Ouch. For more information, or to sign up go to http://www.gohomeontimeday.org.au/"The average full-time worker is doing six hours of unpaid overtime each week worth an estimated $9471 a year..."
Earlier this year Fortune magazine published it's annual list of the 100 best companies to work for in the U.S. Results are based on surveying employees. Sure, not all companies have jets or yachts to share with employees but there is still plenty to learn from reading the company snapshots.
The reasons these companies have been nominated as great places to work by those that work there are:
- Good rewards
- incentives, profit sharing, bonuses, above average pay for industry
- Strong and clear company mission
- Benefits
- health insurance, health programs, childcare facilities, generous leave, workplace flexibility, other perks
- Physical work environment
- food, access to services like dry cleaning, even walking tracks
- People
- considered recruitment efforts, long tenure of employees
- Culture
- recognition of excellence, adherance to, and evaluation based on values, fun incentives, games and events, happiness commitees, herograms, "no jerk" culture
- Feedback
- Staff suggestions implemented, feedback mechanisms and forums in place
- Visible leadership
- Leaders touching base with employees regularly or based on high performance of teams
- No layoffs
- The US has faced tough economic times recently. Many companies on this list avoided lay-offs
- Career paths
- Progression plans, internal promotion, investment in training and education
- Acknowledging role of families
- Inclusion of families in company events, acknowlegement of their contribution supporting employees
To see all the company snapshots go to: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/snapshots/1.html
via fastcoexist.com
Citrix surveyed 1,900 "senior IT decision-makers" in 19 countries, asking about future trends in workspaces and telecommuting. Among the highlights:
The IT executives surveyed believe that by 2020 there will be seven desks for every 10 office workers, reflecting the growing number of telecommuters.
There are many advantages to a more flexible work environment: potential cost savings to businesses, happier and more productive employees, happier families. This article touts the attitudes of IT-decision makers but what it doesn't do is extrapolate on what the possible disadvantages are -- for instance minimising the serendipitous encounters between employees working together that can't be scheduled or planned that lead to great things. It will be interesting to see how this trend is embraced and how companies design a work culture of sometimes there employees.
[work life] imbalance is hurting companies' bottom lines. As Slaughter points out, companies that have progressive work-life balance policies are more productive on the whole... "Examining 130 announcements of family-friendly policies in The Wall Street Journal, Arthur found that the announcements alone significantly improved share prices.
...At the end of the day, says Slaughter, this work-life balance debate is not just about women. It's about creating more progressive, flexible office cultures that benefit all employees and improve productivity. And that's the kind of company culture that attracts — and retains — the very best employees.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/executive-style/management/time-to-stop-hurting-familie...
The article goes on to prescribe 4 ways business can offer flexibility: flex time, telecommuniting, job sharing and paid maternity leave. It will be interesting to see how business defines flexiblity in the workplace over the coming year particularly as the topic gets traction in the political arena closer to the 2013 federal election.
via smh.com.au