October is National Work & Family Month
By: Allison Campbell, HR Coordinator
October 5, 2011
An individual's work life is a significant contribution to daily attitudes, relationships and overall well-being. In order to maintain a positive repore, a healthy balance between work and personal lives need to be established. Positive attitudes aligned with work and personal responsibilities create a foundation for employee loyalty and productivity. Fortune Magazine expressed that work-life effectiveness was going to be one of the most important business growth trends of the decade.
Since 2003, the month of October has been declared National Work & Family Month by the unanimous United States Senate Resolution 210. It is a national education campaign led by the Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP) and WorldatWork to raise awareness among employers about the value of work-life effectiveness as a business necessity. Resolution 210 goes on to say that work-life programs are key predictors of job satisfaction, commitment to employers, job satisfaction and retention. The AWLP encourages all employers and employees to pause once a year during the month of October to communicate and celebrate healthier and more flexible work environments.
There are several practices currently being used to encourage employees to strive for work-life balance. Some programs help employees learn how to handle stress and reduce stress levels; others promote physical wellness programs, healthy habits, or offer flexible work schedules.
Evidence suggests that improvements in employee work-life balance programs have a significant impact on employees in terms of retention/turnover, commitment and satisfaction, productivity and absenteeism. According to research conducted among more than 50,000 global workers by the Corporate Executive Board, work-life balance now ranks as one of the most important workplace attributes-second only to compensation. Also, employees who feel they have a satisfactory work-life balance tend to work 21% harder than those who do not.
The AWLP and members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives are continuing their efforts to support work-life balance in 2011. On September 26th, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about the importance of work-life balance during an event at the White House held to announce the National Science Foundation's Career-Life Balance Initiative. The initiative is a 10-year plan to provide greater work-related flexibility to men and women in research careers, and is a great example of taking steps to improve work-life conditions. Mrs. Obama applauded the NSF for taking "practical, commonsense steps" that will enable women and men to balance work and family. More information about the event can be found here.
October, the National Work & Family Month, is a great time for employees and employers to recognize the importance of work-life balance and taking steps towards improvement. Happy National Work & Family Month!