Corporate Voices Begins National Workplace Flexibility Campaign
June 29, 2010 
12 Comments
Corporate Voices for Working Families has begun a national campaign to engage the business community and create a broader awareness of the positive business and employee benefits of workplace flexibility. The campaign was launched at the White House at the first-ever Forum on Workplace Flexibility in March, and it will encourage businesses to become “Business Champions” for flexibility by signing a Statement of Support for Expanding Workplace Flexibility. By doing so, they will express support for flexibility in their own organizations and in the wider business community.
Valerie Jarrett, senor advisor and assistant to the President for intergovernmental affairs and public engagement, and chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, said at the Forum, “We are pleased that Corporate Voices for Working Families has come up with a challenge for the business community. It’s a challenge in which businesses will encourage their peers to adopt smart practices that provide workplace flexibility. This will help us pave the way to the creative workplaces of the future.”
Since the White House Forum, Corporate Voices has, with the generous support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, created a Partner Coalition to expand this campaign on a national level to make flexibility part of the “new normal” in the workplace. The members of Corporate Voices’ Partner Coalition are: Families and Work Institute, Society for Human Resource Management, WFD Consulting, Working Mother Media/Bonnier Group, and WorldatWork. These are organizations that are recognized for their business case research in the work/life field, their thought leadership, and their policy efforts in the work/life area. Several others are also in the process of finalizing their commitment to join the Coalition.
The increasing numbers of Americans working and going to school, caring for children or the elderly, or working two jobs to make ends meet have created the need for a fundamental shift in workplace culture so that people can meet the needs of both their employers and their families. Flexible workplace policies and practices make this possible–from compressed workweeks and job-sharing to telecommuting and working from satellite locations, flexibility enables workers to better balance work and life. In so doing, they lead to increased employee commitment and engagement, and ultimately, business productivity and profitability.
Businesses that are part of the campaign will join a cohort of leading best-practice corporate champions that recognize that workplace flexibility benefits business profitability, the lives of working families, and America’s economic competitiveness. “Business Champions” will be recognized by the White House, will be invited to regional special events throughout the year celebrating workplace flexibility, and will receive a “Business Champion” seal and logo to recognize their status as supporters of this campaign.
Corporate Voices has created the workplace flexibility logo and seal for businesses to raise awareness about the importance of workplace flexibility in helping families manage work and life in the 21st century, and to stress how critical flexibility is for business productivity and competitiveness.
“Businesses that are thinking about the future and want to be globally competitive are embracing workplace flexibility as a core leadership tool that enables people to meet work and personal responsibilities. All the Business Champions in the campaign believe that flexibility benefits workers at every level–from hourly to professional staff,” said Donna Klein, executive chair and founder of Corporate Voices for Working Families.
When they sign the Statement of Support for Expanding Workplace Flexibility, businesses will commit to the following principles: to actively communicate the business imperative for workplace flexibility; to expand flexibility within their own organizations as a tool to advance business results; to support managers in strengthening skills for managing flexibility; and to build workplaces in which flexibility is broadly and equitably implemented and available to employees at every level.
For more information and for weekly updates on the Workplace Flexibility Campaign, please visit: www.corporatevoices.org/our-work/flexcampaign.
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This White House is going to recognize workplace flexibility, with the unemployment rate at 10% and 20 million people out of work they would be better served if they created a climate for job growth and help turn this economy around.
Good point Bud Angel I hope that the White House recongizes this and works harder to address the unemployment rate.
I’m for anything that helps create jobs. Hopefully this will be a success and lead to more job openings worldwide in the near future.
I hope this and other programs like this equals immediate jobs! I’ve been searching for over a month with no real promising prospects.
Flexible workplace policies and practices ease the task of Americans taking up two jobs, taking care of job and family from compressed workweeks and job-sharing to telecommuting and working from satellite locations, thereby enabling workers to better balance work and life.
When I saw Valerie Jarrett’s name at the top of the article I immediately though of the Rod Blagojevich trial in Chicago. I’m pretty sure she is right in the middle of that, so her credibility went right out the window with me.
Workplace flexibility is important, but I’m not sure forcing companies to mandate this is the best idea in the current economic climate.
Anything that makes it easier for your employer and employees to work efficiently I am 100% behind! Thanks for sharing the news!
The white house should focus more on the unemployment rate then recognizing big companies that are joining a coalition on workplace flexibility. How is that going to help unemployed americans provide for themselves or for their loved ones.
Great topic! In my opinion, everyone wins when employers offer workplace flexibility for their employees. Employees need to take care of family,children and a million other things.
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