Phase Three: Implementation and Evaluation
1. Conduct the Program
2. Evaluate the Program
3. Make Appropriate Changes/ Refinements

Obtain the CEO/Senior Leadership Support

The first critical step in establishing a worksite parenting program is to enlist
the commitment of top leadership. This is essential to the success of any pro-
gram, particularly when the program is new and innovative. Not only is
leadership’s support critical to employee participation in the program, but it is
also necessary to promote collaboration among businesses, schools, and com-
munity agencies.

If the program involves local school personnel, then the school superintendent
must endorse and support a parent-involvement program at the worksite. Each
partner must select capable staff member(s) to provide the necessary leader-
ship, and these individuals must be aware of the high priority of this responsi-
bility. Business organizations often select staff in the Human Resources or
Community Relations areas to spearhead the effort while most school systems
already have staff responsible for parent and community involvement activities.
These key personnel must work together closely, especially during the early
stages of planning and implementation.

During the first programs conducted at the worksite, top leadership should be
in attendance to demonstrate their strong support for the new initiative. Also,
leadership should provide correspondence to let their managers and personnel
know they are strongly encouraged to participate. Ongoing program status
reports should be shared with senior leadership to document the benefits from
this investment.

This model assures that only limited funds are required to have a successful
parenting program at the worksite. Business leadership must ensure adequate
funds and time are available to promote the program, provide refreshments,
and if needed, fund any fees essential to obtain quality presenters.

Selection of Employee Steering Committee

The program steering committee is essential in creating employee interest and
buy-in to the program. Senior leadership should identify the primary individu-
als responsible for the oversight and implementation of the program. These
individuals should identify and recruit employees who have children at differ-
ent age levels and whose positions will represent all levels and functions within
the business. The names of the members of this committee should be publi-
cized to employees for ease of contact. This diverse group will help assure that

various ideas and personnel are considered in planning and implementing a
successful program.

tS
Cc



The Home and School Institute

1500 Massachusetts Ave, NW

Washington, DC 20005

This is a nonprofit organization that offers workshops on fostering motivation,
problem-solving, and teamwork skills in children. Employers host workshops
and give workers time off to attend. Also publishes Home Learning Recipes and
The Survival Guide for Busy Parents.

National Childcare Information Center

243 Church Street, NW, 2nd Floor

Vienna, VA 22180

(800) 616-2242

(800) 716-2242 FAX

This organization provides information on model private-public, employer-
community, and other types of childcare partnerships.

The National Network for Collaboration
219 FLC, Box 5016

Fargo, ND 58105-5016

(701) 231-7259

(701) 231-8568 fax

Work and Family Connection, Inc.

5197 Beachside Drive

Minnetonka, MN 55343

(800) 487-7898 or (612) 936-6898

(612) 935-0122 fax

This organization is a national clearinghouse of information about work-family
issues. Through its Resource Hotline, businesses can receive coaching on
implementing family-friendly programs from experienced consultants. Work
and Family Connection, Inc., also conducts custom searches of information on
work-family policies and programs.

Work/Family Directions

930 Commonwealth Ave., West

Boston, MA 02215

617-278-4000

Provides information pertaining to childcare and elder care. Clients are prima-
rily large companies.

US Chamber of Commerce
1615 H Street NW
Washington, DC 20062-2000
202-463-5460

202-463-3114 FAX



Appendix A

Sample of Employee Survey on Worksite
Parenting Program

Your response to the items below will assist our company in developing an
effective worksite parenting program that is responsive to your needs. Thank
you for taking the time to complete this.

AGE OF CHILDREN NO. OF CHILDREN CURRENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
0-5

6-10

ll - 13

14-18

oooo

INTENDED POSTSECONDARY PLANS OF YOUR CHILD (check one)
Four-year college/university

Junior college

Community college

Employment
Military

Other (Explain)

oooooo

TIME YOU PREFER TO ATTEND SESSIONS
Before work

Oo

Lunch time
End of workday
Evenings
Other

oooo

PREFERRED FREQUENCY OF SESSIONS
Q Monthly

OQ Every 2 months
Q Quarterly

YES, | am interested in serving on the Worksite Parenting Program Steer-
ing Committee to plan future activities for our company's program

NAME

POSITION

PHONE/Email



Working and Caring

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D.

197 pages, $12.00

Addison-Wesley Publishers

One Jacob Way

Reading, MA 01867

(781) 944-3700

Working and Caring follows three families from pregnancy to toddlerhood as
they deal with such issues as returning to work, selecting daycare, and caring
for sick children. Throughout the book, Dr. Brazelton, Professor Emeritus of
Harvard Medical School, offers practical advice on balancing work and family.

Working Fathers: New Strategies for Balancing Work and Family
by James A. Levine and Todd L. Pittinsky

The Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

(212) 465-2044

Working From Home: Everything You Need to Know about Living and Working
Under the Same Roof”

Paul and Sarah Edwards

Los Angeles: Tarcher, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 436 pp.

(800) 288-2131

Working Moms’ ABCs: Tips for Working Your Child's Education [Packet]
Available free of charge from Sylvan Learning Center
(800) EDUCATE will locate the Sylvan Learning Center nearest you.

Working Mother

One year's subscription for $9.97.

Available from Working Mother

P.O. Box 5240

Harlan, 1A 51593-2740

(800) 627-0690

This magazine features a variety of articles on balancing work and family life. It
also profiles businesses with family-friendly policies and practices.

The Working Parents Handbook

by J. S. Sale, K. Kollenberg, and E. Melinkoff

Simon and Schuster Mail Order

200 Old Tappan Road

Old Tappan, NJ 07675

(800) 223-2348

Beginning with maternity leave, this handbook offers practical solutions to
problems parents face in trying to balance work and family

46



Types of Family-Friendly Programs

Broadly speaking, a family-friendly workplace program is one in which an
emplover seeks to help employees balance work and family responsibilities. A
family-friendly program can be as elaborate as on-site childcare or as simple as
a flexible work schedule.

This guidebook provides an overview of programs available to businesses. Some
programs can only be initiated by a large company or a consortium of small and
mid-sized businesses. Others that are simple and inexpensive can be utilizcd by
any business. To start, let's look at some of the most prevalent types of family-
‘riendly workplace programs, according to a survey by the Families and Work
Institute, and a few others that are fast gaining favor among employers.

Alternative Work Arrangements

The programs most widely available to help families balance job and family life
involve flexible time and leave: flextime, part-time jobs, personal days, and
personal leaves. While companies have instituted alternatives to standard work
arrangements for reasons that are other than family-related, these arrange-
ments can be considered family-supportive because they offer employees
greater flexibility and control over the times and places they work. Whether
they involve flexibility in an employee's schedule or workplace, these accom-
modations are extremely helpful to parents whose children's school schedules
and illnesses often require them to be in two places at once.

Flexible Scheduling

Flexible scheduling includes workdays with flexible hours and positions with
flexible hours.

Flextime generally involves one of the following arrangements:

* A work schedule that allows an employee to arrive and leave earlier or
arrive and leave later than the business's traditional workday

* Awork schedule that allows an employee to shorten or skip lunch breaks to
enable him or her to arrive later or leave earlier than the traditional work
day

* A-work schedule that allows an employee to work a 40-hour work week in

fewer days, such as four 10-hour days, instead of a business’s traditional
work week

Job sharing is another example of flexible scheduling. Through this arrange-
ment, two employees fill one full-time position and arrange their schedules to
ensure that all of the duties associated with the position are fulfilled. In addi-
tion to accommodating employees’ schedules, this approach enables an em-
ployer to assign two employees with complementary skills to one job.

Part-time schedules are defined as any arrangement short of normal tull-time
work. Employees may work portions of days, weeks, months or years. They

14



About the SERVE Organization

SERVE, the SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education, is an educational
organization whose mission is to promote and support the continual improve-
ment of educational opportunities for all learners in the Southeast. To address
the mission, SERVE engages in research and development in educational issues
of critical importance to educators in the region and in the provision of re-
search-based services to SEAs and LEAs which are striving for comprehensive
school improvement. Committed to a shared vision of the future of education in
the region, the organization is governed by a board of directors that includes the
chief state school officers, governors, and legislative representatives from
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and
representatives of teachers and the private sector.

SERVE’s core component is a Regional Educational Laboratory funded since
1990 by the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S.
Department of Education. SERVE has additional major funding from the De-
partment in the areas of Migrant Education and School Leadership and is the
lead agency in the Eisenhower Mathematics and Science Consortium for the
Southeast and the Southeast and Islands Regional Technology in Education
Consortium (SEIR@TEC). Based on these grants and contracts, SERVE has
developed a system of programs and initiatives that provides a spectrum of
resources, services, and products for responding to local, zegional, and national
needs. These program areas are

Program on Assessment, Accountability, and Standards

Program for Children, Families, and Communities

Program on Education Policy

Program for the Improvement of Science and Mathematics Education
Program on School Development and Reform

Program on Technology in Learning 1

> >t >t Ot OF Ot

SERVE's National Specialty Area is Early Childhood Education, and the staff of
SERVE'’s Program for Children, Families, and Communities is developing the
expertise and the ability to provide leadership and support to the early child-
hood community nationwide for children from birth to eight years old.

In addition to the program areas, the SERVE Evaluation Department supports
the evaluation activities of the major grants and contracts and provides evalua-
tion services to SEAs and LEAs in the region. Through its Publishing and Qual-
ity Assurance Department, SERVE publishes a variety of studies, training
materials, policy briefs, and other products of the programs. These informative
and low-cost publications include guides to available resources, summaries of
current issues in education policy, and examples of exemplary educational
programs. Through its programmatic, evaluation, and publishing activities,
SERVE also provides contracted staff development and technical assistance in
many areas of ex; ‘rtisc to assist education agencies in achieving their school
improvement goal

56



ployer may refuse to reinstate certain highly paid “key” employees after using
FMLA leave during which health coverage was maintained. To do so, the em-
ployer must

1. Notify the employee of his/her status as “key” employee in response to the
employee's notice of intent to take FMLA leave. .

2. Notify the employee as soon as the employer decides it will deny job resto-
ration and explain the reasons for this decision.

3. Offer the employee a reasonable opportunity to return to work from FMLA
leave after giving this notice.

4. Make a final determination as to whether reinstatement will be denied at
the end of the leave period if the employee then requests restoration.

A “key” employee is a salaried “eligible” employee who is among the highest-
paid ten percent of employees within 75 miles of the worksite.

Notice and Certification

Employees seeking to use FMLA leave may be required to provide

1. 30-day advance notice of the need to take FMLA leave when the need is
foreseeable

2. Medical certifications supporting the need for leave due to a serious health
condition affecting the employee or an immediate family member

3. .Second or third medical opinions and periodic recertification (at the
employer's expense)

4. Periodic reports during FMLA leave regarding the employee's status and
intent to return to work

When leave is needed to care for an immediate family member or the
employee's own illness and is for planned medical treatment, the employee

must try to schedule treatment so as not to unduly disrupt the employer's
operation.

Covered employers must post a notice approved by the Secretary of Labor
explaining rights and responsibilities under FMLA. An employer that willfully

violates this posting requirement may be subject to a fine of up to $100 for each
separate offense.

Also, covered employers must inform employees of their rights and responsi-
bilities under FMLA. This includes giving specific information on what is
required of the employee giving notice of an intent to take FMLA leave and

what might happen in certain circumstances, such as if the employee fails to
return to work after FMLA.

Unlawful Acts

It is unlawful for any employer to interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise
of any right provided by the FMLA. It is also unlawful for an employer to
discharge or discriminate against any individual for opposin,: any practice or
because of involvement in any proceeding related to FMLA.

a4



South Pointe Elementary School (Year 2): A Public-Private Partnership
South Pointe Elementary School (Year 3): A Public-Private Partnership
Southern Crossroads: A Demographic Look at the Southeast
Supporting Family [nvolvement in Early Childhood Education:
A Guide for Business
Teacher Evaluation: The Road to Excellence
Technology Infrastructure in Schools and Plugging In: Choosing
and Using Educational Technology
Terrific Transitions: Ensuring Continuity of Services for Children
and Their Families
Together We Can: A Guide for Crafting a Profamily System of
Education and Human Services
Total Quality Management: Passing Fad or “The Real Thing"?
An Implementation Study
Using Accountability as a Lever for Changing the Culture of
Schools: Examining District Strategies
Using Technology to Improve Teaching and Learning
Welfare to Work: Early Childhood Care and Education
Youth Apprenticeship: A School-to-Work Transition Program

Videotapes

Drug-Free Schools: A Generation of Hope (Running time: 27:00)

Future Plans Videotape: Making the Most of Technology in the
Classroom (Running time: 27:10)

Passages: Providing Continuity from Preschool to School
(Running time: 32:25)

School Improvement: A Journey Toward Change (Running time: 23:00)

Southern Crossroads: A Demographic Look at the Southeast
(Running time: 22:00)

Southern Solutions in Improving Mathematics and Science:
General Audiences (Running time: 27:00)

Southern Solutions in Improving Mathematics and Science:
Policymakers (Running time: 60:00)

Southern Solutions in Improving Mathematics and Science:
Teachers/Practitioners (Running time: 1:24:00)

Training and Seminars

For information on these training programs, please call 800-352-6001.
Leadership for Collaboration: A Training Program

Providing a Safe and Healthy School Community

For information on these training programs, please call 800-545-7075.
Legal Principles Related to School Violence, Safety, Security and
Student Management Discipline

CD-Rom

To order this item, please call 800-545-7075.
M.U.D. Pie, 1997

lon
oO

RDSP2
RDSP3
SRSCR

SRSFI
SSTER

PITI
ECTYLC
SRTWC
RDTQM
RDUAL
HTTEC
PBWTW
HTYAP
VTDFS

FPPAK

VTPST
VTCSI

VTSCR

VTMS3

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TRNLC
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TRNLP

$1.00
$1.00
$3.00

$5.00
$6.00

$10.00
$5.00
$8.00
$5.00
$8.00
$8.00
$1.00
$8.00
$19.95

$19.95

$19.95
$19.95

$19.95
$19.95
$19.95

$19.95

$49.95



Employee Eligibility
To be eligible for FMLA ben2fits, an employee must

Work for a covered employer

Have worked for the employer for a total of at least 12 months

Have worked at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months

Work at a location where at least 50 employers are employed by the em-
ployer within 75 miles

AWN

Most federal and certain congressional employees are also covered by the law
and are subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management
and the Congress.

Leave Entitlement

A covered employer must grant an eligible employee up to a total of 12 work-
weeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the
following reasons

* For the birth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care

* To care for an immediate family member (spouse, child, or parent) with a
serious health condition

* To take medical leave when the employee is unable to work because of a
serious health condition

Spouses employed by the same employer are jointly entitled to a combined
total of 12 workweeks of family leave for the birth or placement of a child for
adoption or foster care and to care for a parent (but not a parent-in-law) who
has a serious health condition.

Leave for birth or placement for adoption or foster care must conclude within
12 months of the birth or placement.

Under some circumstances, employees may take FMLA leave intermittently—
which means taking leave in blocks of time or reducing their normal weekly or
daily work schedule.

* I£FMLA leave is for birth or placement for adoption or foster care, use of
intermittent leave is subject to the employer's approval.

* FMLA leave may be taken intermittently whenever medically necessary to
care for a seriously ill family member or because the employee is seriously
ill and unable to work.

Also, subject to certain conditions, employees or employers may choose to use
accrued paid leave (such as sick or vacation leave) to cover some or all of the
FMLA leave. The employer is responsible for designating if any employee's use
of paid leave counts as FMLA leave, based on information from the employee.

In no case can used paid leave be credited as FMLA leave after the leave has
ended.



Conduct Evaluation and Program Follow-Up

To ensure success and continuous improvement, each program should include
an evaluation process conducted by the participants. The steering committee
should review, analyze, and report the evaluation results to all employees and
presenters. Areas for improvement should be addressed as needed. By offering
achannel for employee feedback, the company allows its employees to feel
that their voice matters. In addition, employees should be advised of where
follow-up resources, contacts, and information may be obtained both on-site as
well as through other sources. :

Presenters should be formally acknowledged for their contributions through
letters of appreciation.

Make Appropriate Changes/Refinements

Though refinement is the final step (not including periodic formative evalua-
tion) in the process, it is critical for illustrating responsiveness to the workforce
and ensuring the program's continued success. Employee feedback should be
taken seriously and examined from every angle.

pr



Lions Club International Headquarters
300 22nd Street

Oak Brook, IL 60523

630-571-5466

E-mail Lions@LionsClub.org

Kiwanis International
3636 Woodview Trace

Indianapolis, IN 46268
317-875-8755

31 °-879-0204 FAX

NACCRRA

1319 F Street NW, Suite 810

Washington, DC 20004

202-393-5501

202-393-1109 FAX

The National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies pro-
vides resource information for parents and training resources for childcare
providers.

State and Regional Organizations

Family Resource Center
425 Magazine Street
Tupelo, MS 38801
601/844-0013 phone
601/844-0560 fax

E-mail grace@ebi.com

Georgia Initiative for Children and Families

Center for Fariily Resource Planning and Development
Family Health Branch, Division of Public Health
Georgia Department of Human Resources

2600 Skyland Drive NE, Upper Level, Room 5

Atlanta, GA 30319

404/679-0531 phone

404/679-0686 fax

E-mail jbt044e@dhr:state.ga.us

The Mississippi Forum on Children and Families, Inc.
737 N. President St.

Jackson, MS 39202

601/355-4911 phone

601-355-4813 fax

E-mail msforum@meta.net



North Carolina

Business Committee
for Education

Dear Friend:

Recognizing that children's parents and family are their first and

Office of the Governor foremost teachers, the North Carolina Business Committee for
ae igh No 21008-8001 Education is extremely proud to be a collaborative partner with
919/715-3535 phone SERVE in publishing the Family-Focused Workplace Guide. This
919/733-2120 fax workplace tool is designed to assist businesses of all sizes and sectors

in examining their current work/family policies and programs in the
spirit of continuous improvement.

Executive Board . . ‘
Like every school and community, every business has its own

4 oh ay unique characteristics, conditions, and resources. This publication
BellSouth recognizes this reality and encourages businesses to start where they
James C. Mabry are and, through community partnerships, to strive for a benchmark
Vice Chairman/Treasurer standard based on best practices in their business sector. Our
Wachovia Bank of N.C..N A experience has proven that worksite parenting programs are a
David E. Benavides valuable service to employees and offer employers a sound return
Secretary
IBM Corporation on their investment.
ren oer Thank you for taking time to share this tool with those colleagues,
Piyls¥. Bio friends, and associates who share in the belief that high student
lis ¥. Bai . . *
Southeastem Soltions, Ine achievement and school success are derived from results-driven
i e family busi
Ladd F. Baucom partnerships among the family, school, businesses, and the larger
BellSouth community.
Robert L. Bndwell .
Centura Bank Sincerely,

Olin H. Broadway. Jr.

BroadNel, Inc. a oe Vill LE Ce .

John Clemens
NationsBank Thomas J. Williams

Mark G. Dill Executive Director
Nortel

Tom Mallison
DuPont

C. Steve Parrott
Sprint

Hilda Piamx-Ragland
Carotina Power & Light

Wiliam A: Shore
Glaxo Wellcome Inc.

Vivian Love Tun.er
Rud. Reynolds Tobacce Co.

Thomas J. Williams 3
Executive Director

NCBCE 1s a taxcoxempl, nonprofit organzavon under Secton £01(c}(3) of he intemal Revenue Code.



Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc.
South Burlington, VT

Description: Ben & Jerry's is a leading maker of premium ice cream and other
frozen desserts. There are 614 employees who are 39 percent female

Program: The company operates an extremely active and generous foundation
for corporate-giving, a vehicle normally used by much larger businesses Ben &
Jerry's gives away 7.5 percent of its pre-tax earnings to the foundation, em-
ployee community action teams, and corporate grants. In addition to the
foundation's work with children and families, Ben & Jerry's has been singled
out by the U. S. Department of Labor as having implemented worker-friendly
programs.

Other Family-Friendly Policies:

On-site childcare center

100 percent paid disability for six weeks and 60 percent thereafter
$2,000 for adoption aid

Paid leave for maternity, paternity, or adoption

Paid preventative health care

Work/ family support groups

Savings plan match

Three free pints of ice cream

Health club memberships

Ot

2 Ot Ob Ob 0b Ob Ot

Benefits to Company: Ben & Jerry's is a close family. Profit-sharing and
generous benefits not only keep employee turnover low but attract well-quali-
fied applicants.

Contact:
Ben & Jerry's Foundation
c/o Rebecca Golden
30 Community Drive
S. Burlington, VT 05403-6828
802-651-9600

NE

35



The business may want to consider having some community or school system
representation on the steering committee. Their role might be to present vari-
ous topics for consideration or to serve as a link to other agencies or resource
materials in the local community.

Formulate a Program Mission Statement

Although an organization's family-friendly policies should be relevant to its
overall business mission, a specific mission statement for the worksite
parenting program offers a roadmap for implementation. Key questions the
steering committee should address in developing the program mission state-
ment include

* What are we doing?
* For whom?
* How will we do this? For what purpose?

The steering committee should be encouraged to give other employees the
opportunity to “buy in” to the program mission statement.

The following is an example of a program mission statement:

Through our worksite parenting program, we will get the right
information, to the right people, at the right time thereby creating a
positive change and improving the quality of relationships in our
families, communities, and business

Assess Employee and Program Needs

The paramount charge of the steering committee is to determine the type of
programs best suited for its business and employees. Effective methods of
determining needs and program topics are through small focus groups, informal
surveys, and program evaluation forms. Focus groups and surveys should be
specific enough to pinpoint the most prevalent employee needs but should not
include phrasing that would encourage unrealistic expectations by the
workforce. A sample informal survey is included later in Appendix A. Surveys
may include such items as number and age of children, preferred times and
frequency of sessions, and topics of interest. It is recognized that a “one size fits
all" is not an appropriate approach. Each business should develop the type of
program best suited for its employees and business conditions.

Plan and Advertise the Program

It is essential that emplovee feedback, along with budgetary considerations, be
the primary elements in developing a plan for the worksite parenting program.
The program must respond to employee needs because supportive policies are
viewed as critical in the recruitment and retention of workers. Clearly, if com-
pany policies are not made responsive, employees at all levels will continue to
suffer work/family strain and conflict—the very condition that a family-friendly
initiative is designed to alleviate.

ran



Bayfront Medical Center, Inc.
St. Petersburg, FL

Description: Bayfront Medical Center is a 90-year-old, 502-bed, not-for-profit
hospital. There are 2.247 employees of which 1,633 are female.

Program: The Bayfront Medical Center joined the Pinellas County School
System in opening a grade school on the hospital campus for children of em-
ployees. The Bay Park Partnership School is a satellite to nearby Campbell Park
Elementary School where Bay Park children attend assemblies, group activities,
and other events of interest. Bay Park is staffed by certified public school
teachers and follows the public school curriculum.

Classes are for K-3 with eligibility limited to legal dependents of regular, full-
time, or part-time employees. Should there be openings in any class after the
start of the school year, legal dependents of other employees may be considered
for enrollment. The enrollment process begins each spring for the following
school year. Enrollment notices are distributed through Bayfront publications,
payroll vouchers, and interoffice mail

Pre-school children of employees may attend the Bayfront Child Development
Center, across the street from Bay Park. The Bayfront Medical Center offers
scholarships to emplovees who meet eligibility criteria to help further offset the
expense of childcare.

Other Family-Friendly Policies:

Contact:

* Bearly Sick, a program which provides occasional sick-childcare to employ-
ees’ children who may not be accepted at school or their regular childcare
provider.

* Flexible work schedules

* 20/20 scholarship program (Work 20 hours, go to school 20 hours, get paid
for 40 hours)

* Financial aid for adoption

* Scholarships for employees’ children

Benefits to Organization: Bayfront Medical Center credits its work/life poli-
cies with decreased turnover and high employee morale. Its generous employee
scholarship program provides a more highly educated work force.

Angela West

Bayfront Medical Center
701 6th St. South

St. Petersburg, FL 33701
813/893-6808

au



seminars for the company's managers. Since then the number of women ac-
cepting partnerships with Deloitte has doubled. In addition to helping Deloitte
and Touche establish the culture necessary to retain women in senior leader-
ship positions, Cook's efforts earned him Working Mother's Townsend Award as
the Family Champion of the Year for 1997 (Moskowitz, 1997).

Collaborate with Other Businesses
and Community Organizations

Large businesses usually have an easier time planning for parent involvement
activities since they have a large number of interested parents and facilities on
site for a group meeting. In addition, eating facilities at the business make it
convenient to plan programs around lunch. With a large number of partici-
pants, it usuaily is easier to attract quality presenters.

Large businesses are encouraged to invite small businesses in their immediate
area that may wish to participate. Local Chambers of Commerce may be helpful
in identifying small businesses for involvement. Small businesses can designate
representatives to receive and disseminate information to other employees.

Where it is not possible for small businesses to work cooperatively with a large
business, it might be necessary for them to work independently or through the
local Chamber of Commerce. Several small businesses interested in having a
parent involvement program might form their own steering committee. One
major challenge will be determining the most convenient time and place to

meet. Schools and churches usually have meeting facilities available at conve-
nient times.

Conduct the Program

There should be no surprises when the parenting program is actually imple-
mented. The program, solidly grounded in the step-by-step process, should be
executed “as advertised.” With no track record or bind to tradition, steering
committee members should be especially alert to employee feedback at the
program's outset. Obvious adjustments should be made as part of the evaluation
process.

Essential operational processes for each program session should include the
following:

Facilities are ready for presenters and audience

Introductions and agenda are prepared in advance

A-V needs are ready as needed

Handouts and other materials are prepared

Video of session and/or additional resources are made available to employ-
ees as follow-up

Evaluation and presenter follow-up is conducted

Ot OF OF OE

*

23



Appendices

Appendix A
Employee Survey on Worksite Parenting Program...

Appendix B
Checklists for Establishing Worksite Parenting Program........ 32
Appendix C
RESOUTCES 00.0.0... ecccec ces ceceeeceeesseceaeeeeseseaasceeeessesesseeseeesseeeaeaseee 33
Appendix D
Family Medical Leave Act History and Information .............. 44



BEST COPY AVAILABLE ~_ 996 Families and Work Institute Survey) |
—_

Work-family management training tends to emerge when a company is
examining and revising its family-related policies (especially those related to

work schedules and leaves). Emplovers recognize that the use and effectiveness

of such policies can be severely jeopardized unless they are fully supported by
supervisors. This is performed on a continuous basis.

Community support is a program where companies provide corporate foun-
dation support for work-family services in the community. This is done in
coordination with educational and community agencies. A more recent devel-
opment in corporate giving, however, is the creation of special funds.

Part-time Schedules
Employee Assistance Programs
Personal Days
Flextime
Personal Leaves of Absence
Childcare Resource and Referral
Spouse Employment Assistance
Dependent Care Assistance Plans
Job-Sharing Arrangements
Flexplace
Family, Childcare Leaves for Mothers
Family Counseling in Relocation
Work-Family Seminars
Cafeteria Benefits
Wellness/Health Programs
Elder Care Consultation and Referral
“adoption Benefits
Childcare Centers
Work-Family Management Training
Work-Fi Family Support Groups |
. Corporate F Founda’
Family Illness Days
2j:q/, Discounts for Childcare
Sick Childcare
Work-Family Coordinators...
Work-Family Handbooks
~ Long “Term Care Insurance
Consortium Centers for Childcare
On-site Caregiver Fairs
Vouchers for Childcare { &

ae a eee seer veers cree



UD So ARES PR SUES AEE SER REPORTS ewe


A quarter of a million women polled identified building a family-friendly
workplace as one of three policies urgently needing implementation by compa-
nies. The other two were increased pay and more training. A Working Women
Count program by the Bureau resulted in more than a thousand businesses,
community organizations, state and local governments, and labor unions pledg-
ing a variety ut initiatives such as flexible scheduling, personal leave time, and
on-site childcare.

Priority Management Systems, an international management consulting firm,
surveyed attitudes of workers toward their jobs. In this study of 1,000 upper and
middle managers, personal values and corporate demands were found to con-
flict. Only two percent of the managers indicated they lead a balanced lifestyle.
Nearly 70 percent of the waking day was consumed by working and commut-
ing, according to the survey.

The overall issue of helping working families should be a government priority,
according to 72 percent of the 1,115 adults polled in a survey from the Family
Matters report. Here are two key survey findings:

1. Most people want the federal government to expand the Family and Medical
Leave Act to include time off for workers to go to the doctor, meet with their
children's teachers, or to get out of a violent situation at home.

2. Sixty-six percent of all poll respondents said that there should be basic
quality standards at the national or state level that all health insurers should
meet.

The Family and Medical Leave Act now guarantees that workers at companies
with 50 or more employees can keep their jobs if they have to take time off to
deal with an illness in the family for up to 12 weeks. Unfortunately, only a
minority of the nation's workers are employed at companies with 50 or more
entployees. Unless a smal] company has the sensitivity and wherewithal, most
working people still can’t take time off in an emergency—even unpaid Jeave—
and be guaranteed they will retain their job.

What Worksite Programs Have Accomplished

Many companies who now boast the most progressive family policies in the
nation were oblivious to the needs of their employees only a few years ago. A
1987 study at Corning showed that women and minorities were leaving the
company at twice the rate of white men. A 1988 survey at DuPont showed that
25 percent of male emplovees and 50 percent of females had considered leav-
ing the company for one that offered more flexibility. Today, both companies
are leaders in family-friendly policies.

Progress has been modest for children and families ine workplace, but there
is evidence that the implementation of family-friendly policies is expanding:

* = Working Mother magazine's 1996 survey of the top 100 family-friendly com-
panies shows a greater utilization of flexible schedules in the corpurate

lu



Stride Rite Corporation
Lexington, MA

Description: Stride Rite is a major manufacturer of athletic and casual foot-
wear for adults and children. There are approximately 2,900 employees.

Program: Stride Rite is the first private company to establish a daycare center
for young and old alike. The $700,000 program consists of adjoining facilities
that allow easy mingling and interaction among 55 children (18 months to five
years) and 24 elderly citizens over 60. Separated only by windows and hallways,
the old and young have many opportunities to visit one another. Shared activi-
ties, such as cooking and birthday parties, are planned by the staff, but there
are spontaneous get-togethers as well.

The Center was built with the goal of developing a national model to deal with
an issue of growing national concern: associates who must not only take care of
young children but elderly parents as well. Stride Rite launched its first
childcare center in 1971 to serve the needs of both employees and community
residents.

Other Family-Friendly Policies:

Family leave

Personal leaves of absence

Work-family coordinators

One week paid leave after birth/adoption of a dependent and adoption

reimbursement up to $5,000 for related expenses for each child per year

Dependent Care Resource and Referral Program: a national child and elder

care resource and referral service, free to all associates, with trained special-

ists who identify specific openings based on personal and financial needs—

also offering referrals for pet grooming, walking, and boarding services

Work/Life Seminars

On-site Mammograms/ Prostate Clinics offered once annually

Business Casual Dress is appropriate at all facilities year-round

Flexible Scheduling offering alternative work arrangements to meet the

needs of employees, including flex-scheduling, compressed workweeks, part

time, and telecommuting

* New parent registry offering a series of lunchtime seminars for expectant
parents

* Fitness Centers located on site

* 401(k) Match and Pension Plans

* All facilities smoke-free

+ HH

ot ot OF

Benefits to Company: The company's Work/Life offerings have impacted the
organization's productivity, retention, and recruitment. Absenteeism among
associates with children enrolled in the on-site childcare centers is reduced
Research and referral specialists have drastically reduced the amount of time it
takes associates to identify appropriate childcare, substantially reducing stress

33



Contact:

retraining, and the time expended to bring a new employee to 100% produc-
tivity. Between May 1996 and April 1997, Patagonia saved $389,840. This
sum reflects the assumption that 45% of those parents wouldn't return to
work if they did not have quality childcare available.

2, Tax credits available for employers participating in Work-Family programs
for their employees. This tax credit produced a savings of $22,738 for 1996-
97.

3. Federal tax deductions. Approximately 35% of the program's total subsidy is

deductible as a business cost and amounted to a benefit of $151,943 for

1996-97.

State tax deductions. Savings amounted to $13,354.

5. Reduction in employment taxes based on employee participation in pretax
programs for childcare and medical reimbursement. A savings of $11,105
was realized.

a

When overall dollar benefits were compared to total program costs, a savings of
$3,749 was realized for the company. While Patagonia doesn't address work-
family issues for the advantages to the business but does it because it is the
right thing to do for employees, it does make business sense.

Anita Garaway Furtaw
259 W. Santa Clara St.
Ventura, CA 93001

30



Contents

Introduction... cccececcceeeesceseeeeseceseeeeeeeeeseesscresseesesteeereseeerentes 1
The Evolution of Family-Friendly Policy......0.ccccccceeeseeeees 2

Types of Family-Friendly Programs....

Planning, Implementing, and Sustaining
a Worksite Parenting Program .......cccccsccescescssesseteteeserseeeeeneeee 12

Gold Star Programs

Appendices



| Acknowledgments

The North Carolina Business Cc:mmittee fc: Education (NCBCE) acknowledges
its appreciation to the following people for <heir ongoing leadership, support,
and demonstrated personal commitment t< improving and enhancing parental

involvement through effective business, ecucation, and community partner-
ships:

Governor James B. Hunt Jr.
State Board of Education Chairman, Mr. Phillip J. Kirk, Jr.
State Superintendent, Dr. Michael E. Ward

NCBCE also would like to recognize its President/Chairman, Mr. J. Billie Ray,
Jr., President of BellSouth-North Carolina t2r his leadership, as well as the
leadership of the member companies.

Those who contributed to the developmen: of this publication include

Dr. Charles Ahearn, Director of Publishing and Quality Assurance, SERVE
Mr. Jim Bleyer, Editorial Consultant

Mr. Henry Helms, Consultant, Work/Paren: Program, NCBCE

Ms. Nancy Livesay, Project Director, SERVEing Young Children, SERVE
Dr. Donna Nalley, Senior Program Specialist. SERVE

Mr. Tom Williams, Executive Director, NCBCE, Office of the Governor
Marissa Coffenberry, Design Specialist, SEFVE

Cc.



Planning, Implementing,
and Sustaining A Worksite
Parenting Program

Society has changed drastically in recent years, which has made the raising of
children more challenging than ever before. Data indicates an increase in the
number of women in the workforce, single parent households, dual-career
couples, families caring for aging parents, and new business demands for
higher quality work with fewer resources. These changes can result in in-
creased pressures upon employees, employers, and families in effectively
balancing the demands of work and family responsibilities.

New evidence continues to show that family involvement in education is
critical to student achievement and creating strong and vibrant communities.
Recent brain research documents the importance of the first few years in
determining the way children learn, think, and behave for the rest of their lives.
Parents are their children’s first and most enduring teachers, and they need
continuous encouragement and support in this role.

lt makes good business sense to support employees as parents as they make
important decisions in this area. Worksite parenting programs enable parents to
make wise use of limited time in becoming more knowledgeable in their

parenting role. These programs offer businesses a high return on their invest-
ment.

The list below outlines the major phases and processes in planning, implement-
ing, and sustaining an effective worksite parenting program based on a model
developed by the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE).
NCBCE is a business-led, nonprofit organization committed to improvement in
K-12 public education. Although a company’s size, industry sector, and re-
sources will dictate appropriate modifications to a program, this process has
proven to bring positive results at minimal cost.

Phase One: Leadership
1. Obtain the CEO/Senior Leadership Support
2, Establish an Employee Steering Committee
3. Formulate a Program Mission Statement

Phase Two: Planning
1. Assess Employee and Program Needs
2. Plan and Advertise the Program
3. Budget Resources
4, Obtain Front-line Managerial Support
5. Collaborate with Other Businesses and Community Organizations

19



The Evolution of
Family-Friendly Policy

Four decades ago, a company was considered family-friendly if it provided jobs
to parents who otherwise would be unemployed. Societai changes such as the
single-parent family and the sharp increase in the number of working women
have redefined and broadened the meaning of “family-friendly.”

To be considered family-friendly today, a company must offer its workers an
abundance of benefits. They range from the very basic, such as health.insur-
ance and equal pay for equal work, to more proactive services, such as on-site
childcare, flexible hours, telecommuting, family leave, and tuition assistance.

The family unit has changed radically since the 1950s. Today only 13 percent of
all American families fit the traditional mold of wage-earner husband and
homemaker wife, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Various other
studies have put that number as low as ten percent. Sixty percent of women
with children under six are in the workforce. Single-parent families headed by
males are the fastest-growing type of family group in America.

The initiation of formal family-friendly programs began in the seventies when
increasing numbers of women were entering the workforce. Although these
programs were regarded by many as a passing fad (Galinsky, Friedman, and
Hernandez, 1991), the number of companies establishing family-friendly prac-
tices has increased. This is partly in response to the number of women assum-
ing increasingly responsible positions in the workforce, the growing number of
single-parent households, and recognition of the importance of fathers’ partici-
pation in their children’s lives.

The Work/Family Balance

These dramatic lifestyle changes are reflected in the increasing role of employ-
ers in helping workers cope with their family responsibilities. Those needing
special help are families with small children and families with both child-
rearing and eider-care responsibilities.

Despite the increased sensitivity of companies to their emplovees’ desire for a
work-family balance, the pressures on working families are getting worse,
according to two-thirds of respondents to a national survey conducted for the
National Partnership for Women and Families.

To help relieve those pressures, men and women want workplaces that are
more flexible so that they can achieve the balance between family obligations
and work duties. Most women and about half of all men surveyed termed this
as “extremely important.” As reflected in a 1994 survey of workers by the U.S.
Department of Labor Women’s Bureau, businesses that offer family-friendly
benefits make better prospective employers.

9



Gold Star Programs

Although thousands of companies throughout the country have begun work-
family initiatives, only a small number have been recognized as pioneers in this
effort. As long ago as the seventies, a few businesses recognized the need for
family-friendly policies, and fewer still had the resources to implement them.

These companies have been recognized by their local chambers of commerce,
state government, business associations, parent organizations, and the media
for having the courage and foresight to institute worksite programs that enrich
workers’ lives and foster family ideals. More importantly, however, these trail-
blazers made other companies cognizant of worker needs and that these needs
could be successfully met without adversely affecting productivity or profit. In
fact, as stated earlier, family-friendly workplace policies have boosted worker
productivity and company bottom lines. In addition, policies of these compa-
nies have been and still are used as models. Adaptation has been so widespread

that programs and policies considered “innovative” 20 years ago are common-
place today.

The number of companies with exemplary family-friendly policies and pro-
grams now number in the thousands. This section on Gold Star Programs is not
intended to be exhaustive. In fact, only a few programs have been chosen for
special mention. They were chosen to represent programs of varying sizes,
types, and regions of the country.

tae
ar



DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 444 732 PS 028 819

TITLE Family-Focused Workplace Guide

INSTITUTION SERVE: SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education.

SPONS AGENCY Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED),
Washington, DC.

PUB DATE 1998-00-00

NOTE 62p.; In collaboration with the North Carolina Business

Committee for Education.

AVAILABLE FROM SERVE, 1203 Governor's Square Blvd., Suite 400, Tallahassee,
FL 32301; Tel: 800-352-6003 (Toll-Free); Fax: 850-671-6020
(Item No ECFFG, $9, plus $2.50 shipping and handling.
Non-exempt Florida residents must add 7% sales tax).

PUB TYPE Guides - Non-Classroom (055) ~~ Tests/Questionnaires (160)
EDRS PRICE MFO1/PCO3 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS *Employed Parents; Family Life; Family School Relationship;

+Family (Sociological Unit); *Family Work Relationship;
Fringe Benefits; Government Role; *Parent Education; School
Business Relationship; Work Environment; Working Hours

IDENTIFIERS *Business Role; Family and Medical Leave Act 1993

ABSTRACT

The relationship between family and the workplace and the
impact of both on school readiness are well documented. As society changes,
home, work, and school relationships are being reassessed and retooled.
Noting that employers are taking an increasing role in helping families cope
with societal changes, this handbook offers information to businesses
interested in becoming more involved in helping employees balance work and
family life. Part 1 of the guide discusses the evolution of family-friendly
policy, providing information on the benefits of progressive family policies,
connections to education, and bottom-line benefits. Part 2 describes various
types of family-friendly programs, including alternative work arrangements,
flexible scheduling, and family-supportive benefits. Part 3 provides
information on planning, implementing, and sustaining a worksite parenting
program, based on a model developed by the North Carolina Business Committee
for Education. Part 4 of the guide provides examples of Gold Star Programs
that have successfully implemented family-friendly policies and programs
representing varying sizes, types, and regions of the country. Four
appendices include an employee survey on a worksite parenting program,
checklists for establishing a worksite parenting program, organizational and
other types of resources, and information on the Family Medical Leave Act.
(KB)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS arc the best that can be made
from the original document.



Internet Resources for Special Children
http://www. irc.org/

Connections to a variety of Internet pages on childhood diseases and disabili-
ties.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities http://
www.nichcy.org

Information on all types of disabilities, from birth to age 22.

National Institutes of Health
http://www.nih.gov
Information on childhood diseases, including current research on rare diseases.

ParentSoup
http://www. parentsoup.com
Discussion groups on issues ranging from divorce to discipline.

ParenTalk Newsletter
http://www.tnpc.com/parentalk/index.html
Articles by physicians and psychologists written especially for parents.

ParenthoodWeb
http://parenthoodweb.com

Advice on parenting from pediatricians and psychiatrists and e-mail responses
to questions.

Parenting Q&A
http://www. parenting-qa.com/

Answers to commonly asked questions about parenting and other useful infor-
mation.

Parents Helping Parents
http://www. php.com/
Advice from parents on caring for children with disabilities.

Parent Zone
http://parentzone.com

A variety of resources for employers and employees. It includes a resource for
interaction.

Visa Read Me a Story Program
http://www.visa.com

A Reading Check-up Guide and information on the stages of reading develop-
ment.

Wellness Web
http://wellweb.com/index.htm
Advice on such topics as physician selection and medical treatment options.

48



pany surveys have also disclosed other benefits such as reduced employee
turnover, increased productivity, improved morale, job satisfaction, and tax
credits.

Far from being a passing fad, family-friendly policies have become prevalent in
the nineties, with most Fortune 500 companies offering a variety of programs to
-heir employees (Galinsky, Friedman, and Hernandez, 1991). If not quite
mainstream yet, family-friendly programs are certainly here to stay. And busi-

nesses that offer family-friendly programs are using them to attract the best
workers.

The Conference Board observes that Work-Family Directions, Inc., has designed
a cost-benefit analysis model to assess the quantitative impact of a company’s
family-friendly policies. The model is adaptable and depends on a company's
goals and motivation. The model measures five quantitative factors of family-
supportive policies. .

Emplovee time saved

Increased performance

Employee retention

Stress reduction/health-care cost prevention
Reduced absenteeism

Yrwn>

Almost always, for every dollar spent on family-resource programs, more than
$2 is yielded in direct cost savings. This holds true regardless of company size,
industry type. or average income of employees, according to Work-Family
Directions.

Research clearly indicates that problems experienced by employees trying to
balance work and family lead to increased absenteeism, work disruptions, high
turnover, stress, and low morale. By addressing work-life issues, companies not
only benefit emplovees but also gain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

Xerox Chairman and CEO Paul A. Allaire told business leaders at a summit on
re-linking life and work that family-friendly policies are a powerful business
tool, not just a necessary accommodation. “Workers with a sense of empower-
ment are more efficient, productive, and satisfied on the job,” said Allaire.
“Companies that treat employees with respect are repaid in the dividends of
employee motivation, productivity, and commitment to quality.” He further
emphasized that no one set of policies is right for every company and urged
executives to nurture a corporate culture that respects differences, assumes

people want to do the right thing, and values empowerment “so people can get
the job done.”

The family-leave law has proved popular with businesses as well as workers.
One survey shows that 95 percent of companies who have family-friendly
policies in place say that these policies more than pay for themselves in in-
creased productivity, higher morale, increased retention rates, and the ability to
attract higher-quality workers.

a
&



world, extension of on-site hildcare centers beyond company headquarters,
and the development of programs where companies set aside funds to meet
a wide array of employee needs.

* Hal Morgan and Kerry Tucker, authors of Companies That Care, found that
many companies of every size in every region of the country are meeting
the work-force challenges of the 1990s through family-friendly policies.

* =Acommittee of employers has developed the Employer Promise for Learn-
ing to formalize their commitment to family-friendly policies. They use the
promise and recruitment materials to encourage other employers to incor-
porate family-friendly policies into their corporate culture.

How Education Can Be Helped

Employment practices that assist in the education of employees and their
children are meaningful. These types of initiatives improve morale and work-
ers’ perceptions of their employers. According to The Conference Board's
Business Guide to Support Family Involvement in Educanon, policies such as
flexible work schedules that promote parental involvement in education con-

tribute to workplace productivity and enhance school-based achievement by
children of employees.

The need for more business involvement, however, still exists. The Conference
Board cites a study that shows only one-fifth of parents consistently attend
school programs. More than 40 percent never do, and only one-third of parents
regularly attends their child's extracurricular performances, such as athletic
events and plays. The main culprit: long hours in the workplace. Employed
mothers, for example, work an average of 65 hours per week.

Secretary of Education Richard Riley has emphasized the importance of paren-
tal involvement in their children’s education. “There is a compelling need for
adults to reconnect with America’s children," he asserted. “We seem as a nation
to be drifting toward a new concept of childhood that says a child can be
brought into this world and allowed to fend for himself or herself.”

A parent's mere attendance at a school function can have positive results. The
Conference Board notes that this tvpe of involvement alerts the student and the
school that education is important to the family.

Other effective education initiatives include family literacy programs, continu-
ing education for the employee or employee's child, tuition reimbursement,
college decision making, summer employment to assist with college expenses.
and at-work seminars. Personal days allow employees to take time off for
special events such as parent-teacher conferences and special school events.

Bottom-Line Benefits
Companies offering family-friendly programs have learned that they translate
into good business, both internally and externally. According to Gibson (1997),
work-life programs can save companies money. His survey of 451 human
resource professionals found that “an appropriate mix of work-life programs”
saved their companies millions of dollars in unscheduled absenteeism. Com-



Order Form

Name

Title

Address Qhome 9 work

City State Zip
Phone Q home Q work ( )
FaxQ home 2 work ( )
Quantity Description Item No. Unit Price Total
Subtotal
Non-exempt Florida residents
add 7% sales tax
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Please photocopy this form for future orders.

NOTE: Ordering information and this form are located in the back of most SERVE publications.

61



the top ranking companies. The guide's rating criteria is of special interest to
businesses initiating or evaluating family-friendly polices.

Early Childhood Action Tips

The Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001 ‘

Phone (212) 465-2044

These recommendations of leaders from diverse fields explain how each of us
can contribute to the healthy development of America’s children. The tips are
organized for specific audiences, including employers and civic organizations.

Early Childhood Brain Development [Slide Show]

The Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

Phone (212) 465-2044

Both the short and long versions of this slide show presentation on the brain
development of young children can be adapted for different audiences.

The Family Manager's Guide for Working Moms

by K. Peel

Ballentine Publishing Group

201 E 50th Street

New York, NY 10022

This handbook offers working parents tips on organizing and simplifying their
lives. It includes “pep talks” in the form of quotations from individuals ranging
from Dr. Spock to Abraham Lincoln.

1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce
The Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

Phone (212) 465-2044.

Moving from Programs to Culture Change: The Next Stage for the Corporate
Work-Family Agenda

by Dana E. Friedman and Arlene A. Johnson

26 pages, $25.00

The Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

Phone (212) 465-2044



Contact:

Edgar Murphy, Community Relations Manager
Public Affairs

Nortel

4001 E. Chapel Hill-Nelson Highway

P.O, Box 13010

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
919-992-3045

Fax 919-992-4655

email - edgarm@nortel.com

32



Work + Family

http:// www.workfamily.com

A searchable clearinghouse offering a variety of information. Some information
requires a subscription. It offers excellent links on many relevant topics.

Workforce Magazine on line

http://www.workforceline.com

This is a magazine intended for human resource professionals, but it offers a
search of the magazine archive which has many relevant articles.

Zero to Three
http://www.zerotothree.org

*For updates of this list, visit SERVE's Web page at http://www.serve.edu/
Telephone Hotlines

Childcare Aware

(800) 424-2246

Referrals to licensed childcare centers and a free packet of information on
choosing good childcare.

ChildHelp National Hotline

(800)-4-A-CHILD

Advice and referrals from counselors 24 hours a day for parents who have
questions or emergencies.

Family Network on Disabilities of Florida, Inc.

(800) 825-5736 or (813) 523-1130 (Voice and TDD)

Information, referrals, training, and individualized assistance for all types of
disabilities.

Gerber Information Line
(800) 443-7237
Advice from parents and grandparents on a variety of non-medical topics.

1 Am Your Child Campaign
(888) 447-3400

Information on local parenting programs and services as well as a free video-
tape and CD ROM.

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilitics
(800) 695-0285

Information and referrals for all types of disabilities, from birth to age 22.

National Parent Information Network
(800) 583-4135

Research sent free of charge to callers un subjects ranging from toilet training to
preschools.

49



Nortel (Northern Telecom)
Research Triangle Park, NC

Description: Norte] is a leading architect of global communications networks.
Nortel designs, manufactures, and markets complete product portfolios for
wireless networks, public carrier networks, enterprise networks, and broadband
networks for worldwide communications. Nortel had 1997 revenues of $15.5
billion and has approximately 73,000 employees worldwide.

The company’s largest business unit, Public Carrier Networks, is headquartered
in Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC, where 8,500 employees design, build, and
integrate digital communications networks—the networks that telephone
companies worldwide use to provide dialtone for their customers.

Program: A nationally recognized advocate of work/family programs, Nortel
brings education professionals to the workplace to inform employees that
parental involvement is the key success factor in a child's education. These
workplace seminars are designed to engage employees in having a positive
impact on student achievement.

The Nortel program of sponsoring workplace seminars was encouraged in 1996
by the North Carolina Business Committee for Education, a strong innovative
leader for education and family-friendly initiatives in the state. The seminars
are driven by an employee steering committee that determines relevant topics
and schedules notable speakers. Seminar topics have included “Balancing Work
and Family," “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” and “Communicating as
a Family.” Videotapes of the seminars are available for people who are unable
to attend and employees at other Nortel locations.

The program's impact has been so positive that Nortel is partnering with
NCBCE to encourage worksite parenting programs throughout North Carolina.

Other Family-Friendly Policies:
* Flextime
* Telecommuting
* Job sharing
* = Part-time work options

Benefits to Company: The program plays an important role in improving
employee satisfaction and helping employees balance their work/family life
situations. The seminars have lively question-and-answer sessions featuring
employee input. The model program is being emulated across the s*ate with
Nortel deriving a positive public relations image.



Introduction

The family has historically served as the foundation of society. The relationship
between family and the workplace and the impact of both on school readiness
are well documented. Society, however, is changing, and home, work, and
school relationships are being reasse_ ed and retooled.

Employers are taking an increasing role in helping families cope with societal
changes. The institution of family-friendly policies is becoming more prevalent.
Government, the private sector, and community groups are contributing toward
the creation of more family-friendly workplaces and are creating alliances to
assist businesses in achieving that goal.

SERV Eing Young Children (SYC), a component of the SouthEastern Regional
Vision for Education (SERVE), is responsible for developing national leadership
and expertise in early childhood education into the next millenium. One of the
ways SYC accomplishes this is to address critical issues of national importance
in order to impact outcomes for young children and their families.

SYC, though workshops and its publication Families and Schools: An Essential
Partership, has emphasized parental involvement in education. Another SYC
publication, A Call to Action: Family Involvement as a Critical Component of
Teacher Education Programs, addresses the fundamental skills that teachers and
caregivers need to fully involve families in education.

The North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), supported by
the Office of the Governor, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruc-
tion, and other agencies, is encouraging businesses throughout the state to
provide opportunities for employees to learn about and discuss effective
parenting techniques.

The committee’s mission is to encourage businesses to provide an environment
which enables employees to become knowledgeable and supportive parents
who promote and sustain the value of education for their children. One result
of the committee's efforts was the publication of ABC's of Worksite Parenting
Programs, a handbook which reflects the experiences of businesses that have

implemented worksite parenting programs. It is the forerunner of this publica-
tion.

The collaboration of the SYC and the North Carolina Business Committee for
Education is an outgrowth of their unswerving commitment to forge bonds
among the family, education, and the workplace.



Good program marketing strategies are esse,ttial. There are several ways to
advertise a new program such as company aews:etters, bulletin boards, flyers
in cafeterias and restrooms, e-mail reminuers, payroll stuffers, and announce-
ments or handouts at staff meetings. Perhaps 2ne of the most effective strate-
gies is issuing personal, face-to-face invitations hy inembers of the steering
committee. Larger companies would be well served to inform representatives
from each team or department of upcoming events. An important aspect of
advertising is to notify employees of the program and sign-up procedures well
in advance of the program dates.

Allocate Resources

Businesses realize that their future success depends on well-developed plans
and strategies. That corporate mindset is just as valuable in assuring the suc-
cess of parenting sessions held at the worksite. The vision/focus selected for
the parenting program should help determine the frequency and topics of the
sessions. Though a modest budget is required to support a successful parenting
program, companies will recognize a return on this investment through added
employee appreciation and improved employee productivity.

‘The steering committee, using results of the focus groups, surveys, and em-
ployee suggestions, should be actively involved in all phases of session plan-
ning. Ongoing plans for several months’ lead-in time on selected topics will
maintain interest and visibility for the employees. This approach demonstrates
the depth of commitment to the program. :

A comprehensive plan is essential to the establishment of a yearly budget. Good
presenters can be secured through local educational institutions and other
community agencies. On occasion, a high-profile or special presenter for cer-
tain topics may require the expenditure of funds. This can create the conditions
for multi-company collaboration and a joint session.

Obtain Frontline Managerial Support

Surveys (Galinsky & Hughes, 1987) of working families demonstrate that work-
family programs are ineffectual if managers and supervisors do not support
them. The company's offer of work-family programs often comes down to the
phrasing “subject to the supervisor's approval.” Oftentimes, the result is that the
responsibility for obtaining managerial support becomes the employee's rather
than the company’s. And the decision to offer the program or not rests with a
middle manager whose responsibilities or perspectives prevent the employees
in a department from taking advantage of the company’s program.

For this reason, a growing trend in companies who provide work-family pro-
grams is creating the culture necessary to support the programs. An excellent
example is the accounting firm of Deloitte and Touche. In 1992, its chairman
and CEO, J. Michael Cook, sought to establish a culture in which women could
continue to take advantage of the firm’s family-friendly policies as they ad-
vanced in their careers. To accomplish this objective, Cook initiated the Reten-
tion and Advancement of Women program, which includes gender-awareness



QQ

Chartering for Excellence: Developing and Implementing
Charter School Legislation

Children Exposed to Drugs: Meeting Their Needs

Children Exposed to Drugs: What Policymakers Can Do

Comprehensive School Improvement

Coming Together: Collaboration as a Tool for Change

Continuity in Early Childhood Education: A Framework for Home,
School, and Community Linkages

Designing Teacher Evaluation Systems that Support Professional Growth

Designing the School of Your Dreams

Does Class Size Make a Difference?

Ed Talk: What We Know About Mathematics Teaching and Learning

Ed Talk: What We Know About Reading Teaching and Learning

Ed Talk: What We Know About Science Teaching and Learning

Evaluation of the Alabama Direct Assessment of Writing Program

Families and Schools: An Essential Partnership

Family-Focused Workplace Guide

Future Plans Planning Guide

Going to Scale with TQM: The Pinellas County Schools’ Journey
Toward Quality

Head, Heart, and Hands for Our Youngest Children

How to Assess Student Performance in Science: Going Beyond
Multiple-Choice Tests

Improving Reading: Southeastern School Strategies

Improving Schools Now: Accessing SERVE’s Programs, Products,
and Publications (1998)

Improving Schools Now: A Catalog of SERVE's Products and
Publications (1999)

Improving Student Motivation: A Guide for Teachers
and School {mprovement Leaders

Interagency Collaboration: Improving the Delivery of Services
to Children and Families

Issues to Consider in Moving Beyond a Minimal Competency
High School Graduation Test

Leading Change in Literacy: Southeastern District Stories

Learning By Serving: 2,000 Ideas for Service Learning Programs

A New Framework for School Accountability Systems

Overcoming Barriers to School Reform in the Southeast

Planning for School Improvement: A Report on a Comprehensive
Planning Process

PROBE: Designing School Facilities for Learning

Promising Service-Learning Programs

Ready, Aim, Reform! Resources for School Reform

Reducing School Violence: Building a Framework for School Safety

Reengineering High Schools for Student Success

Reflecting on Progress: Site-Based Management and School
Improvement in North Carolina

Resources for School Improvement: How to Improve Schools Now

Safe Schools: What the Southeast is Doing

School] Board Member Training in the Southeast

Schools for the 21st Century: New Roles for Teachers and Principals

Science in the Elementary Classroom: Portraits of Action Research

Selecting High-Quality Charter Schools: What Policymakers Can Do

South Pointe Elementary School (Year 1): A Public-Private Partnership

59

HTCFE
HTSEC
PBCED
HTCSI

ECCTC

ECECE
RDTES
SSDSD
RDCSD
EDMAT
EDRTIL
EDSCI
RDADE
SSFSP
ECFFG
FPPLG

SSPCS
ECHHH

RDSPS
SSIRS

PRHIS2

PRISN

RDISM

HTICO

RDMCT
SSLCL
HTLBS
RDFRA
RDBAR

SRPSI
PRDSF
SSPSL
HTRAR
HTRSV
HTRHS

RDROP
HTRSI
PBSSC
RDBMT
HTSTC
MSARE
PBSCS
RDSP1

$6.00
$10.00
$1.00
$8.00
$3.00

$12.00
$8.00
$6.00
$4.00
$7.00
$7.00
$7.00
$4.00
$6.00
$9.00
$8.00

$12.00
$5.00

$10.00
$6.00

FREE
FREE
$12.00
$12.00

$4.00
$6.00
$8.00
$3.00
$3.00

$1.00
$10.00
$1.00
$8.00
$8.00
$8.00

$4.00
$10.00
$1.00
$4.00
$8.00
$12.00
$1.00
$1.00



Appendix B

Sample of Checklist for Establishing a Worksite
Parenting Program

Leadership Phase

QO Planned Q Completed QO Follow-Up Needed QO Notes

CEO, education, and community leadership demonstrates interest
CEO/ senior leadership, education, and community leadership identify
steering committee leadership

Human resource policies reviewed to assess support for family-friendly
environment

Steering committee develops and communicates program mission state-
ment to all employees

Planning Phase

Q Planned OQ Completed Q Follow-Up Needed OQ Notes
¢ Steering committee identifies employees’ interests

e Human and financial resources assessed to consider program parameters
2 Leading topics and presenters identified

.

Specific programs, dates, times, location(s), and resources defined and
promoted

CEO/senior leadership communicates program support to all front-line
managerial support

Communicate program to other businesses and community groups as
appropriate

Implementation and Evaiuation Phase

Q Planned Q Completed Q Follow-Up Needed OQ Notes

Implement the program process

Assess employee evaluations of the program

List areas for continuous improvement for next session — share results
Provide follow-up information through Parent Information Center (optional)

39



Appendix C

Resources

National Organizations

U.S. Department of Education

600 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202

E-mail Customer Service@inet.ed.gov

1-800-USA-LEARN

Evidence continues to accumulate that family involvement in education is
1. Good for business

2. Critical to children’s school achievement

3. Necessary for strong and vibrant communities

Various publications from the department that promote business and education
partnerships are available.

Childcare Action Campaign

330 7th Ave, 17th Floor

New York, NY 10001

(212) 239-0138

This organization provides information on pending legislation dealing with
childcare issues. Of special interest to employers are bills that offer tax credits
to companies who provide their employees assistance with childcare.

The Conference Board, Inc.

Customer Service Department

845 Third Avenue

New York, NY, 10022

A business research group that reports objectively on key areas of changing
management concern, opportunity and action. It operates the Work & Family
Information Center, which publishes the Work-Family Roundtable. Several of
their latest publications relate to human resource and work-family issues.

Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 1001

(212) 465-2044 telephone

(212) 465-8637 fax

Funded by major corporations and foundations, this organization has pioneered
the study of work-family issues since 1989. The institute conducts research,
advises businesses on planning and implementing work-family programs, and
publishes research reports and other documents of interest to businesses.



Enforcement
FMLA is enforced, including investigation of complaints, by the U.S. Labor
Department's Employment Standards Administration's Wage and Hour Divi-
sion. If violations cannot be satisfactorily resolved, the Department may bring
action in court to compel complianice. An eligible employee may also bring a
private civil action against an employer for violations.

Other Provisions
Special rules apply to employees of loca! education agencies. Generally, these
tules provide for FMLA leave to be taken in blocks of time when intermittent
leave is needed or the leave is required near the end of a school term.

Salaried executive, administrative, and professional employees of covered
employers who meet the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) criteria for exemption
from minimum and overtime under Regulations 29 CFR Part 54 1 do not lose
their FLSA-exempt status by using unpaid FMLA leave. This special exception to
the “salary basis” requirements for FLSA's exemption extends only to “eligible”
employees’ use of leave required by FMLA.

The FMLA does not affect any other federal or state law that prohibits discrimi-
nation, nor supersede any state or local law that provides greater family or
medical leave protection. Nor does it affect an employer's obligation to provide
greater leave rights under a collective bargaining agreement or employment
benefit plan. The FMLA also encourages employers to provide more generous
leave rights.

Further information

For more information, please contact the nearest office of the Wage and Hour
Division listed in most telephone directories under U.S. Government, Depart-
ment of Labor, Employment Standards Administration.



Sanderson Farms
Collins, MS

Contact:

Description: A poultry-processing company, Sanderson has approximately
6,000 total employees at seven locations. There are 1,200 employees at the
Collins plant.

Program: In 1993, Sanderson converted an old hatchery building into a mod-
ern, licensed childcare center. Community partners were essential in bringing
the project to fruition. The crafting of storage shelves was a class project in
carpentry for students at the Collins High School Vocational Center. The state
Office for Children and Youth provided major funding for the center’s teaching
materials, supplies, equipment, and some operating expenses.

The childcare center is licensed to serve as many as 360 children over two
shifts. Services offered include infant and toddler care, care for preschool
children, school-age care, and summer programs. There are four specially
designed playgrounds with one for infants.

Benefits to Company: The provision of quality childcare and education for
employees’ children has resulted in a less stressful working environment for
parents. The program also provides flexibility for families, opening before 4:30
a.m. and extending hours when work shifts run long. The center is also open on
Saturdays and holidays, whenever the plant operates.

Chuck Adams
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Collins, MS
601/649-4030



SERVE Publications
Ordering Information

1. Please complete the order form at the end of the publications/ products
listing and mail with check or purchase order to SERVE, Publishing and
Quality Assurance, 1203 Governor's Square Boulevard, Suite 400, Tallahas-
see, Florida 32301. Make check or purchase order out to SERVE, a federally
funded contract administered by the University of North Carolina at Greens-
boro (Federal ID EIN#56-6001-468).

2. Discounts are available for most SERVE products when you purchase units
of fifty or more. Please contact (800) 352-6001 for discount information.

3. Ifyou are requesting an invoice, your order must include a purchase order
number.

4. We ship by U.S. Mail and United Parcel Service. Please calculate your ship-
ping charges from the table below. Shipping charges will be higher for
special orders and shipping outside the continental U.S. Please allow two
weeks for delivery from the time we receive the order in our office. If you
require special shipping arrangements, let us know. In most cases, we can
accommodate your needs. Publication prices are subject to change.

5. For more information regarding SERVE'’s products and ordering procedures,
please call (800) 352-6001.

Shipping and Handling Charges
Up to $30.00 ...
$30.01 to $60.00
$60.01 to $100.00 .
$100.01 to $150.00
$150.01 to $200.00 ..
$200.01 and above ..

. call for price

Publications
Description Item # Price
1996 SERVE Regional Forum on School Improvement Proceedings SIPROC $8.00
1997 SERVE Regional Forum on School Improvement Proceedings SIPRO2 $8.00
Achieving Your Vision of Professional Development HTEPD $10.00
Action Research: Perspectives from Teachers’ Classrooms MSARP $12.00
Appreciating Differences: Teaching and Learning in a Culturally

Diverse Classroom HTADI $10.00
Assessment Hotspots (Volume 1, Number 1) MAAHS $8.00
Assessment in Early Childhood Education: Status of the Issue ECESI $1.00
A Call to Action: Family Involvement as a Critical Component of Teacher

Education Programs HTCTA $6.00

[ox
ce



SouthEastern Regional
Vision for Education

1100 West Market Street, 3rd Floor, Greensboro, NC 27403-1830 336-334-3211 Toll Free 1- 800-755-3277 FAX 336-334-3268

October 1998

Dear Colleague:

It is with pleasure that the SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE)
presents the Family-Focused Workplace Guide. We publish this document in
collaboration with the North Carolina Business Committee for Education in the hope
that other organizations will build on our efforts. By developing relationships among
government, private business, social services, and education, we improve the chances
that today’s children will be tomorrow's successful citizens.

This handbook offers information to businesses interested in becoming more involved
in helping employees balance work and family life. It presents a picture of the
changing society and of the importance of workplace practices that support family life.
This guide gives examples of Gold Star Programs that have successfully implemented
family-friendly policies and programs, and it describes one model program. It also
offers valuable resource information.

We hope that you will find this document helpful as you reflect on practices in your
workplace. As an educator or parent, you may wish to share it with the businesses in
your area. If you are an employer, please accept it as a guide for initiating or
enhancing a workplace parenting program in your business.

Sincerely,

(Gb Le lndova—

John R. Sanders, Ed.D
Executive Director



The Working Women Count Honor Roll Report

U.S Department of Labor Women's Bureau

Washington, D.C. 20202

Available on the Web at www.dol.gov/dol/wb/honor.htm

About a quarter million women told the Bureau that they demanded improve-
ment in three specific areas: pay and benefits, family-friendly workplaces, and
respect and opportunity on the job.

Web Sites

Families and Work Institute

http://www. familiesandwork.org

Information on the institute's research, publications, training, and conferences
on work-family issues.

The Fatherhood Project

http://www. fatherhoodproject.org

Suggestions on how fathers and other males can become more involved in their
children’s lives.

Work and Family Connection
http://www.workfamily.com

www.dcclifecare.com
Site offers links, resources, and statistics.

www. msbusiness.com/mbj970210
A business journal.

www.shrm.org/docs/ white papers/dependcare.html
Site offers information for employers on setting up family friendly benefit
plans. It offers statistics. It requires membership.

www.ragan.com/pubs/search.html
Site allows searches of management-oriented journals.

www.twc.state.tx.us/svcs/workfamch/wfchp.html
This is a clearinghouse. It allows access to articles in the mainstream press on
the topic of worksite parenting.

www.carereports.com
This is a resource and referral site for childcare and elder care.

http://www.iamyourchild.org
lam your Child Campaign. Information on promoting a child's healthy develop-
ment, local services for parents, and free materials.



Trend Report (One year's subscription)

The Work and Family Connection, Inc.

5197 Beachside Drive

Minnetonka, MN 55343

Phone (800) 487-7898 or (612) 936-6898

This monthly newsletter contains commentary and in-depth analysis of work-
life issues and trends.

White House Conference on Childcare [Videotape]

The Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

Phone (212) 465-2044

In this five-minute videotape, which opened the White House Conference on
Childcare on October 23, 1997, corporate CEOs, public figures, community
leaders, and parents discuss the importance of quality childcare.

Work and Family Connection-A Retrospective: Research and Results from 1990

to 1995

Published in 1996, 267 pages, $89.00 plus $5.00 shipping and handling

Work and Family Connection, Inc.

5197 Beachside Drive

Minnetonka, MN 55343

(800) 487-7898 or (612) 936-6898

This reference covers the history via news clips of 31 types of family-friendly
programs. It identifies the companies who initiated the programs and examines
their bottom-line results.

“Work & Family” in The Wall Street Journal

Newspaper column covering trends, programs, and private and public sector
policies. Column appears Wednesdays in the Wall Street Journal. It can be
accessed at http://careers.wsj.com

E-mail sue.shellenbarger@news.wsj.com

Work and Family Newsbrief

The Work and Family Connection, Inc.

5197 Beachside Drive

Minnetonka, MN 55343

(800) 487-7898 or (612) 936-6898

This eight-page monthly newsletter is a digest of news about work-life issues
from over 11,000 publications.

Work & Family Life Newsletter (on balancing job and personal responsibilities)
Bank Street College of Education

610 West 112th Street

New York, NY, 10025

(212) 663-7200 ext. 286

Circulation Office WFL, 621 1 West

Howard Street, Chicago, IL, 60648

(312) 875-4400

45



may also be on a temporary or permanent status. This kind of arrangement is
one of the most widely used family-friendly programs, according to the Families
and Work Institute. Employees in these positions typically receive benefits such
as health insurance and leave in proportion to the number of hours they work.
For example, a half-time employee pays for one-half of his or her health insur-
ance and accrues leave at one-half the rate of full-time employees. Most compa-
nies, however, do not offer benefits to workers who are on the job less than 20
hours a week.

Time-off options most commonly include paid holidays and vacations. Rela-
tively new are personal days that allow employees several discretionary days
off, other than vacation time, to take care of personal or family matters. Per-
sonal days are generally written into company policy and available to all em-
ployees.

Flexplace: With the widespread use of home computers, portable computers,
modems, and other technology that enable employees to take their work on the
road, the term flexplace is taking its place beside the term flextime. More employ-
ees are opting to take their work home during emergencies, such as a child’s
illness, rather than stay at work or request leave. And more employers are
seeing the advantages of offering the option of flexplace. By allowing employees
to work at home, these employers are literally enabling their employees to be

in two places at once, fulfilling both their work and family responsibilities. Not
only is the work being done; it is being done well in terms of achieving the
desired results. .

Telecommuting, a more popular term for flexplace, most frequently refers to
work-at-home arrangements. Under certain conditions, employees who care for
children or elders can benefit from telecommuting arrangements, although
parents of small children are still likely to need childcare support while work-
ing at home.

Family-Supportive Benefits

Beyond changes in their policies governing time on and off the job, companies
are now also evaluating the whole range of benefits in order to keep abreast of
changes in workforce demographics. Sometimes this means redesigning the
entire benefits package in order to provide more programs and more choice.
Sometimes it means adding to or changing the types of benefits available.
Occasionally the effort involves better packaging and communication of the
benefits already being offered by the corporation.

Cafeteria benefits allow employces to individualize their benefit selections
from a menu of different options and tradeoffs. The overwhelming majority of
cafeteria plans have been implemented since 1990, and none was in place
before 1980. Employers were not allowed to offer a choice in benefits until
passage of the 1978 Revenue Act, when section 125 of the Internal Revenue
Code was introduced. Businesses should investigate federal and state funding
services for child health care.



The SERVE head office is at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro,
with major staff groups located in Tallahassee, FL, and Atlanta, GA, and policy
advisors in each state department of education in the region. Current and
detailed information on any of the program and service areas noted here may
be found on SERVE'’s site on the World Wide Web at www.serve.org.

SERVE-Alabama

Education Policy Analyst

Office forthcoming—please call the SERVE
main office for assistance at 800-755-3277

SERVE-Florida

Publishing and Quality Assurance;
SERVEing Young Children;

School Development and Reform
1203 Governor's Square Blvd

Suite 400

Tallahassee, FL 32301
850-671-6000 ® 800-352-6001

Fax 850-671-6020

Database Information Services Center
1203 Governor's Square Blvd.

Suite 400

Tallahassee, FL 32301

850-671-6012 * 800-352-3747

Fax 850-671-6020

Education Policy Analyst
Office of the Commissioner
The Capitol, LL 24
Tallahassee, FL 32369
850-488-9513

Fax 850-488-1492

Eisenhower Consortium for Mathematics
and Science Education at SERVE

1203 Governor's Square Blvd.

Suite 400

Tallahassee, FL 32301

850-671-6033 *800-854-0476

Fax 850-671-6010

SERVE-Georgia

Urban Education and Teacher Leadership
41 Marietta Street, NW

Suite 110

Atlanta, GA 30303

800-755-3277

Fax 404-577-7812

(on)
nN

Education Policy Anaiyst

Georgia Department of Education
2066 Twin Towers East

Atlanta, GA 30334

404-657-0148

Fax 404-651-4673

SERVE-Mississippi

Education Policy Analyst

State Department of Education
P.O. Box 771

Jackson, MS 39201
601-359-3501

Fax 601-359-3667

SERVE-North Carolina (Main Office)
Assessment, Standards, and Accountabil-
ity; Education Policy; Evaluation; Execu-
tive Services; Operations

P.O. Box 5367

Greensboro, NC 27435

336-334-3211 ¢ 800-755-3277

Fax 336-334-3268

Anchor School Project; Children, Families,
and Communities; Region IV Comprehen-
sive Center; SERVE Leaders Institute;
Southeast and Islands Regional Technol-
ogy in Education Consortium

P.O. Box 5406

Greensboro, NC 27435

336-334-3211 © 800-545-7075

Fax 336-334-4671

Education Policy Analyst
Department of Public Instruction
Education Building

301 North Wilmington Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-2825
919-715-1245

Fax 919-715-1278

SERVE-South Carolina

Education Policy Analyst

Office forthcoming—please call the SERVE
main office for assistance at 800-755-3277



improve childcare options for their workers by directly providing childcare
through on- or near-site centers. Options for companies with fewer resources
are to subsidize childcare at existing childcare centers in the community or to
participate in a consortium of companies in creating a center.

Maternity/paternity leave is more likely to be offered by large companies,
according to the Institute of Personnel and Development (I[PD). Though small
companies may find it difficult to implement maternity leave, employers
should be aware that a good maternity policy attracts a high calibre of women
to join and stay with an organization, the IPD asserts. Although the paternity
leave option has become more prevalent, many companies have not instituted
one. Men have a parental role that extends beyond breadwinner, added the IPD.

Partnership programs with schools involve the donation of money, equip-
ment, and/or special expertise. Often employees are given time off to volunteer
their time in educational and community-related activities. Employers can fund
special projects—such as newsletters, voice-mail systems, and centers for
parents—aimed at improving parent-teacher relationships. Business leaders can
further education reform by serving on task forces that explore new ways to
enhance parental involvement or by advocating legislation. Schools, in turn,
can lend expertise by providing parent education courses for employees.

Worksite parenting programs refer to company-sponsored workshops, semi-
nars, or classes for employees who wish to improve their parenting skills and
improve the balance between work and family life. This type of program is
often achieved through partnering with the local school system and various
community agencies supporting children and families. Employers can provide
personnel with information about parenting programs provided in the commu-
nity by hospitals and other groups. Parents also benefit from receiving printed
information made available at key locations or through inserts with payroll.

Work-family support groups allow employees, in small, facilitated discussion
groups, the opportunity to give and receive support for family-related concerns
such as health, education, and child needs. The company plays a proactive role
in creating and encouraging these groups. Depending on company policy, these
groups meet on company time, over lunch, or after work.

Work-family coordinators typically emerge as staff positions in firms that
have moved beyond initiating one or two policies or programs and are develop-
ing a more integrated approach to work-family issues. This evolutionary process
often includes an evaluation of all family-related policies in the company, in
order to determine the overall “family-friendliness” of the work environment.
The size of the company and its experience with family-friendly policies dictate
whether or not they have work-family coordinators on staff.

Work-family handbooks provide a more integrated approach. A user-friendly
handhook describes all of a company's family-friendly policies. These publica-
tions need to be continually updated and employees advised as to changing
options and additional or discontinued programs.

oy
c



Family-Focused
Workplace
Guide

Printed 1998

By
SERVE

The SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education
Associated with the School of Education
University of North Carolina at Greensboro

And in collaboration with
The North Carolina Business Committee for Education

3



PLEASE INDICATE PARENTING TOPICS OF INTEREST TO YOU
(check all of interest):

Homework: “Your Home As a Learning Center”
Communicating with the School

Value of Parenting

Communicating with Your Child

Parent Teacher Conferences

Reading to Your Child

Improving Writing, Math, Science (and other subject areas)
Conflict Resolution

Motivation and Responsibility

Discipline/Behavior

Building Your Child’s Self-Esteem

Baiance Work/Family Responsibilities

Exceptional Children/Learning Disabilities

Attention Deficit Disorders

Testing: Information for Parents

Preparing Your Child for School

School Safety: Parent and School Roles

Other Topics of Interest

ooooo00o000000000000

INDIVIDUALS YOU RECOMMEND AS PRESENTERS & POSSIBLE TOPICS
(Please list names and positions of potential presenters and their topics.)

OPTIONAL INFORMATION

Do you currently serve as a school volunteer? YES NO
If so, what school do you serve?

List your major activities

YES, I would like to serve as a school volunteer.
Special interests in school volunteer work:

PLE ASE RETURN SURVEY TO:



Neuville Industries, Inc.
Hildebran, NC

Description: Neuville is a hosiery manufacturer with a workforce of 650
employees. More than 75% are female.

Program: An innovative pioneer in family-friendly policies, Neuville has had
an on-site center serving the children and grandchildren of employees since
1979. To ensure high-quality care, the center operates slightly below its licensed
capacity of 99 children and maintains lower staff/child ratios than required by
the state. The center, called Playworld Child Development Center, is open on
Saturdays to serve employees on weekend shifts. Neuville also subsidizes near-
site care for employees working evening shifts. Playworld is no more than a
five-minute walk away from all parents in the facility.

Neuville pays staff education and training time, a policy that is untypical in for-
profit child-care centers. Other Playworld policies include flexible breaks for
parents to spend more time with children, encouragement of parent participa-
tion in field trips, monthly parent-child iunches, and periodic parenting and
child safety classes for parents.

Parents pay approximately 60% of the cost of care; Neuville subsidizes the rest.
In 1980, Neuville subsidized $23,714; in 1997, the subsidy amounted to
$121,570. The average cost of daycare centers locally ranges from $90-$100 a
week; Neuville workers pay $51-§55 per week for one child with a sliding scale
for additional children. Employees receive 21-26 days of free childcare per year,
based on seniority.

Other Family-Friendly Policies:
*

Contact:

Job sharing

Part-time workweeks with benefits

Limited paternity leave

Resource and referral program for outside centers
Salary continuation policy for childbirth/adoption

+t OF

Benefits to Company: The advantages of family-friendly policies are numer-
ous for Neuville. The company attracts and retains a highly qualified workforce.
The turnover rate is about 34% compared with the industry average of more
than 80%. Neuville can assure career continuity to women who might other-
wise drop out of the workforce during their child-bearing years; employee
morale is enhanced; and the company enjoys a positive public image.

Elena Azzarita

Neuville Industries, Inc.
Hildebran, NC 28637
704/397-5566, Ext. 336



ED 444 732

Family-Focused

Workplace

re
a

BEST COPY AVAILABLE



Parents Anonymous

(909) 621-6281

Referrals to state and regional Parents Anonymous organizations, support
groups, and counseling.

Single Parents Association

(800) 704-2102

Answers to questions on parenting and referrals to support groups and other
community resources.

Visa Read Me a Story Consumer Hotline

(888) 703-READ

Information on the Read Me a Story Program and on free materials that callers
can order.

Work-Family Directions
(800) 635-0606
A telephone consultation service offered by employers to employees that helps

parents learn how to motivate their children, solve learning problems, and
select schools.



Contact:

for the employee and the family, as well as reducing time away from work.
Recruitment of highly talented candidates is enhanced by offering programs
like summer hours and flex time.

Beverlye M. Keaton
Director, Associate Relations
Human Resources

191 Spring St.

Lexington, MA 02173
617/824-6060



North Carolina Business Committee for Education
Office of the Governor

116 W. Jones Street

Raleigh, NC 27603

919-715-3535 phone

919-733-2120 fax

E-mail twilliam@gov.state.nc.us

www.ncbce.org (Website)

SouthEastern Regional Vision for Education (SERVE)
1203 Governor Square Blvd., 4th Floor

Tallahassee, FL 32301

800-352-6001

904-671-6076

904-671-6020 FAX

New Ways to Work

785 Market Street, Suite 950

San Francisco, CA 94103

415-995-9860

415-995-9867

E-mail info@nww.org

www.nww.org (Website)

Offers guidelines for judging flextime requests and other work options.

Nine to Five

National Association of Working Women

614 Superior Avenue, NW, Suite 852

Cleveland, OH, 44113-1306

414-274-0925

414-272-2870 FAX

E-mail nat9toS@execpc.com

Job Problem Hotline (800) 522-0925

Offers books, CD ROMs, magazines, newsletters, reports, slide presentations,
and videotapes.

Resources

The Corporate Reference Guide to Work-family Programs

by Ellen Galinsky, Dana E. Friedman, and Carol A. Hernandez

437 pages, $50.00

Available from

The Families and Work Institute

330 Seventh Avenue

New York, NY 10001

Phone (212) 465-2044

The most comprehensive reference on work-family issues ever published, this
guide examines family-friendly policies ranging from flextime to subsidized
daycare. It analyzes the policies of over 150 Fortune 500 companies and profiles

43



Patagonia
Ventura, CA

Description: Patagonia designs and distributes outdoor wear. There are 674
employees of which 57% are female.

Program: The Great Pacific Family Care Network is an innovative approach to
problem-solving. Despite operating a successful on-site childcare center for
children of its employees, Patagonia was still faced with the expense of recruit-
ing new employees to replace those who had babies and decided to stay at
home because they couldn't afford care or couldn't find room at the center. The
96-child capacity center costs Patagonia $400,000 a year or 40% of the operating
expenses; employees pay the balance through monthly fees.

With the center full and costly, Patagonia, with Ventura County as a co-sponsor,
established a network of home daycare providers. Since 1990, the program has
grown to 20 members who care for up to 138 children. The network serves
primarily Patagonia employees and county workers. This project has recently
entered into a collaboration with Head Start to place income-eligible families
with high-quality family childcare providers.

To start the network, Patagonia spent $15,000 while Ventura County put up
$10,000. The funds give providers training and support for start-up and equip-
ment. There are cash incentives to achieve accreditation for their programs. A
monthly newsletter supplies curriculum ideas and professional updates. The
family daycare network model can easily be adapted and utilized by companies
with multi-sites. Estimated annual subsidy ranges from $250-$335 per child.

Other Family-Friendly Policies:

Parent education programs at the worksite

Adoption assistance

Elder resources on a wide variety of aging and senior care topics
Lactation support services

Paid leave to support childrenis classroom activities

Work at home and job sharing

+ > ot >t HOE

Benefits te Company: Patagonia is able to bring new mothers back into the
workforce faster. The State of California gives Patagonia tax credits for partici-
pating in work-family programs, and the federal government gives tax deduc-
tions. Other benefits include increased productivity, higher employee morale,
reduced absenteeism, and recruitment benefits.

In attempting to quantify the specific benefits of the Family Service Programs,
Patagonia focused on five key characteristics:

1. Savings from bringing new mothers back into the workforce when their
babies are 8-16 weeks of age. Savings include the costs of recruitment,

29



Other Research

* ~The Ford Foundation, a leader in the advocacy of family-friendly workplace
policies, found that helping employees meet the dual pressures of work and
family boosts efficiency, creativity, and profits.

* The Metropolitan Washington Work; Life Coalition discovered that programs
such as on-site childcare and flexible work schedules can improve both
employee morale and a company's bottom line. The survey, which included
small and large firms, ulso reported that companies are beginning to exam-
ine benefits that can boost productivity and morale throughout the life
cycle. These benefits include company fitness centers, subsidized cafeterias,
tuition assistance, and employer support for a worker caring for an elderly
parent.

* A Cannon Consulting Group survey showed that 72 percent of employers
said they believe absenteeism would be greatly reduced if a company
offered on-site child-care services. The survey also found that 34 percent of
the employers believe that childcare favorably affects profitability because it
is convenient for employees and reduces stress.

* Studies at Johnson & Johnson revealed that absenteeism among employees
who utilized flexible work options and family leave policies was 50 percent
less than the workforce as a whole. In addition, two years after the introduc-
tion of work-family benefits at Johnson & Johnson, employees reported that
their jobs interfered less with their family lives.

* Aetna's retention rate increased from 77 percent to 88 percent after it
initiated a six-month maternity leave with flexible return-to-work possibili-
ties.

* Since the opening of its childcare center, Union Bank in Los Angeles re-
ported positive effects on turnover, absenteeism, maternity leave, and
public relations. Cost savings in turnover alone increased from $63,000 to
$147,000.

* Asurvey of nine employers in the Smart Valley Initiative, a California
project that promotes telecommuting, found telecommuters to be 25 per-
cent more productive on the days they worked at home and 20 percent
more productive overall.

* ~The City of Phoenix began an innovative in-home sick child-care program
for working parents. It resulted in saving the city $11,000 in non-productive
sick leave in just six months.

* Family-friendly policies indeed yield important returns for employers in
terms of lower training expenses, decreased absenteeism, reduced turnover,
higher morale, and increased loyalty. It has even been suggested that
morale increases among employees who do not have dependent care needs.
A key component in maximum utilization of family-friendly programs is
managerial support in promoting them.

The verdict on corporate attitudes toward family-friendly workplace policies:
awareness and implementation have multiplied significantly, but much work
remains to be done.



Appendix D

Highlights of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) was enacted on February 5,
1993, and the new law became effective on August 5, 1993, for most employers.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration's Wage
and Hour Division administers and enforces FMLA for all private, state, and
local government employees and some federal employees. FMLA entitles
eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave each
year for specified family and medical reasons.

The purpose of this act is to

1. Balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families
2, Promote the stability and economic security of families
3. Promote national interests in preserving family integrity

This act entitles employees to take reasonable leave for medical reasons, for the
birth or adoption of a child, and for the care of a child, spouse, or parent who
has a serous health condition.

The law contains provisions on

Employer coverage

Employee eligibility for the law's benefits

Entitlement to leave

Maintenance of health benefits during leave

Job restoration after leave

Protection for employees who request or take FMLA leave
Record-keeping for employers

% > HOE

All businesses should review their current policies to be sure they are updated
based upon the most recent state and federal legislation. Moreover, the local
school system should be aware of these policies so they can assist in imple-

menting them in a fair manner. Ensure that your policies are understood by all
employees.

Employer Coverage
FMLA applies to all

* Public agencies, including state, local, and federal employers and local
education agencies (schools)

* Private-sector employers who employed 50 or more employees in 20 or
more workweeks in the current or proceeding calendar year and who are
engaged in commerce or in any industry or activity affecting commerce—
including joint employers and successors of covered employers



“Serious health condition’ means an illness, injury, impairment, or physical or
mental condition that involves

* = Any period of incapacity or treatment connected with inpatient care (i.e. an
overnight stay) in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical facility

* Any period of incapacity requiring absence of more than three calendar
days from work, school, or other regular daily activities that also involves
continuing treatment by (or under the supervision of) a health care pro-
vider

* Continuing treatment by (or under the supervision of) a health care pro-
vider for a chronic or long-term health condition that is incurable or so
serious that, if not treated, would likely result in a period of incapacity of
more than three calendar days

* Continuing treatment by (or under the supervision of) a health care pro-
vider for prenatal care

“Health care provider” means

* Doctors of medicine or osteopathy authorized to practice medicine or
surgery by the state in which the doctor practices

* = Podiatrists, dentists, clinical psychologists, optometrists, and chiropractors
(limited to manual manipulation of the spine to correct a subluxation as
demonstrated by X-ray to exist) authorized to practice, and performing
within the scope of their practice, under state law

* Nurse practitioners and nurse-midwives authorized to practice and perform-
ing within the scope of their practice as defined under state law

* Christian Science practitioners listed with First Church of Christ, Scientist in
Boston, Massachusetts

Maintenance of Health Benefits

A covered employer is required to maintain group health insurance coverage
for an employee on FMLA leave whenever such insurance was provided before
the leave was taken and on the same terms as if the employee had continued to
work. If applicable, arrangements will need to be made for employees to pay
their share of health insurance premiums.

In some instances, the employer may recover premiums it paid to maintain
health coverage for an employee who fails to return to work from FMLA leave.

Job Restoration

Upon return from FMLA leave, an employee must be restored to his or her
original job with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms and
conditions. In addition, an employee's use of FMLA leave cannot result in the
loss of any employment benefit that the employee earned or was entitled to
before using FMLA leave.

Under specified and limited circumstances where restoration to employment
will cause substantial and grievous economic injury to its operations, an em-

53



Dependent Care Assistance Plans (DCAPS) are flexible spending accounts
that enable employees to set aside annually up to $5,000 of their pretax salaries
and use that money to reimburse health and dependent care expenses. This
account may include an employer contribution or a portion of profit-sharing
funds and is tax-free to both emplover and employee.

Adoption benefits include financial assistance in paying expenses related to
adoption. Adoption benefits also allow time off, as in maternity and paternity
leave, for the employee when the child is adopted. This benefit is attractive to
employers because of its high visibility and low cost. Infrequent adoptions are
generally the rule, and this keeps yearly usage rates and costs very low.

College tuition assistance involves the offering of scholarships and loan
subsidies under a tax-deferred savings plan. The company, for example, may
match annual contributions of up to $1,000 for each of an employee's child's
four years of high school.

Long-term care insurance is a relatively recent benefit offered by companies.
Such policies provide coverage for the long-term illness of a parent or spouse,
as well as the policyholder. The introduction and growth of this benefit reflect
the changing age structure of the population. Workers retiring from companies
today can expect to live 25 years or more in retirement and are increasingly
likely to face long-term health problems in their later years. Also, large num-
bers of baby-boomers are becoming responsible for their aging parents, who
may be included in the coverage offered by their employers.

Dependent care support involves benefits in addition to the assistance pro-
vided through company plans. This includes referral networks that are de-
signed to assist large numbers of employees with dependents.

Childcare resource and referral agencies help families find childcare that
meets their needs and also work within their communities to increase the
supply of high-quality childcare programs. They often work with businesses by
providing enhanced referral services and workshops on finding quality
childcare for their employees. Many of these agencies also administer programs
that help families pay for childcare.

Elder care consultation and referral are newer and far less prevalent than
childcare. Although community-based information and services for the elderly
are often extensive, employers have not been connected to these resources
until recently. Such services provide information and counseling on elder care
problems, as well as referrals to local agencies serving the elderly. Strong
growth in the use of this service seems likcly—again due to the fact that baby
boomers are becoming responsible for the care of elderly parents. Many of the
companies that have launched childcare resource and referral services are now
also offering similar services to employces with elder care responsibilities.

Childcare centers and consortia are a key concern for prospective and

present employces. This benefit is not as prevalent as others because of the
perceived costs involved in its implementation. Larger corporations work to

16