical acrobatics is the best way I can describe the daily process families undertake to get moms, dads and kids to the right place — work, daycare, school, play dates and appointments — at the right time. As a working parent in a two-career couple, I know life can feel like a constant negotiation of household and transportation responsibilities. Let's look at some ways you can smooth out the dual career battle lines. www.casource.com/memberGlobal/
initViewArticleAction.do?id=103743&=en_CA Balancing Work and Life
Workers look for professional and personal success in their jobs. The Internet has transformed the way we do business, and accountants are witnessing the evolution of the financial world every day. The accounting world is also experiencing other dramatic changes. Professionals are saying they want more than success in the office; they also want satisfaction in their lives. Accounting firms have begun to understand that in order for today's new breed of professional to produce the highest-quality work they have to produce a happy employee — one who has a fulfilling career and personal life. www.casource.com/employerGlobal/
initViewArticleAction.do?id=100640&=en_CA May 2007: Work-life balance rickety at the top of the ladder Executives who have spent years climbing and conquering the career ladder aren't finding a balanced lifestyle when they reach the top. This survey of 1311 executives from around the world contains some interesting observations on work life quality. www.casource.com/memberGlobal/initViewArticleAction.do?id
=103062#trust For Mothers Returning to Work, Companies Roll Out the Welcome Mat
Candice Choi Once regarded as a career setback, taking extended time off work to care for children is no longer a liability as businesses fight to hold onto valuable female executives. A growing number of companies are rolling out lavish welcome mats for returning women, offering a spate of options that ease the transition back. www.cbc.ca/cp/Home+Family/070814/U081433AU.html Flat Out and Fed Up
Why Depression is becoming one of the biggest work life balance issues The link between depression and work life balance may not seem immediately obvious, but there is no doubt that it is a growing problem for many people. This article looks at why that may be, what it means for us all and also gives some strategies to battle this debilitating condition www.worklifebalancecentre.org/depression.pdf Work Life Balance — An Overview A balanced life is one where we spread our energy and effort - emotional, intellectual, imaginative, spiritual and physical – between key areas of importance. The neglect of one or more areas, or anchor points, may threaten the vitality of the whole. www.worklifebalancecentre.org/nickhalpinl.php A Father's Day Question – Do Workplaces Need to Be More Father Friendly
Jay Schleifer Fatherhood advocates maintain that widening work/life balance programs to address more of fathers' needs has payback for both families and employers hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/archive/2007/06/13/
father_friendly_workplace_work_life_balance_paternity_leave.aspx KPMG foots bill for bundle of joy
The Bottom Line Vol. 23, No. 9 Fifteen months ago, KPMG chartered accountant David Downie and his wife Teresa of Toronto returned from Guangdong Province in China, proud parents of a newly adopted 10-month-old baby girl. They also came back to a small mountain of bills from the adoption process. When the couple tallied them, they found expenses for the adoption amounted to $18,500.Luckily, David's employer picked up the tab for all expenses related to the adoption process. KPMG had overhauled its benefit package and raised its provisions for adoptive couples, so the Downies were eligible to claim up to $20,000 for related expenses. www.thebottomlinenews.ca/index.php?section=article
&articleid=264 The breaking point: When your work and your life are truly out of whack, it's unbearable. One woman's story of wreckage and recovery Celia Milne, National Post
Published: Thursday, February 01, 2007 www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=a460b424-b51c
-4088-8c8a-d5a219ae2ae1&p=2 Financial Post Special Report: Canada's Top 100 Employers – 2007 This special section outlines the best places to apply in 2007, and also the top ten companies to work for. These companies all have 'a great working environment'. This section contains articles relating to the programs many of these employers have in place. Articles include: (i) Top 10 Employers
What does it take to make the Financial Post Top 10 Employers in Canada? media.selectminds.com/Top10_profit_from_peoplefirst_policy.pdf (ii) Top 10 profit from 'people first' policy
Peter Koven What does it take to make the Financial Post Top 10 Employers in Canada? Companies names in the 2006 awards outline their approaches in this article.
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=fb5b6948-
ac41-4778-afb4-9e96c6a94b7e (iii) Accountants win in talent war: Three accounting firms among top employers Like many service industries where success is so dependant on the employees, the biggest accounting firms have long been at the forefront of training programs, progressive employee benefits and work-life balance trends. They offer generous maternity packages and opportunities for travel, for instance. Now they also offer more. www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=ec70520a-2b8e
-4b1e-b477-775ec0dd0b41 Home-based Employees: 8 strategies for Success
By Lindy Barr Batdork Everyone wins when trusted employees are offered the opportunity of working at home. The key to success is careful planning and strategic management of the telecommuting arrangements. This article provides tips on how to successfully offer the flexibility of working at home to the benefit of both your organization and its employees. www.cica.ca/download.cfm?ci_id=46030&la_id=1&re_id=0 The Top 40 Places Gen Y want to Work The ‘From Learning to Work’ 2008 survey, released in September 2008, is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Canada. What do graduating students consider the most desirable places to work? works.workopolis.com/generationy/ Making It Work: How Three CAs Approach the Work Life Challenge
Beyond Numbers, Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia
November 2008 This article profiles three members in British Columbia and how they approach the work life challenge. www.ica.bc.ca/kb.php3?pageid=4254 Become the CEO of Your Life
Dr. Ellen Ernst Kossek and Dr. Brenda Lautsch
Beyond Numbers, Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia
November 2008 Based on extensive research and their own experiences juggling work and life responsibilities, they created tips to help professionals effectively manage, organize, and assume control over their own lives—thereby helping them find peace and eliminate the stress and out-of-control feelings that plague so many. www.ica.bc.ca/kb.php3?pageid=4252 Flexible Work Arrangements A sub-committee of the APEGM Women in Engineering Advisory Committee (WEAC) has prepared a document to provide information to members of APEGM about flexible working arrangements. The document is intended to serve as a reference tool for professional engineers and their employers when considering flexible workplace arrangements. Such arrangements assist men and women wishing to balance their work and personal commitments such as family, community, education, professional development, religion and general interests. www.apegm.mb.ca/practice/infomem/flexwork2.pdf Flexible work arrangements seen to reduce workers’ income but will save their jobs Amid the prospects of retrenchments and factory closures, the Department of Labor and Employment in the Phillipines has come up with flexible work arrangements to preserve workers’ jobs. Such a measure is contained in Department Advisory 2, which defines flexible work arrangements as alternative arrangements of schedules, departing from the traditional or standard work hours, workdays and workweek. businessmirror.com.ph Can a downturn give you better work-life balance? Businesses in Australia are being creative in their quest to retain staff despite the worsening financial crisis, with many reducing workers' hours and having them use up their holiday leave and other entitlements, instead of sacking them. smallbusiness.smh.com.au/managing/management/
can-a-downturn-give-you-better-work-life-balance-907163376.html Death by Overwork: Motivation for Work/Life Balance
This article contains tips for maintaining a work life balance both within the officeplace and in traditional non-working hours. http://www.barrymaher.com/motivation_for_balance.htm Working Dad: Work-life balance is suffering from economic stress The nation's widening recession is reshaping the lives of working parents, disrupting not only their fragile balance of job and family but how they think about that elusive goal. It turns out working parents are hurting themselves by asking for less in an economy that seems to get worse by the week. So far, evidence is anecdotal -- sweeping research of workplace trends won't arrive for a while -- but those stories and economic history are compelling. History suggests that when our economy slumps, employers gain an edge in setting the rules of work, thanks to the basic economics of supply and demand. seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/400749_dad20.html Examine Your Work-Life Balance This article, written from the perspective of a lawyer, makes the point that we are responsible—for restoring our balance by reducing the width of the chasm that exists between the life we dream of and the life we are presently living. www.thecompletelawyer.com/professional-development/
examine-your-work-life-balance-2840.html Flexible work arrangements ride US economic tides While flexible work arrangements are nothing new, in tough economic times some companies use telecommuting or job sharing to attract, keep and encourage employees, experts say. uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/
idUKN2932784020090130 Retiring Boomers Prompt Increased Employer Interest in Phased Retirement Programs A recent Hewitt Associates survey find that concerns about retirement income needs make phased retirement programs attractive options for both employers and workers. To prevent the baby boomers from leaving the workforce en masse, more than half of the 171 employers polled are offering phased retirement programs, such as reduced workdays/workweeks, job sharing, flex time and consulting. www.hewittassociates.com/Intl/NA/en-US/AboutHewitt/
Newsroom/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?cid=5451 Work Life Balance – an Overview A balanced life is one where we spread our energy and effort - emotional, intellectual, imaginative, spiritual and physical — between key areas of importance. The neglect of one or more areas, or anchor points, may threaten the vitality of the whole. www.worklifebalancecentre.org/nickhalpinl.php Opportunity and Balance: Is Your Organization Ready to Provide Both? The AICPA's Work/Life and Women's Initiatives Executive Committee in 2004 conducted national surveys of CPAs and other accounting professionals in public accounting and in business and industry. (Similar surveys were conducted in 1997 and 2000.) The 2004 surveys yielded responses from 681 public accounting firms of all sizes, 674 CPAs in public accounting and 779 CPAs in business and industry. The objective was to determine the availability, operation and acceptance of work/life and professional development programs. www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2005/May/
OpportunityAndBalanceIsYourOrganizationReadyToProvideBoth.htm A Case for Workplace Flexibility The Association for Work/Life Progress (AWLP) defines work/life in the following way: "The term 'work-life,' in the broader sense, defines 'policies, programs, services, and attitudes within a company that are specific to fostering the well-being of its employees through the effective management of work, family, and personal life." This article discusses why do it, what organizations are doing it and what employers are saying. familiesandwork.org/3w/links/case_for_flexibility.doc At Your Service: How a Personal Concierge Can Help Employers, Employees Manage the Work-Life Equation by Kathy Sherbrooke This article notes that by helping employees off-load some of their to-dos, employers can save employees time and reduce work place stress. www.circles.com/news/workspan.pdf Using Technology to Create and Support Flexible Work Environments By Rick Boyink Aside from giving workers a bigger salary, there are a number of ways to increase employee satisfaction, including implementing or improving flexible workplace programs. In this digital age of instant information, the technology options available to companies with remote or mobile workers are practically endless. www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=34864 Keeping Good People in Bad Times K Michael Janas
Workspan Digital Magazine November 2009 A recession can be an opportunity to build employee loyalty and cohesiveness. Such times give human resources a golden opportunity and a mandate to help support workforce stability so the company will keep the employees it needs to prosper during better times. This article outlines the important strategic areas on which HR can concentrate in order to successfully retain and motivate talent in today’s tough economy. www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=35442 Turning to Telework in Times of Disaster Eddie Caine
Workspan Digital Magazine November 2009
Telework — bringing the work to the worker, instead of the worker to the work — can make business continuity possible during a disaster, but it must be well planned. The key to surviving a disaster is to develop clear response and recovery plans, practice those plans, and update them regularly as circumstances change. This article answers common questions and concerns about instituting a telework plan.
www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=35447 Wellness Programs Becoming a Top Objective for Businesses
Improving productivity by keeping employees healthy and working is becoming the top business objective for employer-sponsored wellness programs around the world, according to a recent wellness survey. According to Buck Consultants’ third annual global wellness survey, WORKING WELL: A Global Survey of Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Strategies, the two exceptions are the United States, where reducing health care cost increases overwhelmingly continues to be the top goal, and Asia, where the most important objective is improving workforce morale. www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimComment?id=35589 CICA CAmagazine articles Different generations, same objectives By Douglas Watt
May 2010 The implications of intergenerational workplace conflict prompted The Conference Board of Canada to investigate the similarities and differences among Baby Boom, Generation X, and Generation Y workers. Along with an extensive review of other studies, the board conducted its own survey of more than 900 Canadian workers (including at least 300 from each of the three generations). Respondents were asked what they thought about the workplace characteristics of their own and other generations (e.g., adaptability, manageability and loyalty), as well as the respondents’ own personal characteristics (e.g., personality, communication preferences and social interaction). Balance. All generations say they seek work-life balance. Gen Xers and Gen Yers feel they are slightly more likely to seek work-life balance than their boomer colleagues. As well, each generation perceives Gen Xers and Gen Yers to have a greater preference for informality in the workplace than boomers. www.camagazine.com/generations/default.aspx It’s a wonderful life December 2009 Business owners have the highest overall well-being of all occupational groups, followed closely by professionals (including accountants) and managers, according to a 2009 Gallup poll. www.camagazine.com/archives/print-edition/2009/dec/upfront/bits-and-bites/camagazine31699.aspx |
