Mentoring on WorkLife Balance: Going beyond “Do as I say, not as I do.” Dr. Barbara Roberts Senior Advisor to the Provost Founding Executive Director, WorkLife Office

MSU’s WorkLife Office Initiative of the Office of the Provost Conceived over many years –Input from the campus community –Task force recommendations –To help MSU attract & retain top talent Faculty & staff “one-stop shop” –Women’s Resource Center – gender issues –Family Resource Center – child and eldercare –Additional resources to be determined 2

Centralized, and decentralized Located in Linton Hall ~March 2016? Close liaison with related departments –HR/AHR re policies and benefits –Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives (I-3) re Title IX issues, support –F&OD for educational/training initiatives –Health4U & EAP supports 3

What is “work life balance”? Worklife + Lifestyle = WorkLife Balance across career span Many terms… –Career-life integration –Life-meets-work –Work-life management Managing work and personal lives (Solomon, 2011) 4

Why? Promotes health –Physical, mental, emotional Improves productivity, participation –At work, at home and in community Respects multiple roles and values –Parents, caregivers, volunteers… –Faith-based practices, priorities Enhances loyalty and community 5

More why? Increased career mobility –Global competition –Academia vs private sector Changing expectations of employees –Intergenerational workforce = different needs –Increased participation in caregiving –Greater diversity of employees 6

Policy examples Dual career Flex time Telecommuting Tenure clock adjustment Paid parental leave Part-time options 7

Practices Training for chairs [and mentors!] on flexibility Publicize flexible options Reduce bias against policy users Respectful workplaces for differing needs –Support for health-promoting activity –Foster trust through dignity and respect –Tone-setting role of senior faculty 8

What’s it worth? Revitalize and retain faculty Promote inclusion and diversity Recruit and retain future generations –Changing expectations and values Save money! 9

About the money… Flexible policies save on average $83,000 (Gahn and Carlson, 2008) Turnover costs average 5% of operating budget (Waldman, Kelly, Arora, & Smith, 2004) 10

Maybe you’re wondering… How do I know people are really working? –Really working when the work gets done. How is flexibility fair to others? –Fair does not always mean the same. People have to choose their priorities… –How do we prioritize – on whose values? 11

Maybe you’re wondering… I would have liked these options; why now? –Changing demographics challenge past assumptions. Serious faculty just put in the hours. –Serious and dedicated – at what cost? The real world of funding & patient care don’t wait… –Funding agencies offer flexibility, too. NIH “family-friendly”, NSF Career-Life Balance 12

Flexibility myths Productivity drops. –It goes up Morale suffers. –It goes up If I allow this for one person… –Different circumstances = different responses 13

Mentoring topics Review real priorities –Personal mission/values? Internally consistent? Signs of stress? –Know your signs Chronic pain? Tummy trouble? Headaches? Respond, don’t just react –Choose a healthy response Movement/exercise –Change of scene, activity level, scenery… 14

References American Council on Education (2015) National challenge for higher education: retaining a 21 st century workforce. Retrieved from: American Council on Education (2015) Making the business case: the imperative for supporting and promoting workplace flexibility in higher education. Retrieved from: Flexibility.aspx Flexibility.aspx Gahn, S. & Carlson, S. (2008). Breaking the norms: Measuring the impact of new policies. Retrieved from: 11gahncarlson_hoc2.pdf. 11gahncarlson_hoc2.pdf Solomon, C.R. (2011). “Sacrificing at the altar of tenure”: assistant professors’ work/life management. Social Science Journal, 48(2011), Waldman, J. D., Kelly, F., Arora, S., & Smith, H. L. (2004). The shocking cost of turnover in healthcare. Health Care Management Review, 29(1), 2–7. 15