Did you know that October is National Work and Family Month?

On September 5, 2003, the efforts of the Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP) to secure a Congressional resolution declaring an official work-life month were successful when U.S. Senate Resolution 210 was passed unanimously, designating October as National Work and Family Month.

Resolution 210 identifies 11 important issues confronting American workers that are addressed by the adoption of work-life programs and services, including:

• 85 percent of U.S. wage and salaried workers have immediate, day-to-day family responsibilities off the job
• 46 percent of wage and salaried workers are parents with children under the age of 18 who live with them at least half time
• Nearly one out of every four Americans — over 45 million Americans — provided or arranged care for a family member or friend in the past year
• An increasing number of baby boomers reach retirement age in record numbers and more and more Americans are faced with the challenge of caring for older parents

Here it is nearly the end of October and I was unaware that October is officially National Work and Family Month.

I didn’t realize this until I saw a poster at work that was advertising a special event this past Friday for all employees. My employer had arranged a deal with a local pizza place to offer discounted pizzas to employees and everyone was allowed to leave the office early to enjoy a little extra time at home with their family.

The Work & Family Connection has supplied a handful of ideas that your company can use to recognize National Work and Family Month, including:

• Put out the request now for units interested in piloting telework, compressed workweeks, work redesign, etc., and roll out the pilots on Oct. 1.
• Plan a care fair for October, inviting local resources to spend a half-day in the cafeteria talking with employees about their offerings.
• Take advantage of the month to draw attention to what you already offer. Plan to publicize them in at least ten different formats during the month.
• Disseminate information on what work-life is so that everyone is clear about the concept and its benefits.
• Create a short business case document for managers that clearly shows the return on investment for work-life initiatives.

Has your employer done anything to recognize National Work and Family Month?

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