May 4, 2010 — Washington, D.C. — Kathie Lingle, executive director of the Alliance for Work-Life Progress at WorldatWork, testified before a congressional subcommittee to provide industry perspective and recommendations on the federal government’s work-life programs.
The Senate Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia invited Ms. Lingle to testify during its hearing titled, “Work-life Programs: Attracting, Retaining and Empowering the Federal Workforce.”
The hearing coincided with Public Service Recognition Week and was called to examine how the federal government can improve employee engagement and satisfaction through the use of work-life programs. Ms. Lingle’s testimony focused on the ways in which work-life initiatives benefit both employers and employees.
In her oral testimony, Ms. Lingle said, “The federal government exerted leadership in work-life programs long before these innovations were adopted in private industry. However, what is striking today is that for the most part, the federal sector is not harnessing the full power of work-life effectiveness as the most inexpensive and intrinsically motivating driver of attraction, engagement and retention available in the 21st century.”
Lingle continued, “The notable gap in the federal environment is a failure to deploy work-life as an overarching organizational strategy, one that has a demonstrated capacity to engage the minds and hearts of any labor force.” Lingle cited a WorldatWork survey, “Attraction and Retention: The Impact and Prevalence of Work-Life,” which found that a successful work-life portfolio can result in tangible increases in retention and attraction. This portfolio includes seven categories of work-life practices: dependent care, paid and unpaid time off, health and wellness, community involvement, financial support, workplace flexibility, and culture change initiatives.
Because of the demonstrated positive return on investment for employers and the need for education and training in this discipline, WorldatWork created the first and only work-life certification program, a designation known as Work-Life Certified Professional® (WLCP).
A copy of Kathie Lingle’s written testimony is attached. For additional information or to request an interview with Ms. Lingle, contact Marcia Rhodes at 1-877-951-9191 or Patti Giglio at (202) 903-7869.
About Alliance for Work-Life Progress®
Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP.org) is dedicated to advancing work-life as a business strategy integrating work, family and community. An entity of WorldatWork®, AWLP defines and recognizes innovation and best practices, facilitates dialogue among various sectors and promotes work-life thought leadership.
About WorldatWork®
The Total Rewards Association
WorldatWork (www.worldatwork.org) is a global human resources association focused on compensation, benefits, work-life and integrated total rewards to attract, motivate and retain a talented workforce. Founded in 1955, WorldatWork provides a network of nearly 30,000 members in more than 100 countries with training, certification, research, conferences and community. It has offices in Scottsdale, Arizona and Washington, D.C.
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