Corporate Voices: Early Care and Education Principles

Corporate Voices for Working Families and Business Roundtable are calling for a renewed emphasis on high-quality early care and education and a commitment to focusing resources on the first five years of life.

 In a newly released policy paper – “Why America Needs High-Quality Early Care and Education” – the two business advocacy organizations outlined six interconnected principles for assessing existing early education programs; considering philanthropic priorities; evaluating policy proposals on pre-kindergarten, Head Start and other programs; and formulating policy positions. The policy paper is available on the Corporate Voices for Working Families Web site.

 “The investments in early childhood education provide significant benefits to individuals, employers and our nation’s economy,” Donna Klein, president and founder of Corporate Voices for Working Families, said. “Concentrating on the first five years of life is essential for meeting the education and development needs of young people and helping American businesses remain competitive in today’s challenging global economy.”

“The commitment by forward-looking leaders from business, government and education to high-quality early childhood education provides an opportunity to make sure children enter school ready to learn,” Edward B. Rust, Jr., chairman & CEO, State Farm Insurance Companies, and issue leader, Pre-K-12 Education, Business Roundtable, said. “Investments in quality early education, with a particular focus on children most at risk, are a wise and safe investment in our nation’s success.”

“Why America Needs High-Quality Early Care and Education” was released in conjunction with the W.K. Kellogg national forum, held in Washington March 30-31. The Corporate Voices for Working Families and Business Roundtable statement of principles, originally developed in 2003, was updated to reflect the latest research and trends involving early childhood education, lessons from K-12 education reform efforts and applicable lessons from the nation’s experience in building a voluntary system of higher education.

Corporate Voices: Expanding National Service

The Senate approved a bill yesterday — the Senator Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act — that promises to benefit working families and our communities by enlisting volunteers focused on education, clean energy, health care and veterans. 

The bill now goes to the House, which approved a different version last week. Here’s from an article in The New York Times:

The legislation, which had broad bipartisan support, would expand the ranks of AmeriCorps, which was created by President Bill Clinton in 1993 to bring federal volunteer programs under a single umbrella.

In addition to adding positions to AmeriCorps, the bill would create four new service corps. The expansion would cost about $6 billion over five years. The bill would raise the education stipend paid to volunteers to $5,350, the same amount as a Pell Grant college scholarship.

The more than tripling of the number of federal service positions, at a time when the recession is expected to vastly increase the demand for volunteer work among college graduates, amounts to the boldest expansion of service opportunities since President John F. Kennedy called for a national service corps in 1963.

The bill also seeks to encourage volunteer work among retirees and would offer them a $1,000 educational award that they could transfer to a child or grandchild. 

Senators Kennedy and Orrin Hatch helped put this call for national service into perspective in an article they wrote for Time, “21 Ways to Serve America.”

We want to make it feasible for many to devote a year or more to service. We’ve already seen lives change as Americans give their time and talents to service organizations. But we know much more could be done. It’s time to encourage many more Americans to roll up their sleeves and volunteer in communities at home and abroad. Americans across the nation are beginning to answer this call, devoting one year or more to volunteer service and, in the process, changing the world.

They are weatherizing homes and increasing energy conservation. They are improving health care in low-income communities. They are enabling people throughout the world to have cleaner water and lifesaving vaccines. They are helping communities rebuild after the devastation of hurricanes and floods. Some of the most remarkable efforts are taking place in our schools. Citizen Schools enables people to spend time leading after-school programs to extend the school day, so students have more time to learn and can interact with professionals who will help them connect their learning to a future profession. City Year brings talented, motivated young AmeriCorps members into schools to tutor and mentor at-risk students and show them that someone cares. There are other examples but not nearly enough. It’s time to do more.

For those who can’t give a year to service, we should create incentives for part-time or short-term service in their communities. We should support states and communities and social entrepreneurs who are developing innovative approaches to help those in need.

And for those who can give a year or more, the time has come to help them do so. The challenges we face are too great. We’ve already waited too long to tap their amazing energy, ingenuity and commitment.

Our policy paper — “Strengthening America’s Economic Competitiveness: Public Policy Strategies to Improve Workforce Readiness” — examines the need to promote community service and service learning. It also spotlights the work of partner company Goldman Sachs and Citizen Schools.

Study Shows Changes Among Men and Women at Work and at Home

A report released today by the Families and Work Institute — “Times Are Changing: Gender and Generation at Work and at Home” — shows significant and surprising changes among men and women at work and at home. Here’s from the news release highlighting the study results:

For the first time, young women want just as much to advance to jobs with more responsibility as young men. Moreover, being a mother does not significantly change young women’s career ambitions.

 This change in attitudes reflects women’s changing roles in the workplace. The share of dual-earner family income contributed by women has risen to 44% and 26% of women now earn 10% or more than their husbands. At the same time, men have increased the amount of time they spend with young children and are experiencing more work-family conflict than women.  These are among the findings of a newly released report entitled “Times Are Changing: Gender and Generation at Work and At Home,” which examines the evolution of work-related gender roles over the past three decades.  

And the Families and Work Institute study is featured in a USA Today article this morning written by Sharon Jayson, “Gender roles see a conflict in work-life balance.” Here’s from the USA Today article:

Women in two-earner couples are contributing more to family income, but it’s the men who are feeling more conflicted over the work-life balance, according to a survey of 3,500 workers released today.

Asked how much jobs and family life interfere with each other, 59% of fathers in dual-income families reported conflict in 2008, while just 35% did in 1977. For mothers, reported conflict increased from 40% to 45%.

Findings from the telephone survey for the nonprofit Families and Work Institute suggest what some experts say is a “tipping point” in attitudes about gender roles, work and family.

“It does signal more equality of expectations — that men are no longer let off the hook,” says Scott Coltrane, a sociologist at the University of Oregon.

Up until the past decade, “men weren’t doing enough to add stress to their lives,” he says.

“Our findings are striking and surprising,” said Ellen Galinsky, president and co-founder of Families and Work Institute and lead author of the study.  “There are many firsts in this study—the first time that younger men and women feel the same about job advancement and the first time that there is no statistically significant difference between men and women in their views of proper gender roles.”

Ellen is a member of the Corporate Voices for Working Families Board of Trustees.

Our Corporate Voices for Working Families website contains additional research reports and other information relating to workplace flexibility and work-life balance.

Workplace Flexibility in a Recession

During these difficult economic times, most people who are employed feel lucky just to have a paycheck. This article in the Washington Post discusses the impact  of a recession on work/life perks such as telecommuting, paid leave and flex time. When companies are slashing salaries and suspending programs, are employees and business feeling the pressure to reconsider their workplace flexibility arrangements?

RSM McGladrey, a Corporate Voices partner company, was featured in the story. Top executives at the firm plan to emphasize to employees that alternative work options are still available.

Corporate Voices research on flexibility shows that flexibility in the workplace has a positive impact on the business bottom line, both financially and operationally.   According to the article, surveys show that rather than granting flexibility to save money, employers are more likely to freeze salaries, slash the travel budget or resort to layoffs.

By Allison Tomei

Flexible Work Schedules: Forbes Features KPMG

Corporate Voices for Working Families’ partner company KPMG is featured in an informative Forbes.com article that examines how flexible work schedules can enhance productivity and employee retention. Here’s from the article, “How A Flexible Work Schedule Can Help You Strike The Balance“:

Flexible scheduling allows employees to adjust the time or place their work is completed. It can mean compressing 40 hours into four days, starting and ending workdays at different times, or doing some of your work at home. The reason may be as simple as wanting to better manage a long commute. Some parents choose to arrive at work later so they can take their children to school. Some companies may offer these options to retain female employees who might consider leaving their jobs after having children.

So far, the program has been so popular at KPMG that an estimated 50% of its employees take part. But there’s more to it than just announcing policies–[Tammy] Hunter  [a tax partner at KPMG] insists the approach must be top-down, with managers actively supporting participation. She not only maintains a flexible schedule but encourages her employees to follow her lead. 

Research, reports and other information about workplace flexibility are available on our Corporate Voices website.

Corporate Voices: EITC Toolkit and “Super Saturday”

The Internal Revenue Service has set March 29 as “Super Saturday” to help low-wage workers, retirees and veterans as the tax-filling deadline approaches April 15.

Here’s from a news release distributed by the IRS:

The Internal Revenue Service and scores of its partners nationwide will open hundreds of locations on Super Saturday, March 29, in an effort to reach those Americans who are eligible for the economic stimulus payment but who normally are not required to file an income tax return.

Approximately 320 IRS offices will be open on Super Saturday to prepare the simple Form 1040A for people who are filing a return solely to receive their stimulus payment. IRS partners such as AARP, United Way of America and dozens of others also are making special efforts on Super Saturday to reach out to those who normally are not required to file a tax return.

“We don’t want any Americans to miss out on their economic stimulus payment. For millions of Americans, filing a tax return is not routine. Their income is either too low or not taxable. But this year, filing a 2007 tax return is the only way to receive an economic stimulus payment. Super Saturday is one way the IRS and its partners are working to ensure everyone eligible receives a stimulus payment,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

There are 320 IRS offices throughout the United States and in the District of Columbia. Here’s a link to more specific information about available locations and the help that will be provided on Super Saturday.

Another resource available to lower-wage employees is the Corporate Voices-produced EITC Toolkit.

Corporate Voices: “The Business Case for Breastfeeding”

As we have made our new workplace lactation toolkit available to employers and others, we have received several suggestions that we should provide a link to “The Business Case for Breastfeeding” — produced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration.

We’re delighted to do that. Here’s the link: “The Business Case for Breastfeeding.”

A copy of the Corporate Voices for Working Families Workplace Lactation Toolkit is available on the Corporate Voices website.