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September 2009, Ceridian's Manager Podcast Series
"Managing Workload: Podcast and Tip Sheet for Managers"
Senior consultant Diane Burrus speaks about the recent study on the workload situation in America and how supervisors can help their employees manage their workload and build resilience.
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August 2009, Women in Higher Education
"Work/Life Programs: Lifesavers in a Scary Economy"
Senior consultant Jan Civian, with fellow panelists Julie Nuter of DePaul University and Nancy Costikyan of Harvard University, discuss the importance of work-life programs on campus for faculty and staff. Used with permission of Women in Higher Education, 2009.
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July 2009, Sloan Work and Family Blog
"Corporate Efforts to Make Child Care More Affordable"
Senior consultant Judith Presser blogs for Sloan Work and Family on WFD's involvement in the push for new legislation to make child care more affordable.
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April 2009, Incentive Magazine
"Pressure and Stress are Hitting Workers Hard"
Senior consultant Diane Burrus on the latest WFD pulse survey results on workload issues
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January 2009, Workspan
"The World is Flat: Work-Life Trends to Watch"
WFD president Peter Linkow discusses the importance of culture in a dispersed workplace
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October 19, 2008, Detroit Free Press
"PricewaterhouseCoopers, Google named region's best workplaces"
Senior consultant Amy Richman speaks on what makes a great place to work
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August 2007, Entrepreneur
"Keep your single staff in mind"
Jan Civian, senior consultant, speaks about the importance of retaining your single employees
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April 15, 2009, Boston, MA
Increased workload, workplace pressure and stress are taking toll on workers
Half of WFD survey respondents report decreased employee morale, motivation, and endurance.
» Click to read more.
Boston, MA (April 15, 2009) — Workloads and associated stress are increasing in the workplace while employee morale, motivation, and endurance are declining, according to a survey of business leaders and work-life experts conducted by WFD Consulting.
Employee stress and workload have increased substantially in the last 12 months, according to the survey conducted in March. Eight out of 10 respondents report that managers' and employees' workloads have increased, along with employee stress. At the same time, half of respondents report that employee motivation, energy, and endurance have all decreased.
Access the full results of the survey on the WFD Consulting workload website.
The demand for immediate action and rapid turnarounds contributes to the escalating work pressure; two-thirds of respondents report an increase in expectations concerning speed of execution. The expanding global workplace also contributes to increased pressure, with about half of respondents reporting that the demands of managing globally have increased.
Fewer than half (45%) of respondents report that workloads in their organizations are reasonable and only one-third (32%) say that their organizations have eliminated most low value, unnecessary work — a key factor contributing to workload and overwork. Respondents identify "inadequate staffing to meet work demands" as the biggest factor driving excessive workload. Other factors include "conflicting priorities" and "poor communication and coordination among different functions."
Forty-four percent of respondents report that their companies have taken action to address workload issues or eliminate low value work. The most common actions include: work prioritization to focus on a few critical needs; process improvement and reengineering projects to shorten cycle times and increase efficiency; and outsourcing of non-priority and low value work.
Organizations that recognize the impact of workload pressure are responding with resources to build employee resilience and help manage stress. Companies are encouraging the use of flexible work options and enabling teams to self-manage their workload. Many are more actively promoting their EAPs, health and wellness programs, and fitness centers. Another key action has been leadership communication to employees, especially on the financial state of the organization, and support to make use of available programs.
The survey was administered online using SurveyMonkey to work-life, diversity, and talent leaders, business unit heads, and academic experts. The 103 respondents came from a variety of industry sectors, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, professional services, technology, higher education, and governmental and not-for-profit organizations.
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July 8, 2008, Boston, MA
New Research from WFD Consulting Gives Reasons for Burnout, and Solutions
WFD Consulting released research findings today that demonstrate how longer work hours and time spent on low-value work increase burnout and negatively impact employees and productivity.
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May 7, 2007, Orlando, FL
WorldatWork recognized Senior Consultant Amy Richman as a finalist for "2006 WorldatWork Contributor of the Year" for her article, "Everyone Wants an Engaged Workforce: How can you create it?" The article was published in the magazine workspan in January 2006. Congratulations, Amy!
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November 2006, Livingston , NJ
WFD is pleased to announce that our own Arlene Johnson has been elected to the five-member Town Council of Livingston, New Jersey.
» Click to read more.
The Council is the legislative and governing body of the town. It establishes ordinances, sets priorities and directions for the development and preservation of open spaces, defines the budget, sets tax rates, and coordinates with county and state authorities among other activities. Sometime during the next two years, Arlene will serve a term as Mayor. We even understand that the Governor now addresses Arlene as the Honorable Arlene Johnson. We are most pleased that Arlene will continue to serve WFD's clients and provide thought leadership for the work-life community.
Arlene's new role is in keeping with what we have discovered in our recent research on the New Career Paradigm — that employees are increasingly seeking ways to give back to the community. If you would like to learn more about the rising desire to make a contribution to the community and our many other findings about what keeps people committed and engaged at work, click here to obtain a copy of the New Career Paradigm research report, developed for the American Business Collaboration. · · ·
A WFD study reveals that only half of employees are confident they can maintain their job performance during times of change. Read more here
In October 2005, WFD Consulting announced that they had received a Sloan Foundation grant to build database on workplace flexibility Read more here
Abby Shapiro, Senior Consultant at WFD, met with Global Leaders for Young Children for a two-day pre-conference at the 2005 World Forum on Early Care and Education.
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