Alliance for Work-Life Progress Survey: A Majority of Employers Say Workers Can Address Personal or Family Issues on Company Time.SCOTTSDALE Scottsdale, city (1990 pop. 130,069), Maricopa co., central Ariz.; settled in 1895 by Winfield Scott, inc. 1951. It is a resort and retirement center in the Phoenix metropolitan area. , Ariz. -- Fifty-six percent of survey participants allow employees to address personal or family issues on company time, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a recent survey by WorldatWork, the Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP AWLP Alliance for Work Life Progress ), and researchers from Portland State University. In response to the new survey data, Anne Ruddy rud·dy adj. rud·di·er, rud·di·est 1. a. Having a healthy, reddish color. b. Reddish; rosy. 2. , president of WorldatWork, said, "It seems that employers are realizing that allowing employees to work flexible schedules and handle some of their personal needs at work can improve both employee satisfaction and bottom line results." A total of 552 members from WorldatWork and AWLP completed the survey in August 2005. Survey participants were compensation, work-life and human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. professionals who work in a diverse mix of organizations and industries. While the survey findings are encouraging for workers, the data also show that there is still progress to be made before use of flexible work schedules becomes commonplace, rather than an individual accommodation for employees with special circumstances special circumstances n. in criminal cases, particularly homicides, actions of the accused or the situation under which the crime was committed for which state statutes allow or require imposition of a more severe punishment. . While 95 percent of survey respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. said their organization offers some type of flexible scheduling, substantially smaller percentages report that flexible options are actually used by a majority of employees. What explains the gap between the availability of flexible work schedules and its actual usage? "Employers grasp the strong business case for implementing flexible work arrangements, and are making the programs available, but cultural acceptance within individual organizations still lags behind," said Kathie Lingle, director of AWLP. About one in three organizations surveyed said their office cultures still do not encourage the use of flexible schedules. About 40 percent indicated support for employees needing work time for personal issues is highly dependent on the individual supervisors. To close the gap between availability of flexible scheduling and actual practice by employees, Lingle believes that communication and training are necessary: "Organizational leaders need to visibly communicate their support of flexible work and provide training about the issues for HR professionals and supervisors. Without training, the positive outcomes of flexible work can never be realized," she said. For a complimentary copy of the full survey report, please contact Jeffrey Kros at 480-922-2027 or via e-mail at jkros@worldatwork.org. |
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