Extension News: Work/family balance Archives

UNH Cooperative Extension in conjunction with the New Hampshire Legislative Task Force on Work and Family will host the 2nd New Hampshire Summit on Work and Family, June 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.

Participants can register online. The cost of $30.00 per participant* includes lunch.

New Hampshire's other advantage: its quality of life

"Some argue that the widely touted New Hampshire Advantage that has attracted and kept many small and large businesses in New Hampshire is all about the state's low tax burden. We think it has as much to do with the quality of life that the Granite State offers those of us who work, live, and chose to raise our families here," says Malcolm Smith, Cooperative Extension family life and family policy specialist.

"Our first Work and Family Life Summit started a statewide conversation among business leaders, human resource professionals, state legislators, labor leaders, researchers and bureaucrats on how to make New Hampshire a better place for working families," Smith says.

"This year's summit continues the conversation, articulating what constitutes quality of life for working parents and how to extend those quality benefits to all," he says.

"Based on feedback from last year's event, this year we'll focus on the heightened importance of work-life fit in light of the current recession, and on the changing role of men in both work and family settings.

Conference presentations include:

The Changing Role of Men in Work and Family Life, by Dr. Brad Harrington, Executive Director, The Boston College Center on Work and Family

Sustainable Business Means Sustainable Families, by Gary Hirshberg, CE-YO, Stonyfield Farm and author of "Stirring it Up."

Why Work/Life Fit Matters Now More Than Ever, by Lois Backon, Vice President of the Families and Work Institute, New York

A panel of representatives from small, large, and not-for-profit businesses will discuss best work/life practices. "This session, again moderated by Connie Roy-Czyzowski of Delta Dental, was among the most popular of last year's conference offerings," says Smith.

"In addition to this stellar lineup of acclaimed presenters and panelists, my colleague Kristin Smith of UNH's Carsey Institute and I will present data from the first-ever survey of work-life balance in New Hampshire," Smith says.

"Our survey involved 500 working parents who answered questions about the fit between their family lives and their work lives. We think you'll find our survey results as fascinating as we did."

"We know that when workers neglect their families' needs because of work-related pressures, the quality and quantity of their work suffers," says Smith.

"We also know that when work pressures and job strain pile up at work, our families suffer. Therefore, it's vital that policy-makers, in collaboration with business and community leaders, pay attention to the many issues involved in balancing work and family life. Please join us June 7!"

* New Hampshire legislators may contact our office at 862-1928 to register as our guests.

For more information and to register

New Hampshire farmers, large and small, want to know what financial risks they may face, what strategies they can use to reduce those risks, and how to be as productive as possible. Farmers also know it's a matter of balancing farm and family life.

Continuing the risk-management workshop series we started last fall, the winter presenters will provide tools and techniques for managing business risks while explaining the benefits of participating in crop and revenue insurance programs.

Here's a list of upcoming workshops and information about how to register:

January 5: N.H. Small Family-Farm Conference
The conference, on the theme of Growing Your Small Farm into a Profitable Business, takes place Tuesday, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn in Concord. Cost is $20.00 per person for lunch and refreshments. The conference features a farmer-panel discussion on Growing the Business, along with presentations on dealing with strategies for reducing risk, and supportive government programs. Register online or contact Mike Sciabarrasi at 862-3234.

January 9: N.H. Women in Agriculture
This conference takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Antioch University, 40 Avon Street in Keene. Cost: $20.00 per person for lunch and refreshments. Kathy Soder from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service will speak on Balancing Farming and Family, and Annette Higby on Legal Issues for Women in Agriculture. Also featured: a farmer panel discussing balancing farming and family, as well as an update on crop insurance. Register online or contact Carl Majewski at 352-4550.

January 26: Organic Producers' Workshop: Focus on Marketing, Farm Infrastructure, and Disease Management Workshop runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Stonewall Farm in Keene. Cost: $20.00 per person for lunch and refreshments. Speaker presentations include Growing and Marketing Organic Herbs and Botanicals, Walking the Line Between Direct Marketing and Wholesale, Setting Up a Winter CSA, and Organic Management of Late Blight and Other Diseases. Event also features a panel discussion on funding opportunities and an overview of crop and revenue insurance options. Register online or contact Carl Majewski at 352-4550.

February 10: Organic Producers' Workshop: Focus on Season Extension, Farm Planning, and Disease Management Workshop runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Common Man Restaurant in Plymouth. Cost: $20.00 per person for lunch and refreshments. Presentations include High Tunnels and Other Season Extenders, Winter Production, Farm Planning and Evaluating Profitability, and Organic Management of Late Blight and Other Diseases. Also featured: a panel discussion on funding opportunities for farmers and an overview of crop and revenue insurance options. Register online or contact Heather Bryant at 787-6944.

UNH Cooperative Extension, partnered with the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA), the N.H. Dept. of Agriculture, Markets & Food, and the USDA Farm Service Agency to sponsor this workshop series. Financial support from the USDA RMA has enabled UNH Cooperative Extension to offer these programs at minimal cost.

Further workshops take place through the spring of 2010. Stay tuned.

UNH Cooperative Extension is playing a central role in educating employers and recognizing effective workplace flexibility practices through When Work Works, a national initiative focused locally in greater Manchester.

"The Manchester project is part of a family resource center founded by the Family Education Collaborative to strengthen families and individuals," says Sharon Cowen, the Extension Family and Consumer Resources educator who serves as project director. "The Collaborative includes Cooperative Extension, UNH-Manchester, the YWCA, and Child and Family Services."

According to Cowen, Manchester joins 29 other When Work Works community and statewide initiatives throughout the U.S. Malcolm Smith, Extension's family education and policy specialist, received the grant that funded the project.

Workplace flexibility important in stressful economic circumstances
"A challenging economy, changing workforce demographics, and a dynamic and demanding workplace, have increased burdens on New Hampshire families and employers," says Cowen. "When Work Works encourages and recognizes effective workplace practices that help bridge the needs of working families and employers, promoting healthier individuals and families and a more productive workforce. The initiative provides national education, research, and resources," Cowen says.

"According to Ellen Galinsky, president of Families and Work Institute, a partner in the national initiative, 'Research consistently reveals that flexibility is linked to a return on investment. The perception of flexibility is changing from a perk...to a strategic tool for doing business,'" says Cowen.

Local companies and organizations win Sloan Award for workplace flexibility
When Work Works sponsors the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility, an annual award honoring organizations that score in the top 20 percent of a national employers' survey. An employee survey is included in the Awards process.

"Four Manchester area employers are winners of the 2009 Sloan Awards: Dynamic Network Services, Inc., Image 4, the YWCA, and Child and Family Services," says Cowen. "They'll be recognized locally and nationally for their accomplishments," she says, adding, "The Family Education Collaborative will present the Awards on September 22 at the Manchester YWCA.

"We've been working to get the message out about the advantages of workplace flexibility to employers and employees. We're thrilled to recognize these exemplary New Hampshire employers."

For more information about workplace flexibility, including research reports, business briefs, and other resources, please visit When Work Works, or contact Sharon Cowen at 641-6060.

Policy analysts and researchers from UNH Cooperative Extension, the UNH Department of Family Studies, and the Whittemore School of Business and Economics have completed a comprehensive review of the state's Child Support Guidelines and made recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Support Services.

"Even though the current guidelines have been working fairly well for many people, with the rapidly changing economic climate and measurable changes in the patterns of parents involved in child support, it was time to revisit the guidelines," said project leader and Extension Family Life and Policy Specialist Dr. Malcolm Smith.

State and federal laws require the Department to conduct a review of Child Support Guidelines every four years.

Information collected from many publics
Over the past year, the team held public forums in Manchester, Keene, Portsmouth and Littleton and solicited input from people who pay and people who receive child support, other interested parties, and a variety of key stakeholders.

"One of the strengths of this process was the well-rounded approach taken by the review team," said Smith. "This review will be used internally by the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child Support Services (DHHS DCSS) and will be reviewed by the N.H. Legislature for possible implementation in the next session."

"The most important feature of our evaluation," said Dr. Reagan Baughman, an economist from the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics, "was that we listened carefully to all parties affected by child support and developed recommendations that balanced the concerns of payors, payees and their children."

Recommendations move on to state legislature for action
According to Dr. Michael Kalinowski of the UNH Department of Family Studies, "This final report makes several recommendations, each of which we believe will provide some improvement to the child support formula and practice, and which together form a balanced and integrated package."

"We are very pleased to present this study to the N.H. Legislature," said Mary Weatherill, who directs the DCSS. "Not only because it meets federal and state requirements, but more importantly because it provides an unbiased, reliable economic analysis."

Read the complete 2009 NH Child Support Guidelines Review and Recommendations Report or the brief summary of recommendations.

First N.H. Summit on Work and Family October 29

UNH Cooperative Extension in conjunction with the New Hampshire Legislative Task Force on Work and Family will host the first annual New Hampshire Summit on Work and Family October 29 at the Holiday Inn in Concord.

A single goal: Start the conversation about work/family balance
"This meeting has an elegantly simple yet profound goal: to initiate a dialogue between business leaders and human resource professionals, state legislators, labor leaders and representatives, researchers and bureaucrats on how to make New Hampshire a better place for working families," says Malcolm Smith, Extension Family Life and Family Policy Specialist.

Without balance, quality of both work and family life suffers
"We know when workers are forced to neglect their families' needs because of work related pressures, the quality and quantity of their work suffers," Smith says.

"In addition, when work pressures and job strain pile up at work, our families suffer. Therefore, it's vital that business, community, state and national leaders pay attention to the many issues involved in balancing work and family life."

Strong slate of state and national presenters
N.H. Governor John Lynch and UNH Provost Bruce Mallory will welcome attendees. Among the national and local experts and business leaders who will share ideas and information at the Summit:

• Cali Williams Yost, consultant, researcher, executive, and author of Work+Life: Finding the Fit that's Right for You. One of the leading voices and most creative thinkers in the work/life dialogue, Yost sees work and life-fit as a partnership between employers and individuals.
• U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, recently honored by Working Mother magazine as one the "best of Congress" for working families in the U.S. Maloney, who represents New York's 14th District, believes that the federal government should set a national standard for family-friendly workplaces. Her new book, Rumors of Our Progress Have Been Greatly Exaggerated, has garnered national attention and her work and policy initiatives have been featured on national news and talk shows.
• Connie Roy-Czyzowski, VP of Human Resources for NE Delta Dental, will host a panel discussion of business leaders from small to large companies that have increased profits and attracted vibrant employees by focusing on work and family balance. Included in the panel will be executives and human resource managers from Citizens Bank, Timberland, Hypertherm, and Badger Balm, among others.

Other sessions include:

• A research update on best company practices from the Work and Family Institute.
• An exploration of U.S. Department of Labor flex-time initiatives.
• Examples of how work and family practice, policy and legislation can work together to create family-friendly workplaces.

Note: Listen to Dr. Malcolm Smith and others discussing work/life balance issues on NHPR's The Exchange with Laura Knoy.