Activistas

Working Mother's Latest List of 100 Best Companies

Last week, Working Mother magazine came out with its annual list of the top 100 companies to work for if you are a mother.  The good news:

• 100 percent of these companies offer telecommuting and flextime schedules
• 98 percent offer job-sharing
• 94 percent offer compressed workweeks
• 86 percent provide backup care
• 62 percent provide sick-child care

A quick glance through the list and company descriptions tells me that there is a lot we could learn from these employers (they assess 7 areas: workforce profile, benefits, women's issues and advancement, child care, flexible work, parental leave and company culture).  I'm glad there's someone out there acknowledging and even embracing employees' family responsibilities. 

But I also find myself wondering how many people are actually benefiting from these policies.   None of the companies are in Oregon, at least they're not based in Oregon.  I also noticed that most of the data reported focuses on high-level professional women (think: lawyer or business executive) and I wonder (and likely know the answer) --  do workers at all levels benefit equally? 

Sadly, 100 companies nationwide is but a dent in our workforce.  As stellar as these 100 employers may be, it is still true - and an embarassment - that over half of private-sector workers in this country have no access to any (not 1) paid sick days. Only 40% of all workers in the US have the right to take unpaid family leave -- and of course, many fewer can actually afford to take it since it is unpaid.  Some -- like Valerie Young at MOTHERS (Mothers Ought To Have Equal Rights) -- wonder whether the Working Mother awards ironically serve to deflect our attention from the need for more of these basic across-the-board policies.

What is your definition of a mother-friendly or family-friendly workplace?  Do you work at such a place?  Or know someone who does?

CFFO's Women for Change Network

Last year, Children First for Oregon (CFFO) created the Women for Change Network.  Its purpose, in CFFO's words, is:

To build a network of women committed to support the health and wellness of Oregon's most vulnerable children: the 15,000 in foster care, the 110,000 with no health care, and the 143,000 who live in poverty.

Network reception on Monday, 10.5: Learn more about this group and hear from state Rep. Tina Kotek at the Network's October reception. 

Rep. Kotek will talk about the upcoming ballot measure season and what's in store for the 2010 special legislative session.  Also learn about how you can help CFFO advocate on behalf of Oregon’s kids during the upcoming campaigns. This is a great opportunity to network with other amazing women while enjoying wine and appetizers.

It's free, but do RSVP: There is no cost to attend this event but you will be asked to consider joining the Network by making a small monthly donation to CFFO. To RSVP call 503-236-9754 or e-mail laura@cffo.org by Friday, October 2nd!

Why be a member?  Aside from the obvious opportunity to learn, help, and network, that is.  It costs $20/month and you get these benefits:

1. You will be added to CFFO's listserv and mailing list.  This keeps you in the loop on new developments, publications, legislative progress and action alerts.
2. Attend a 'members only' Advocacy Training: CFFO will tell you how to talk to your legislators, where to find them, how to reach them, what they’re thinking, and what they need to hear from you. 
3. Attend a 'members only' Policy Briefing featuring an elected official.  CFFO will help educate you so you can help educate the public to act on behalf of Oregon’s children. 

Might as well check it out on the 5th, right?

Do we need a shorter work week?

How would our lives be different if the official work week was 30 or 35 hours instead of 40? What would it be like if 40 hours really meant 40 hours -- not 50 or more, as it has come to mean for so many people? Not three part-time jobs adding up to 60 hours but offering no benefits?

An old idea, a new idea.  I was amazed to learn recently that during the Great Depression, our government almost enacted a law setting the work week at 30 hours as a means of sharing access to jobs and alleviating economic stress on families.  At the time, there were a few large companies that already had short work-week policies, and research showed benefits to business, employees, families, and communities.  This legislation passed the Senate in 1933 and was almost adopted by the House before it died.

The idea of a shorter work week as a response to economic recession has resurfaced and is being promoted by economist Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.  And now Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island is sponsoring legislation that would spur the development of a related idea, known as work share programs .

Need some flexibility @ work? Get the toolkit.

Many of us have longed for greater workplace flexibility since giving birth.  Some of us have it (lucky!), some of us don't. 

If you don't (or you want more), here's a terrific resource to help you get it.  To educate your employer about the whys and hows and, important, the how much of workplace flexibility.  The folks at The Familes and Work Institute know that winning the flexible work conversation can be challenging and requires data.  For starters, they actually define flexible work.  Pretty cool, long list of options:

Flexibility is a way to define how, when and where work gets done and how careers are organized. Workplace flexibility may include:

• having traditional flextime (setting daily hours within a range periodically)
• having daily flextime
• being allowed to take time off during the work day to address family matters
• being able to take a few days off to care for a sick child or other family member without losing pay, having to use vacation days, or make up an excuse for absence
• being able to work some regular hours at home
• being able to take breaks when one wants to
• having a work shift that is desirable and predictable
• having complete or a lot of control over work schedule
• being able to work part-time (if currently full-time) or full-time (if currently part-time) in one’s current position
• being able to work a compressed work week
• being able to work part-year in current position
• seldom being required to work paid or unpaid overtime with little or no notice
• believing that one can use flexible work arrangements without jeopardizing job advancement

How many of those do you have? Think your workplace might be open to some?  You'll never know till you ask - and thanks to their tip sheets, case studies, employer models, and more, you'll be well informed - and supported - when you suggest some of these options at your workplace.  

Have you asked - or pushed - for more flexible options at work?  If you have them, how'd they happen?  A flexible boss, a boss with kids, a law?

[thx to flickr & moriza for the reminder of cube life]

Campaign for Safe Cosmetics asks: What's Going On??

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics is asking people about their personal care products. Like....

How many do you use?  Daily?

Which ones?

Any idea what's in them?

Pretty funny video of some Boston folks on candid camera. How would you answer?

Wondering what to do now? Lose as many products as you can and use EWG's Skin Deep to find safer products. Why? Turns out - surprise! - toxic chemicals aren't so good to rub into your skin after all.

The Families and Work Institute says.... sick days are healthy

Surprised that employees who have access to paid sick days are healthier?  Of course not.  But always good to have some data to go with your argument.  Ellen Galinsky, President of the Families and Work Institute, shared the results of her organization's welcome report, the State of Health in the American Workforce, on Moms Rising yesterday:

New data show that employees who receive at least five paid days off per year for personal illness are healthier, and enjoy greater personal well-being. As our country looks at comprehensive health reform measures, we must consider policies that help employees stay healthy and engaged at work, even if these policies may seem, at first glance, unrelated to the provision of health care.

Read the rest of her blog here, or check out the full report.

NWEI’s Eco-Challenge: You in?

There are many things I’d like to be better at, especially when it comes to leading a more sustainable life.  Like…. eating less dairy, driving less, buying less plastic, and biking more, to name a few.  You?  And while I hate to admit it, I also sometimes need a little push (no!) to take the next step. 

Good thing, then, that the local NW Earth Institute (NWEI) is sponsoring a 2-week eco-challenge that starts Oct 1st (yes, it’s right around the corner, but you can still do it).  NWEI has a few pre-set challenges you can choose from with a list of actions to take, such as eating more sustainably, using more alternative transit, conserving water, using less electricity, and reducing your trash. 

They also have a “choose your own eco-adventure’ option, which is the one I’m doing.  Not that I couldn’t benefit from all of their challenges – trust me, I could.  But like most of us, I’ve already got some goals and I just need to get there, take the leap. 

Last fall I tried a ‘buy no plastic’ week, and was pretty amazed at how effectively it raise my consciousness and changed a few of my long-term habits.  Especially considering I was already very aware of the plastics issue.  But it turned out that going extreme for 1 week was actually do-able (try buying nothing made of or packaged in plastic for a month!) and made a lasting impression on me  - and my kids, whoa re still talking about it (as in: “Mom, I thought buying stuff in plastic was bad?” when I forget to bring my own produce bags).

My eco-challenge is...

So this year my plan is to kick it up a notch and buy nothing plastic for 2 weeks, and to eat way less dairy.  I’ve been a vegetarian for a long, long time, and a wanna-be vegan for almost as long.  Now, don’t get me wrong, the 1/2 & ½ in my coffee will never go, but in my diet there’s a lot of room for improvement.  I’d like to call it ‘nearly vegan.’  And go figure, but my meat-eating husband is on board, which’ll make it a lot easier.  I’m in it for the animals, he for the health. 

So come Oct 1, we’ll be cooking more with olive oil and skipping the cheese, more or less.  I’m not exactly sure how much we’ll cut out, but when I report out on Activistas after the 2-week challenge I’ll let you know. Hopefully I’ll be able to say that we ate fewer grilled cheese sandwiches and tried some great alternatives and recipes that we’ll keep on eating well past the 2-week challenge.  Because that’s the idea, right?  Take the challenge, change forever.  At least that’s what I’m hoping for. 

Read all about it and sign up here.

[Thx to flickr CC & woodleywonderworks for the inspiring and earthy pic]

Then don't get pregnant

A little while ago I reprinted a Letter to the Editor in The O that resonated with me – it was about the cost of having a baby in the context of health care reform.  Not surprisingly, there was a follow-up to it recommending that the letter’s author take more personal responsibility - never mind that fully 51% of pregnancies are unplanned (why?  uh, s-e-x last time I checked). 

We heard a lot of that (too much!) didactic “you people and your kids…” talk while debating paid family leave in the 2009 state legislative session.  So I’m reprinting the reply letter (title “Then don’t get pregnant”) today – what do you think of Lisa Iliffe from Sherwood’s take?  She wrote:

Regarding Dayna Morrison's Sept 8 letter ("Pregnancy changes picture"), where is the "personal responsibility" on Morrison's behalf? She admits she barely makes enough money for food for herself, yet finds herself pregnant with apparently no thought given prior to pregnancy regarding taking care of a baby with her limited income. (As she says, "I did not realize the lack of support for pregnant women until I became one myself.")

It appears from her letter that she did not give much planning or thought to this situation, yet expects government to pay for her to have this child in addition to helping with the monthly insurance to insure the child plus paid maternity leave.

Theres's a problem nowadays with people expecting other people to bail them out. I have a few suggestions for Morrison: Before having children, try to be somewhat financially prepared.

Try birth control or abstinence. Another option is adoption: There are many families who are stable financially and emotionally and looking to adopt children. Please, take some "personal responsibility" for your "personal" decisions.

Yowza.

People talkin' about women in politics

My, my. Not that this is surprising or anything. But what are we doing about this? Hopefully not just sitting around eating our itty bitty sandwiches being simple minded little fools. Maybe more of us should go and get elected?

PPS seeks members for enrollment & transfer citizen committee

The PPS transfer policy is loved and hated and fretted over by many a Pdx parent.  The district is evaluating its policy and is currently seeking to fill two empty spots on its citizen review committee.  Here's how they describe it:

The citizens committee that advises Superintendent Carole Smith on student enrollment and transfer issues has two open positions. School district officials will begin reviewing applications the week of Sept. 21, but will accept applications until Oct. 1.

What does the committee do?

Formed in fall 2008, the Superintendent's Advisory Committee on Enrollment and Transfer explores both the policies and practice around school choice, enrollment and transfer, with topics such as priority and preferences in the school choice lottery, guarantees in student assignment and other important issues.

The committee is a critical sounding board for Smith as she considers changes to the school choice system to improve equity, access and educational achievement for students.

While the committee is not asked to decide the issues, its members shape the superintendent’s actions and recommendations to the school board.

Who should apply?

The committee seeks members who represent distinct and diverse perspectives and experiences, and share a common commitment to consider the districtwide impact of enrollment and transfer policies and practices.

The committee comprises 14 members, appointed by the superintendent for a one-year term. The committee meets at least monthly with district staff beginning in October.

Are you who they're looking for?   Download the application or pick it up at the district’s Enrollment & Transfer Center at the Blanchard Education Service Center, 501 N. Dixon St. Portland, OR 97227. Completed applications should be returned to the Enrollment & Transfer Center.