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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 276 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 276

    Designating October 2013 as ``National Work and Family Month''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 29, 2013

   Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
 Schatz, Mr. Brown, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Begich, 
 Mr. Warner, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
    Designating October 2013 as ``National Work and Family Month''.

Whereas, according to a report by WorldatWork, a nonprofit professional 
        association with expertise in attracting, motivating, and retaining 
        employees, the quality of a job and the supportiveness of a workplace 
        are key predictors of the job productivity, job satisfaction, and 
        commitment to the employer of workers, as well as of the ability of an 
        employer to retain workers;
Whereas the term ``work-life balance'' refers to specific organizational 
        practices, policies, and programs that are guided by a philosophy of 
        active support for the efforts of employees to achieve success within 
        and outside the workplace, such as caring for dependents, promoting 
        health and wellness, providing paid and unpaid time off, providing 
        financial support, encouraging community involvement, and improving 
        workplace culture;
Whereas numerous studies show that employers that offer effective work-life 
        balance programs are better able to recruit more talented employees, 
        maintain a happier, healthier, and less stressed workforce, and retain 
        experienced employees, which produces a more productive and stable 
        workforce with less voluntary turnover;
Whereas job flexibility often allows parents to be more involved in the lives of 
        their children, and research demonstrates that parental involvement is 
        associated with higher achievement in language and mathematics, improved 
        behavior, greater academic persistence, and lower dropout rates in 
        children;
Whereas military families have special work-life needs that often require robust 
        policies and programs that provide flexibility to employees in unique 
        circumstances;
Whereas studies show that family rituals such as sitting down to dinner together 
        and sharing activities on weekends and holidays positively influence the 
        health and development of children, and that children who eat dinner 
        with their families every day consume nearly a full serving more of 
        fruits and vegetables per day than those who never eat dinner with their 
        families or do so only occasionally; and
Whereas the month of October is an appropriate month to designate as National 
        Work and Family Month: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates October 2013 as ``National Work and Family 
        Month'';
            (2) recognizes the importance of work schedules that allow 
        employees to spend time with their families to job productivity 
        and healthy families;
            (3) urges public officials, employers, employees, and the 
        general public to work together to achieve more balance between 
        work and family; and
            (4) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
        National Work and Family Month with appropriate ceremonies and 
        activities.
                                 <all>
```