Successful Workplace Guidelines Guidelines

Valuing Equity, Diversity and Work-life Balance

Flexibility. Employers should offer their employees the tools--telecommuting options, shift

exchanges, compressed work weeks and predictable schedules --to better manage their life inside

and outside of the workplace.

Diversity. Diversity should be inclusive so define it as broadly as possible for a competitive

advantage: race, age, gender, orientation, disability, religion.

Equity. It currently takes 16 months for a woman to earn what a man makes in 12 months without

factoring in one’s race. Make equity a priority- in pay and access for positions and promotions.

Sustainability. Eventually we will all have green or greener jobs. Be it working as a wind turbine

technician or a bus driver operating a clean-fuel vehicle, it is everyone’s responsibility to work

more efficiently. As the return on investment for going green becomes clearer, businesses will find

that taking steps to protect the environment will directly minimize operational costs.

Care giving. Mothers are not the only ones tending to the needs of their families. Care giving

applies to the grandmother watching her grandchildren. Or the uncle watching over his injured

niece coming back from Afghanistan. Or the son whose father joins his household. Allow for

flexibility and compassion and your employees will reward you in productivity.

Wellness. Paid sick days allow for those who are sick to be sick. Employees should not have to

choose between infecting co-workers, prolonged health problems and food on the table. An ounce

of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Multigenerational. There are four generations in today’s workforce including Generation Y and

they can all learn from one another. Gen Y is 80 million-strong, and poised to transform the

workplace; they are tomorrow’s leaders. They want to impact the world, they are mission driven

and they need the support of their employers and co-workers. Give it to them

Social spaces. Use social media to reach new audiences quickly and efficiently. Companies

scoring the highest on an engagement scale experienced significant revenue growth. Brands with

the least engagement saw revenue decline. Find your voice and your message and your “friends”

will follow.

Retention. Want to keep your most promising and knowledgeable staff? Provide mentoring,

professional development, career advancement planning and continuing education to keep your

talent working for you.

Practice. Work-life balance is important to men, women, families, care-givers, donors,

stakeholders and employers that want to keep their competitive edge. Use polices, don't just have

them on the books. Everyone should embrace them, from the CEO to the staff assistant.

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