1. How Addressing Work/Life Needs Enhances Diversity on Campus
Carol Hoffman, M.S.W.
Columbia University
Amy Rabinowitz, Ed.D.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Michele Vancour, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Southern Connecticut State University

2. Welcome Agenda How Work/Life supports Diversity
Why not “ Work/Life Balance”?
What does balance mean?
A state of equilibrium
An equal distribution
Something used to produce equilibrium
Can we really have balance?
Balance = No Stress?
Balance = Yet Another Stressor?
What are other ways we can express this?
Work/Life Alignment?
Work/Life Fit?
Work/Life Integration?
Work/Life Management?

3. What is Work/Life?
Columbia University definition: The Office of Work/Life fosters the well-being of the Columbia community and its people in their pursuit of meaningful and productive academic, personal and work lives. MSKCC definition: Policies, programs, and resources that help employees manage the challenges in their lives – both at work and in their personal time –and find the best “fit” across their short and long-term needs and goals. Southern Connecticut State University definition: Actions taken by employers and employees to help individuals effectively handle the growing pressures and responsibilities of work and personal lives, to live and work up to their full potential, and to maximize the achievement of their life goals while enhancing their contributions and productivity in the workplace (Brad Harrington, 2008).

4. Elements of Work/Life Programs

5. AWLP* Seven Categories of Work-Life Effectiveness
Caring for Dependents
Health and Wellness
Workplace Flexibility
Financial Support for Economic Security
Paid and Unpaid Time Off
Community Involvement
Eliciting Management Buy-In
Transforming Organizational Culture
*Alliance for Work/Life Progress

6. Higher Education Climate
Academic women and their career progression through the pipeline
Average age of PhD is 33 for women, placing tenure at about age 40. Tenure clock is competing with the biological clock. Leads to a leaky pipeline and confrontation with inequities in promotion, tenure and salary.
STEM faculty are presented with increased demands and barriers, and the focus of much concern.
Academic men and caregiving shift
Increased emphasis on bonding, involvement, and shaping parental and elder care roles

7. Higher Education Climate, contd.
Fueled by blurred lines enabled by technology, job insecurity especially at lower ranks, and increasing demands
Changing student demographics on campus and student success initiatives
SCSU programs and policies to support Work/Life
Flexible working arrangements,
Employee support programs,
Health management, and
Counseling

8. Breastfeeding Support
Lactation support is not just an employee benefit or the right thing to do, it’s the law!
Affordable Care Act
Best practices in higher education – awareness, support, program
Space, time, education and support
Good – Better – BEST!
UM – space rating system
UW – informational website
Tulane – partnerships
JHU – accessories and vending machine
URI – lessons learned
GW – awards and recognition

9. Wellness Support
Employee well-being is central to a healthy campus culture
Common supports and programs:
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP),
Physical activity opportunities (walking clubs, fitness challenges,
Sports leagues (e.g. staff softball),
Volunteerism/community service – engagement and wellness caring for the community/serving as a role model(i.e., fundraising with Relay for Life, Habitat for Humanity, community clean up, literacy projects with local schools)

10. MSKCC Programs
Seminar series:
“Parenting From Birth Through College” (e.g. fertility issues, finding a nanny, finding schools, sandwich generation, the empty nest)
“Supporting Aging Relatives” (e.g. series on Alzheimers, caring for the caregiver, caregiver guilt, sibling issues, taking charge without taking over)
“Building Financial Resilience” (e.g. budgeting basics, buying a home, saving for college, using MSK resources)
Other topics of interest (e.g. pet care, going to school and working)

11. MSKCC Programs Flexible Work Arrangements:
Adoption Support:
$7500 per child for non-medical costs
Support Groups:
Parenting
Elder Caregivers
Flexible Work Arrangements:
Extensive program: telecommuting, compressed work weeks, flextime, part-time, job shares
Online guidelines and proposal submission
Guidance to managers and employees
Additional programs/services:
Backup child and elder care, small child care center, resource and referral service

12. Columbia programs Backup Care
100 hours, all ages, 24/7, national, home and center
Faculty Spouse/Partner Dual Career Service
Housing Information and Referral Service
Additional Columbia Programs:
Affiliated child care centers
Benefits: adoption, child care grant, primary tuition scholarship, college tuition
Breastfeeding Support Program (incl. lactation rooms)
EAP (including adult/elder care resource and referral, convenience services)
Faculty, Staff and Graduate students family policies
Flexible Work Arrangements
School and Child Care Search Service
Work/Life website
Wellness (Healthy Lifestyle Challenge, Walk to Wellness, MBSR, Weightwatchers at Work)

13. Current & Future Challenges
Serving all populations/changing demographics
Sandwich generation
Elder care
Recruitment to metro NYC
Communication/Awareness of programs
Sustaining programs over time (turnover, maintaining culture)

14. Resources AWLP (Alliance for Work-Life Progress)
Boston College Center for Work and Family
CUWFA (College and University Work-Life-Family Association
Families and Work Institute
WFD
WFRN (Work and Family Researchers Network)
Work and Family Life newsletter

15. Questions

16. Thank you!