“We know that workplace flexibility is not only essential to a productive and healthy workforce, it is also beneficial to a business’ bottom line,” said Sara Sutton Fell, founder of 1 Million for Work Flexibility.
Boulder, Colorado (PRWEB) September 30, 2014
As 1 Million for Work Flexibility, the first national initiative to create a collective voice in support of work flexibility, marks its first anniversary in October, the movement is highlighting stories of real people who demonstrate the importance and impact of flexible workplace practices. From individuals to businesses to non-profits, Americans across a broad spectrum of backgrounds show why work flex is beneficial to not only employees but also to employers.
“We know that workplace flexibility is not only essential to a productive and healthy workforce, it is also beneficial to a business’ bottom line,” said Sara Sutton Fell, founder of 1 Million for Work Flexibility. “By sharing real stories—of individuals and businesses—we will continue to ensure flexibility is part of the workforce of the future.”
In response to the growing demand for flexible work opportunities, 1 Million for Work Flexibility will host a series of free webinars geared toward the flexible job seeker. Led by various work flex thought leaders across the country, they will cover key topics such as the growth of telecommuting jobs, working parents, and how to effectively communicate with employers about flexible schedules.
More than 60 organizations support the 1 Million for Work Flexibility movement, including: Appen, Convergys, and Sqwiggle, who are featured in the stories below. These companies recognize that flexibility allows their employees to excel at home, and at work.
Workplace flexibility benefits parents like Ann Mohler Basco, the director of global marketing at Appen, a global language, search, and social technology firm, and mother of two. Basco, whose husband has a lengthy commute and unpredictable hours, has both flex scheduling and partial telecommuting, allowing her the ability to do drop-offs and pick-ups most days. Basco says she has regular communications scheduled with her remote manager that have her in more frequent communication than with managers in former jobs who worked in the same space.
“I have colleagues all over the world in Sydney, Australia, the Philippines, Florida, Connecticut, Washington state—much of whom work remote. We make it work!” Basco said. “I'm so incredibly grateful to have this flexibility. My family is absolutely better for it. My husband and I have talked about it a lot—if I had to commute to the city every day, our family could not function in the way it does now.”
Workplace flexibility can be especially critical to military spouses who face frequent relocations, like Tiffany Shuman, a home agent with global customer management firm Convergys. Originally hired as a customer service agent working at a Jacksonville, North Carolina call center, Shuman then moved to a recruiting position. When her husband was transferred to Texas, Tiffany underwent additional training and switched to a Home Agent position, allowing her to continue in a career she loved as a 100 percent virtual employee.
Like many young families, Cameron Webb and his wife Amy, moved away from their smaller hometown in Iowa for better job opportunities in Atlanta, Georgia. Cameron, a Sqwiggle iOS developer, said they struggled with frequent costly trips to visit family. After Amy’s father unexpectedly passed away, they decided the career tradeoffs for distance to loved ones was not what they both wanted. They moved back home and now both work remotely.
Schedule of Webinars:
Josh Billington, General Manager of Telework Advocacy
Chuck Wilsker, President and Co-Founder of the Telework Coalition
Scott Behson, Professor of Management at Fairleigh Dickinson University and FathersWorkandFamily.com blogger, Rachael Ellison, work-life advocate and executive coach
Jennifer Owens, Editorial Director of Working Mother magazine
Jessica DeGroot, Founder and President of ThirdPath Institute
Paul Rupert , Pioneer in flexible work and management for 40 years
Appen
Convergys
FlexJobs
PGi
Note to the Media:
1 Million for Work Flexibility spokespeople and experts are available to comment on a variety of work flex issues, including how best to request flex schedules from employers, the benefits of work flex to employees and employers, and specific challenges faced by specific groups of employees, such as parents or military families. Additional stories similar to those detailed above are also available. Contact Melanie(at)workflexibility(dot)org for more information.
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