News For You - Summer 2007

We have developed this page to give our visitors the opportunity to see what's new, at a glance, in the business world and how it relates to our program. Take a moment to browse and see what's of interest to you!

Dressed for Success
Report: Women give less in campaign donations
Gap widens in how moms view working
'Business casual' causes confusion
Building a Flexible Workplace

Dressed for Success

More than nine in 10 executives say a person’s style of dress either “somewhat” or “significantly” affects that individual’s chances of being promoted, according to a survey conducted by OfficeTeam, in Menlo Park, California.

Source: Human Resource Executive Online, March, 2007

Report: Women give less in campaign donations

Women control 51 percent of nation’s wealth, but account for just 27 percent of federal political donations, according to a report released yesterday by the Women’s Campaign Forum Foundation.

And, the percentage of campaign money from women hasn’t changed in a decade. One longtime Republican fund-raiser said women don’t give as much as men because they don’t see politics as big business the way men do. Democratic fund-raiser Blair MacInnes said female fund-raisers don’t like asking for money. While MacInnes said she believes campaigns should be publicly financed to reduce the influence of money on public policy, “this is the system we have….Women have to become comfortable with the rules.”

Always thirsty for new money, presidential campaigns are trying to tap into the reservoir of female donors. One of the area’s most prolific fund-raisers was recently held by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Philadelphia. The event was to kick off the DCCC’s effort to “make sure that women understand how important it is for women to be in the mix and not just let the boys be the ones who write the checks,” said Daniel McElhatton, chief of staff for Allyson Schwartz (D., Pa.).

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, June 12, 2007

Gap widens in how moms view working

Just when you thought the mommy wars were over, a new study finds the divide has grown in the past decade between employed and stay-at-home moms. However, it finds one area where both concur: working full time is less appealing than it used to be.

Researchers have attributed a combination of factors that have deepened the split, including the trend toward “intensive parenting” at the same time employers are demanding more of their workers.

The study, released by the Pew Research Center, compares responses of 414 mothers of kids under 18. Ten years ago, 38% of at-home moms and 39% of working moms said it was a bad trend that more mothers of young children were employed. Now, 44% of at-home mothers say it’s bad, while 34% of working moms say it’s bad.

Working part time is ideal, say 60% of working moms and 48% of at-home moms. However, in 2006, only 24% of working mothers worked part time.

Source: USA Today, July 12, 2007

'Business casual' causes confusion

Business casual has become a staple of the office, but as summer heats up and fashion trends become even more laid back, employers are wrestling with how to adopt dress-code policies that encourage both productivity and professionalism.

Largely popularized by the dot-com craze in Silicon Valley, six in 10 employers allow a dress-down day at least once a week, according to a survey by the Society for Human Resource Management. However, a backlash is brewing: The number of employers allowing casual dress days every day has plunged from 53% in 2002 to a new low of 38%.

The reason for the return to more dressed-up attire is, in part, because of the confusion generated by business casual standards. Should flip-flops be allowed? What about tennis shoes or jeans? Younger employees are more likely to push the envelope, rankling more veteran generations who have long worked in offices where ties and skirts were expected no matter the day of the week.

Despite the push toward a more dressed-up workplace, employer policies still run the gamut. “The pendulum has swung,” says CEO Jonathan Bloom. “We went through a too-casual period… In the aftermath of the dot-com bubble, we tightened things up a little. When we were very casual, the quality of the work wasn’t as good.”

The mishmash of conflicting policies has created general confusion and a host of fashion faux pas. Fifty-five percent of employees consider tank tops and exposed undergarments in the season’s top work-wear mishaps, according to an April survey by Monster, an online career and recruitment resource. Nearly 30% cited flip-flops, while just 8% were put off by Hawaiian-print shirts.

Source: USAToday, July 2007

Building a Flexible Workplace

Catalyst defines flexibility in its broadest terms: variations in the time and place of work, in both the short- and long-term, on a formal and/or informal basis.

A number of recent changes affecting the corporate world have increased the need for workplace flexibility and helped move flexibility to the forefront of organizations’ agendas. First of all, technological tools—such as voicemail and email—make it possible for employees to work almost anywhere and anytime, but at the same time, diminishing boundaries between work and personal time lead to overwork. Additionally, demographic shifts—such as the influx of women into the workplace and the dramatic increase in dual-career couples in the workplace—have changed the profile of the typical employee and his/her work/life needs. In the midst of all these trends, the new generation of employees comes to work with different expectations about what work means to them, the role it plays in their lives, and how work is defined.

Flexibility is a powerful—and often underutilized—tool for becoming an employer of choice and increasing work productivity and effectiveness. Offering flexibility allows companies to recruit the best talent and retain experienced and valuable employees. It also helps to boost employee satisfaction, engagement, and morale. In addition, flexibility shines the spotlight on leadership capabilities such as crystallizing and communicating priorities, setting the stage for thoughtfully executing plans, encouraging teamwork and coordination, and harnessing employee talents to drive results.

Historically, flexibility has been treated as an accommodation created in response to an individual’s needs. But Catalyst finds that when businesses approach flexibility proactively, then can design flexible arrangements that suit the needs of both the individual and the business.

Flexibility is about being creative and staying focused on what’s important. Organizations now have the challenge—and the opportunity—to use flexibility as a means to improve outmoded work practices.

Source: Catalyst, July 2007

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