Wiiliamson County Submitted by: Sandy Thompson, PHR

This past week I attended an update meeting on the Families and Work Institute and SHRM’s joint initiative When Work Works. This is a nationwide initiative to bring research on workplace effectiveness and flexibility into community and business practice. In January 2012, WilcoHR hosted Lisa K. Horn, Co-Leader of SHRM’s Workplace Flexibilty Initiative program at our monthly meeting.

More research and information continues to be announced on the When Work Works program. At the core of this initiative of workplace flexibility is improving business results by giving people more control over their work time and schedules. Flex does not just mean variable hours, it takes in creating a culture for an effective workplace where realistic work patterns meet the needs of both the employers and employees.

It means:

Flex Time and Place: Regular or short notice flex time - Compressed workweeks

Telecommuting Time off: Paid vacations and sick leave - Time off for caregiving

Flex Careers Sabbaticals: Dialing careers up and down - Phased retirement

Choices in Managing Time: Self-scheduling and shift trading

Reduced Time: Part-time and part-year work

Culture of Flexibility: Supportive supervisors - Lack of jeopardy for working flexibly

This is not just a women’s issue. 45% of men report work-life conflict versus 39% of women. Yet women make up 50% of the workforce. Also, 1 in 2 employees expects to provide elder care in the next five years. Position Flexibility as a business strategy.

Workflex isn’t just a good thing to do for your employees it gives back to the employer by employees wanting to stay in their current job (79% to 44%) and 4 times as many employees are highly engaged at work. Not to mention that twice as many employees are in excellent health. So research has shown that workplace flexibility boosts productivity and reduces costs on the bottom line. WorkFlex is a proven contributor of performance, develop and retaining the best employees, job satisfaction, employee loyalty and employee wellness. It can also bring business continuity. Employees who have developed a routine of working remotely can help sustain an employer who has been caught in a natural disaster or experiences of inclement weather.

Human resource professionals can focus on the ROI in making the business case to top management. Review "Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work" and the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce, both available through Families & Work Institute or from SHRM "Workplace Flexibility in the 21st Century."

Human Resource professionals know that the key to getting the best out of every team member is a flexible work environment. Whether it is flexible schedules, job sharing, telecommuting, compressed workworks or phasing into retirement, we as human resource professionals are the guides to providing valuable resources on the importance of flexible workplaces.

As I mentioned earlier, in January 2012, WilcoHR hosted Lisa K. Horn, Co-Leader of SHRM’s Workplace Flexibility Initiative program at our monthly meeting to educate HR professionals in Williamson County about When Work Works. Now, 10 months later WilcoHR is proud to announce the name of two companies who applied and won the Alford P. Sloan Award.

Congratulations to Williamson County's first winners of the 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility, BDO USA and Ryan LLC, for their exemplary workplace practices!

Given by Families and Work Institute and the Society for Human Resource Management, the Sloan Award recognizes employers that have distinguished themselves in Williamson County and across the country. Winners are identified through a rigorous selection process, which involves an evaluation of employers' flexibility programs and practices (from telecommuting to job sharing to phased retirement programs) and a confidential employee survey.

"These employers use flexibility as an effective workplace strategy and, in doing so, help their employees meet their work and life needs and help the organization achieve strong business results," said Megan Potts, President-Elect of WilcoHR. "We congratulate them for being a role model for other businesses." WilcoHR will recognize recipients of the Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility at the December monthly meeting.

I encourage each of you to research and find solutions that will work within your company to become a member of the elite group of winners of the Alfred P. Sloan Award of Excellence.

Sandy Thompson, PHR
WilcoHR President 2012

The Methodist Hospital Wellness Services

Texas SHRM
P.O. Box 8058
Tyler, Texas 75711
www.texasshrm.org • info@texassshrm.org • 214-354-8740