The Foreign Service Journal, May 2011

F OCUS ON F ORE IGN S ERV ICE W ORK -L I FE B ALANCE W ORKPLACE F LEXIBILITY : W HAT ’ S I N I T FOR S TATE ? 60 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A Y 2 0 1 1 ver the past several years, a revolution has taken place in how large segments of the American work force do their jobs. It has been precipi- tated to a great extent by dramatic changes in American work and family life. Two out of three families with chil- dren are now headed by either two working parents or a single parent. One in five workers acts as caregiver to an elder, a number soon expected to become one in three. At the same time, growing global competition means that businesses require a nimble work force able to respond 24/7. The mismatch between the needs of employers and those of their workers has led to reduced productivity and increased employee attrition, and forced companies to adopt policies that help employees better align their work and personal lives. Negotiated so as to be beneficial to employees and employers alike, these policies, known as Flexible Work Arrangements or FWAs, alter the time and place of work. Some of the most progressive organiza- tions give employees full autonomy over where and when they do their work, pro- vided they deliver the expected results. Under this new paradigm, as work-life pioneer Kathie Lingle of Worldat- Work’s Alliance for Work-Life Progress explains: “Work is no longer defined as a place you go, but something you do.” The trend has been greatly assisted by recent advances in computing and communications technology. More traditional FWAs include job-sharing, part-time work, alternative work schedules and telecommuting. Ac- cording to the Alliance for Work-Life Progress, more than 90 percent of companies offer at least one type of FWA, as do many public-sector organizations, including the De- partment of State. However, in many of these organiza- tions the prevailing culture has made employees reluctant to take advantage of them. Today FWAs are being more actively pursued by the F LEXIBLE POLICIES HAVE BOOSTED PRODUCTIVITY AND REDUCED COSTS IN THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS . S TATE HAS MUCH TO GAIN BY FOLLOWING THE TREND . B Y M ARGOT C ARRINGTON O Margot Carrington is an FSO and the recipient of a 2010- 2011 Una Chapman Cox Sabbatical Leave Fellowship to research innovative work-life policies. She wishes to ac- knowledge the invaluable assistance provided by execu- tives and staff of WorldatWork and the Alliance for Work- Life Progress, the Sloan Work and Family Research Net- work, the Boston College Center for Work and Family, Workplace Flexibility 2010, FlexPaths, Working Mother , Accenture and Deloitte.