WORK-LIFE BALANCE PROGRAMS IN THE UNITED STATES Work-life balance programs in the U.S. have become increasingly popular through the years. The following lists some of the more common work-life benefits: Flex-time Telecommuting Child care Elder care Leave (e.g. paternity, etc.) Job-sharing Employee Assistance Programs In-house store/services Gym subsidies Concierge services Vacation Work hours In addition to the work-life balance programs listed above, primarily due to the internet boom in the mid-90s and the growth in the economy, more companies offered other perks as well. Items such as company cars and a set number of free flights per year were normal for many companies. A four-day work-week as well as flexible hours and casual dress were common also. These perks were primarily instituted to attract, motivate and retain a superior quality workforce. According to a position paper published by Caux Round Table and written by David Rodbourne in 1996, While many leading U.S. companies have extensive work-life programs, policies and practices, most have not yet changed their organizational cultures to support employees and managers who want to use work-life options. This philosophy appeared to be widespread in the 1990s, because work-life programs were in place, however if an employee wanted to be a manager, they were not allowed to work four day weeks. In light of the recent economic conditions, there has been a dramatic change in how corporations view work-life balance programs. Corporations are much more cost conscious about these programs, but still realize their importance. Despite this more critical view about work-life programs, according to Jim Bird, benefits such as Employee Assistance Programs are considered as a standard offering. I do not see them going away. In the heart of the Internet bubble, work-life balance programs were an added bonus to attract and retain quality employees. Today, the work-life benefits have switched from company cars, significant bonuses, and other perks to employee fitness centers and dry-cleaning services. Now work-life balance programs are in place as Recession Perks according to Challenger Gray and Christmas, Inc.3 Many corporations can no longer afford the monetary compensation they were handing out in the 1990s. But with layoffs commonplace, these companies are looking to use their inexpensive Recession Perks as tools to build loyalty and encourage teamwork and camaraderie with coworkers. Through these benefits, along with the traditional programs such as insurance and retirement plans, managing the remaining workforce after layoffs is vital. When the struggling economy turns around, the remaining employees will be responsible for bringing their respective companies back to life, and back to a competitive force. Some of the more prevalent work-life programs listed above are discussed in more details below.

Work Hours America currently legally limits non-exempt workers from working more than 40 hours a week without additional compensation. This legislation is a result of some of the earliest lobbying efforts by labor unions. Exempt workers do not currently have such a restriction resulting in a wide disparity in how exempt workers are treated. Some companies expect extra 2 hours to be put in without extra compensation while at the other end of the spectrum some firms compensate exempt workers as well as non-exempt for overtime. Paternity Leave Paternity leave is an issue that has recently received attention with the passing of the Family and Medical Leave Act. The intent of the Family and Medical Leave Act was to standardize the rights employees have to family leave. While originally intended to protect working mothers, the scope of the law was expanded to incorporate the changing needs of the American family. As more of the population deals with elderly parental care, single parenting, etc., the mandated leave affords a broad spectrum of demographic groups coverage. The current minimum in the U.S. is 12 weeks but 19 percent of companies currently go beyond the scope of the law and offer more leave. Childcare Of conventional families (mother & father) in the U.S., 62.8 percent are dual-income households. As a result, many companies offer child care benefits as an enticement to workers with families. The methods used to support workers are varied and few concepts are universally accepted. In-house child care facilities, after school programs, subsidized child care, and referral services are all ways that employers use to help employees care for their children. One fairly common program is child care spending accounts. These programs take advantage of tax relief provided by the federal government and are offered by over 90 percent of employers. Vacation time in the U.S. is one area where the federal government has not weighed in with significant legislation. While most companies offer two weeks to new employees as a standard, each company in the U.S. can determine their own vacation policy. Therefore, disparities exist between vacation policies which are a source of competitive advantage. Typically, those employees with more seniority receive more vacation time. Many companies offer the ability to accrue more vacation time in relation to the length of service. However, very few companies offer additional vacation time as a reward for good work. Telecommuting Telecommuting is a relatively new concept brought about by the widespread availability of computers and the internet. This primarily allows workers in white collar jobs to work from home by linking employees to a companys network and completing work from home. One of the primary purposes of telecommuting is to allow employees to spend less time commuting, as well as allowing their schedule to be a bit more flexible. Currently 30 percent of U.S. firms allow some form of telecommuting.

1-Summary of the articles.

2-What makes these articles strong? (ex: based on research-good references...etc.)

3-What makes these articles weak?

4-Conclusion: your opinion.