US Chamber of Commerce

Also See

• The Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility -- 2010 Winners Just Announced!
• 2009 Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work
• The Future of Workplace Flexibility
• Workplace Flexibility: Employers Respond to the Changing Workforce

Employers grappling with a shrinking labor force and a growing demand for skilled workers need to consider innovative strategies and resources when developing recruitment and retention policies. Workplace flexibility can be a powerful tool in the recruiting, retaining and advancing of qualified employees while enhancing businesses' competitive ability in a global economy.

Components of An Effective Workplace:

• Providing job autonomy
• Learning opportunities
• Supervisor support
• Coworker support
• Employee involvement in management decision-making
• Creating flexible workplaces

ICW, with the Families and Work Institute and the Twiga Foundation, is conducting a nationwide campaign to demonstrate the value of workplace flexibility as a sound business decision.

U.S. employers of all sizes, in the public and private sectors, for-profit and not-for-profit are eligible for the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility  An employer with a worksite located in one of the 26 participating When Work Works communities or states should select that community when registering to apply. An employer that does not have a worksite located in one of the participating communities may apply as an "at-large" applicant. Full details can be found here.

More about The Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility

Read Ellen Galinsky's March 23, 2010 testimony before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Ellen responds to H.R. 4855, The Work-Life Balance Award Act.

Created by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Families and Work Institute, this short video examines the case for workplace flexibility, both as a response to the changing needs of the U.S. workforce and as a strategy to help businesses recruit, retain, and increase the productivity of their workers.

Funder:      Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Partners:   Families and Work Institute 
                    Twiga Foundation

Workplace Flexibility in the News

• Ten Navy Commands Recognized for Workplace Flexibility (January 2011) -- Ten Navy commands were recognized as being some of the nation's best employers for workplace flexibility.
• Aurora (CO) State of the Chamber event serves as platform for presentation of 2010 Sloan Awards (January 2011) -- The Dec. 10 State of the Chamber breakfast served as an ideal occasion to present the 2010 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.
• Flex Time Flourishes in Accounting Industry (New York Times, Jan. 7, 2011) -- At Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, KPMG, and McGladrey, workplace flexibility has been built into the culture — even during crunch time.
• More Businesses Allowing Worker Flexibility (AZCentral.com, Dec. 4, 2010) -- From telecommuting to internal Craigslist-type websites, businesses across Arizona are getting creative to allow employees the flexibility they crave, a move business executives say also benefits the company.
• 10 Ways Companies Are Making Workplaces More Flexible (Huffington Post, Nov. 19, 2010) -- Many companies have come up with creative ways for employees to balance their lives and still be successful at their jobs. Read about 10 favorites here.

 Read Karen Elzey's blog about the March 31st White House forum on Workplace Flexibility

Contact:

Caitlin Ward
Coordinator, Programs and Communications
Ph.: 202-463-3171