Senado de Estados Unidos designa octubre como “Mes Nacional del Trabajo y la Familia”

Washington, DC- The United States Senate last night unanimously approved a resolution to designate the month of October 2011 as “National Work and Family Month.” The resolution is sponsored by Senators Jeff Merkley (OR), Mike Crapo (ID), Herb Kohl (WI), and Frank Lautenberg (NJ). This designation will encourage employers, employees, and communities across the nation to discuss and work together on mutually beneficial work-life programs and policies.

 “Families are stretched.  Parents in many cases are working more than full time, often in multiple jobs, just to put food on the table,” Merkley said. “We need to do more to support our working families and provide the opportunities to thrive.  Job-creation is a vital part of that – a living-wage job feeds the soul – but providing work-life flexibility is also an essential element.” 

“Working parents should be afforded the flexibility to balance their schedules between demanding work lives and spending much-needed time with their families,” Crapo said.  “This resolution is designed to promote work-life programs so that companies can meet the changing demographics of a modern workforce.” 

“Employers who are able to provide choices for their people are rewarded with higher levels of retention and experienced workers.  People who have a greater work-life balance are able to focus more on their jobs while at work.  It’s encouraging to see more companies move in this direction to meet the realities of today’s American households,” said Senator Kohl.

“American men and women put in a hard day’s work to make a living and it is critical they have time with their families,” said Senator Lautenberg.  “This month, employers should make an extra effort to accommodate the hard work it takes to be successful on the job and at home.”

According to a report by WorldatWork, a nonprofit professional association with expertise in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees, the quality of workers’ jobs and the supportiveness of employers are key predictors of job productivity, job satisfaction and job retention.