LifeCare^® Poll: More Than Half of Employees Believe Flex-Work Arrangements Would Make Them More Productive

WESTPORT, Conn., October 21, 2004 – Fifty-seven percent of employees responding to an online poll by LifeCare^®, Inc., report that flex-time and flex-place (e.g., working from home) arrangements would enable them to be most productive on the job. The poll surveyed employees of LifeCare's 1,500 client companies regarding their on-the-job productivity and was conducted on the heels of a proposal by President Bush in August that would give American workers more options for managing the responsibilities of family and work, including mandatory comp-time and flex-time benefits.

“Hands down, flexible work arrangements benefit America's workers, its families and its businesses,” says Jeffrey A. Burki, cofounder and chief strategy officer of LifeCare. “For individuals and families, flex arrangements minimize the conflicts that arise from juggling personal and professional responsibilities. As a result, their quality of life improves significantly. For businesses, flex arrangements strengthen the employer/employee relationship, improve morale, and boost employee loyalty. After all, employers who offer flexible arrangements send a clear and tangible message: we want to make our employees' lives better—at work and at home.”

Seventeen percent of respondents to the LifeCare poll said they would opt for a compressed work schedule (working a 40-hour week in only three or four-days), while 15% feel that working fewer hours would enable them to be more productive by reducing their stress levels. Three percent said that job-sharing would enhance their productivity and seven percent identified “other” options.

“The bottom line,” says Burki, “is that employees are struggling to cope with increasing demands on their time, personally and professionally. Employers who want to recruit and retain the best talent must offer work/life and time-management solutions or they run the risk of losing out to those who do.”

Flex Is on the Rise Experts estimate that more than half of U.S. companies are now offering employees flexible work schedules. Here's why:   Changing family dynamics—There are more dual-working parent households, single-parent households, and parents caring for children under age 18 and/or an elderly parent(s);   Changing workforce demographics—America's aging workforce wants to work part-time and beyond typical retirement age;   Global economy—With today's global economy and the rise of e-commerce, “downtime” isn't an option, so a flexible workforce is essential.

Business Interest in Flexibility Sparks Corporate Voices Project
Reflecting a growing concern for more comp-time and flex-time options for employees, Corporate Voices for Working Families (CVWF), a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) partnership, has recently undertaken a 12-month project called, “State of Flexibility in Corporate America: The Business Case for Expansion.” The project is intended to help more employees develop and enhance flexibility and choice in the workplace.

“Working families must have support in order to be productive employees and caring family members,” says Donna Klein, president and CEO of Corporate Voices. “Corporate Voices member companies, such as LifeCare, are leaders in the work-family field but public policymakers need to be involved. Neither working families nor the companies they work for can carry the full responsibility alone.” According to Klein, flexibility is a bi-partisan issue, and engaging both sides of the aisle will be critical if government is to become a full partner in making workplace flexibility a reality.

CVWF currently represents 47 member corporations with 4 million employees. The partnership works to bring the private sector voice into the public dialogue on issues affecting working families.

Notes to Editors

Jeff Burki is available for interview.

LifeCare^®, Inc. is one of the largest privately owned employee benefits organizations in the U.S. and the exclusive provider of Life Event Management^® Services. With over 20 years of experience in delivering highly personalized counseling, education and referral services, LifeCare helps employees manage the day-to-day challenges of their lives. In turn, LifeCare helps employers improve employee commitment, recruitment, retention and workplace productivity. LifeCare currently serves nearly 1,500 client companies with more than 4.5 million individuals within health plans, governmental agencies, unions and corporations—nearly 10 million covered lives. For more information, visit www.lifecare.com.

Media contact: Jim Derivan
LifeCare, Inc.
pr1@lifecare.com
203-291-4196