"The work family duel can fuel poor outcomes for children -- tomorrow's workers." So says Jodie Levin-Epstein in her new report published by CLASP: Center for Law and Social Policy. http://www.clasp.org/publications/getting_punched_fullnotes.pdf In the course of one's career there are two kinds of time off that affect our ability to stay on the job. More companies need to acknowledge that replacing workers at any level in the organization is less attractive than retaining the trained staff already at work. One kind of time that stops the work clock temporarily is Work Leave, which includes paid sick days, personal or vacation days, and leave for family and medical reasons. The United States ranks low in all these categories and the story just keeps getting worse. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, access to paid sick days dropped from 69 percent to 56 percent; paid holidays dropped from 96 percent to 89 percent and paid vacations dropped from 98percent to 95 percent for employees in medium and large firms between 1988 and 1997. See http://www.bls.gov/data/home/htm

The second type of clock time is Flexibility, which is responsive scheduling that responds to the needs of employees and includes the number of hours on the job, their predictability, and the start and stop times of the workday. You've heard me on the subject of how straightforward is the case for flexible, responsive scheduling. It enhances attraction and retention of high talent. It helps address the challenge of upcoming skill gaps and talent shortages due to an aging workforce.

And how about the children? Parents are working more hours. Parents who work typically feel their children are deprived of their time. Childcare arrangements are often stressful resulting in poor health for children and parents. Parents with paid leave are five times more likely to care for their ill children. There is a correlation between children's success at school and their parents' work schedules. The Leave No Child Behind program caused a few states to enact laws allowing workers time off for parental involvement in school but overall the parents have gotten left behind because their workplace is not responsive to their scheduling needs.

Levin-Epstein throws down the gauntlet for the Government to do it's part for working families. By fostering family friendly solutions the nation stands to retain and regain global competitiveness and create a future for high productivity even as the workforce ages. The high road is perfectly capable of generating profits but the impetus for businesses to take the high road presents an opportunity for the Government to lead the way. It has already done so in the federal agencies which are models for flexible workplaces.

Where is the leadership? The time for balanced hours is now.