Corporate Work-Life Initiatives

A recent article by Jeff Stimpson entitled, "The New Equilibrium: Work-Life Balance" brought to my attention some innovative policies that companies have put in place to help employees deal with the issue of work-life balance. Policies such as:

• Flexible work hours such as offering longer work days resulting in shorter work weeks (4 day work weeks)


• Allow employees to come in later and stay longer (adjusting schedule to school and daycare hours)


• Three days of paid funeral leave, generous paid time-off, and the ability to work offsite


• Offering Blackberries with combined cell phone service to anyone who requests them enabling instantaneous call forwarding and message retrieval providing the ability for off-site work to be completed from anywhere with Internet access


• Offering part-time hours for employees and/or work-sharing


• On-site babysitting/childcare


• Three to six months of parental leave after childbirth – (yes, this goes for Father's too)


• Providing childcare on Saturdays during busy season and allowing employees the option to take time off (comp. time) instead of being paid overtime

If your organization does not have policies or programs in place to assist with the growing work-life balance issue, take the opportunity to bring up the issue with your boss or place a note in the suggestion box. Organizations that have work-life balance programs are finding that recruitment and employee retention increases thus offsetting the potential cost. It also makes sense that employees would be more focused and productive.

Speeding Isn't the Answer

I had to laugh. The article got my attention when it said, "Running behind the clock?" The main point in the article was that driving faster to get somewhere quicker was relatively futile. The statistic given by the National Traffic Safety Institute was that if you drive 10 miles at 7o mph versus 55 mph, you only save 55 seconds-less than a minute!

One solution I have found that works is to call the person expecting me for the meeting if I know I am going to be late. When telling my anticipated arrival time (after apologizing for being tardy), I normally add a 10-15 minute cushion. Two benefits are created. One is that if there are any other traffic tie ups or delays, I'll still be on time. The second benefit is that if I don't encounter any more delays, I'll actually arrive "earlier" than anticipated and they will be pleased.

Never Miss An Act In Your Circus

While having my car serviced the other day, I waded through the stack of magazines on the table, looking for something of interest. I found an issue of AARP magazine (yes, the one for retired peope) with an interesting article entitled, Never Get Sick! While I don't plan on being retired for at least two decades, I did see value in learning from those who have lived longer, healthier lives.The article gave 6 ways to increase your immunity and safeguard your health. The six given were:

• Smile when you say that. Research suggests 15 minutes of laughter daily may help prevent a heart attack.
• Bring up Bowser. Owning a pet has been shown to create lower cholesterol levels and improve recovery after heart attacks, even when exercise among both groups was the same. Even watching fish has been shown to reduce stress levels and the onset of Alzheimer's deterioration.
• You snooze-you win. Restful sleep is a key component of a person's overall well-being.
• Read a book. Keep your mind as sharp as possible.
• Read a label. Pay attention to the labels on the food you eat. When eating, realize that different flavor categories stimulate different brain cells. The more cell areas stimulated in a meal, the more food you need to eat to feel full. (Article explained that's why you can be full of meat and potatoes but somehow still have room for dessert.)
• Gaze at your navel. Practice tai chi, which improves flexibility and mood. Practice meditation. These are ways to improve your body's immune system.

For Your Amusement

Ever need just a minute of humor in your day? Try http://www.funnysign.com/ or http://www.funnysigns.com/. You won't necessarily find yourself rolling on the floor with laughter, but even a chuckle may be the distraction you need when working on a really tough act.

Turn the Bell Off!

This is a trap that I have found myself completely caught in. I am working on a project on my computer and all of a sudden I hear the familiar "dah duh, dah duh" of my email box announcing that I've got mail. Curious, I stop what I am doing and checkout what has just arrived. Or even worse, a little window pops up with, "Message from Wendy". I wonder, "What does Wendy have to say?". Fifteen minutes later I am finished responding to Wendy and a few other messages that have arrived. I am now totally derailed from what I have been doing on my project.

Email is a wonderful tool but it also can be a MAJOR interrupter and time waster. Try turning the bell and popup off. If email is critical to what you do at work, schedule a consistent time (like the top of the hour) to check email. Otherwise, fight the urge to check email too often-maybe only check it 2-3 times a day. You will be surprised how your focus will increase as well as your productivity.