Idea of the Day: Flexible Scheduling for Working Mothers

August 7, 2009

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Flexible work schedules can be an effective and cost-efficient way for businesses to support working mothers and mothers-to-be. They enable a woman to adjust her work schedule to meet family needs, while at the same time ensuring that she is a productive and efficient member of her company. These programs are also good for business and have been shown to increase worker loyalty and productivity and decrease absenteeism and turnover.

More than a quarter of workers currently utilize some form of flexible scheduling. But many workers are denied the option, particularly the low-income and single women most in need. Twenty states so far have begun to promote and reward businesses that offer employees flexible scheduling, but much remains to be done. Government should work to advance manageable work-life balances for working mothers by aiding the expansion of flexible scheduling to middle- and low-income workers in a way that ensures more sustainable productivity.

For more on this topic see:

• Labor Pains: Improving Employment and Economic Security for Pregnant Women and New Mothers, by Alexandra Cawthorne and Melissa Alpert.