Some people call it “work-life balance” or “work-life integration,” but Catalyst, the nonprofit organization with a mission to accelerate progress for women through workplace inclusion, has adopted the term “work-life effectiveness.” Catalyst also has adopted workplace flexibility policies among its own employees.
In a recent blog, “How Workplace Flexibility Can Promote Inclusion and Prioritize Talent,” author Liz Mulligan-Ferry reports that many of today’s companies aren’t reaching the effectiveness they seek. Although 80% of companies surveyed offer some kind of flexible work arrangement, only 30% of employees say they’re working flexibly on an informal or formal basis.
The blog goes on to describe flexibility at Catalyst: “Almost one-half of the organization’s workforce is virtual, and all full-time employees work a compressed workweek with half-day, work-from-home Fridays. This type of flexibility allows employees to do their jobs, no matter where or when they happen to be working.”
To support companies that want to move toward greater flexibility, Catalyst developed a work-life effectiveness tool that is downloadable.