Report Urges A Coordinated Approach to Work and Family Issues

2/22/2002

From: Susan Cass, 617-253-9457; e-mail: scass@mit.edu; or James Reeves, 202-884-7626; e-mail: jreeves@npa1.org

News Advisory:

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) will cosponsor a roundtable with the Sloan Work-Family Policy Network and the National Policy Association that will present the recent Sloan Policy Network study, Integrating Work and Family Life: A Holistic Approach, by noted scholars Robert Drago, Penn State University, Lotte Bailyn and Thomas A. Kochan, MIT Sloan School of Management.

The report urges leaders from business, labor, community groups, government, and family advocates to work together in a sustained fashion to address the challenges facing working families. Balancing family time and work life received a flurry of attention during the 2000 presidential election, but recently disappeared from public debate. According to the study's authors, "The problems many Americans, at all levels of the economic spectrum, face in trying to meet their commitments to work and family will persist and worsen unless the issues are addressed in a systemic and a sustained fashion."

In issuing a "Call to Action," the study recommendations include:

-- Americans families need access to a universal paid leave policy. -- Parents need more options for working reduced hours. -- Employees should have a voice in shaping company policies on work and family life. -- Employers, unions, communities, and government should create state or regional Work-Family Councils and a National Working Families Summit to promote best practices and to keep the issues on the national agenda.

The discussion will take place from 3-5 p.m. at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, in Washington. Ann Bookman, executive director, MIT Workplace Center, will join authors Robert Drago and Thomas Kochan in the opening roundtable to discuss the study. Respondents include Helen Blank, Children's Defense Fund; Heidi Hartmann, Institute for Women's Policy Research; Judith Lichtman, National Partnership for Women and Families; Karen Nussbaum, Working Women's Department, AFL-CIO; Edward Potter, Employment Policy Foundation and others. An open discussion will follow the presentation.

The roundtable is open to the public, but RSVPs are strongly encouraged. For further information or to register for the event, contact Susan Cass, scass@mit.edu, 617-253-9457 or James Reeves, jreeves@npa1.org, 202-884-7626.

------ With the support of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Sloan Work-Family Policy Network was established in 1998. This innovative Network provides opportunities for interaction between researchers, community leaders, and policymakers to discuss how to update public policy on work and family issues. The full text of Integrating Work and Family Life: A Holistic Approach, as well as the executive summary, can be found at: http://lsir.la.psu.edu/workfam/ or http://web.mit.edu/workplacecenter/.

The National Policy Association was founded in 1934 by distinguished business and labor leaders who believed that the private sector should actively participate in the formulation of public policy. Since its foundation, NPA's goal has been to seek common ground on effective and innovative strategies that address a range of cutting-edge issues of vital significance to the security and prosperity of America. More information on NPA can be found at: http://www.npa1.org/.