By Vicki Salemi

Could you imagine the endless possibilities? Whether it’s using the time for a much-needed vacation or simply taking time off for mental health days, I can only imagine how this would boost productivity, morale, and an overall sense of freedom in the workplace. (That is, if we actually took the time that was given to us and detached – both physically and mentally – from the office.)

As referenced in a recent study, the average number of annual vacation days in the US is an insignificant 12.4 days and apparently more than one-third of Americans don’t even use all of the time off. That’s right, the unused time goes right back to the employers.

According to experts like Ken Siegel, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., president of
The Impact Group, Inc., a Los Angeles-based group of psychologists
who consult to the management of leading global companies, from
a psychological standpoint the benefits of a generous personal day
policy are astounding. “Workers come back from time off feeling more
invigorated and more engaged in tasks they didn’t complete before their
time off. And they are able to focus better because they were able
to take care of the personal items that were distracting them at work
previously.” Plus, he says the message the employer sends is
empathic: it shows they realize employees have a life outside
of work and this results in a high level of commitment.

Essentially having more personal time equates to more freedom, an intangible that is highly coveted by employees. In fact, as a recruiter I can attest this is a common concern of candidates; a driving factor of their decision-making process becomes the topic of work/life balance. In other words, actually having a life outside the office is important.

Janice Reals Ellis, co-author of What Every Successful Woman Knows–12 Breakthrough Strategies to Get the Power and Ignite Your Career, agrees. “More and more candidates want more time for their outside interests including serving on not for profit boards, being with family, traveling and hobbies,” she says. “While it may be difficult to provide more work time flexibility and personal time off, the only way companies can stay ahead of the curve in recruiting and retaining the best and brightest talent is to accommodate employees.”

So how can employers grant us our wish so we can experience the joie de vivre like the French? One solution is to get creative. If a company can’t suddenly double its personal day policy (and let’s face it, we realize the reality that employers aren’t going to suddenly start giving us time off for random holidays like Flag Day), beyond a bank of personal time there may be hidden ways to take advantage of policies which already exist. Ellis explains, “Companies do have in their policies the ability to take a sabbatical.”

In a tight labor market where it’s increasingly difficult to find and attract qualified candidates, it seems dozens upon dozens of personal days isn’t only a huge selling point, it also serves as a valuable retention tool to keep current employees happy and motivated. Siegel explains, “Psychologically healthy people are able to view work as a part of their life, not their whole life. Having a sense of choice of where one engages one’s self is a major contributor to ones psychological health. Having options about where you spend time contributes to one’s overall sense of well being.”

Vicki Salemi, author of The ABC’s of College Life, is an accomplished writer and regular contributor to AOL and MSN and other sites and magazines regarding careers, education, health, fitness, and fashion. Vicki blogs about careers and workplace issues on WomenforHire.com (a.k.a. Vivacious Vicki) and her Manhattan adventures on Vickisalemi.com.

Employed adults on average will earn the following number of vacation days in each country in 2007

(Note: based upon the mean of results including people who did not receive vacation days)

• Employed adults in the United States on average receive about 14 vacation days per year, compared to 14 days in 2006 and 12 days in 2005.
• Employed adults in Great Britain on average receive about 24 vacation days per year, compared to 24 days in 2006 and 23 days in 2005.
• Employed adults in France on average receive about 36 vacation days per year, compared to 39 days in 2006.
• Employed adults in Germany on average receive about 26 vacation days per year, compared to 27 days in 2006.
• Employed adults in Spain on average receive about 30 vacation days per year.

–Survey from Expedia.com.

By Ellen Galinsky

There is both something sad and something hopeful in addressing this question, because it has been asked for the past 30 to 40 years. We choose to look at it hopefully, because IF all of us made an effort, large or small, to improve the quality of early childhood experiences available to children, things will change.

Before we begin, please note that rather than talking about child care, we talk about early education and care. It is only in our minds that care and education are separate. Children need care in order to learn and they are learning from their experiences, wherever they are—with their families or childcare providers and teachers home-based settings, in preschools, Head Start, and centers.

So why should we care? And why should we take action?

Because we are maintaining the engagement in learning children are born with.

When you spend time just watching young children, you will notice how driven children are to learn. Watch them learn to stand up, fall down, and then try again and again. Watch them try to turn nonsensical babbles into words that they repeat again and again. And listen to their questions “why, why, why?” We can either maintain or further children’s drive to learn or we can dampen it by what we (parents/teachers) say and do. If we acknowledge their drive to stand up—“You are working SO HARD to learn to stand up”— we are maintaining their learning. If we extend their language—“You are pointing at the big furry dog and his name is Oso”—we are furthering their learning. And if we answer their questions—“You are interested in ladybugs so let’s find a book with lady bugs in it”—we are furthering their learning. We are setting the stage for a lifetime of learning.

Because we are removing the obstacles that parents face in working.

In the United States today, most parents of young children have jobs. Unfortunately, far too many of us struggle to find early childhood care and education that meets our needs and fits our budgets. Research at the Families and Work Institute shows that such parents are more likely to miss work or to be distracted while at work. When they have good arrangements, they are more loyal, more committed, more engaged at work. They are also less likely to quit. Indeed, employers that have helped employees find stable and good early childhood arrangements find there is a return on this investment.

Because we are strengthening our future workforce.

Research on brain development reveals that in the early years, the architecture of the brain is being formed. One can think of it as a foundation for later life and school success. Thus, while it is always possible to help children in their later years, it is better to give children a solid foundation for the future—in other words, to give them the right start.

The evidence of these benefits is particularly strong for children from very low-income families, where several well-designed longitudinal studies of model programs reveal a strong societal return on investment in reduced grade retention, lower drop out rates, higher graduation rates, less special education, and higher rates of employment, marriage, and home ownership.

In the end, it is more than care and education outside the family.

Not surprisingly, studies show that parents are first and foremost in their children’s lives, and employers need to continue to find ways to provide work supports such as workplace flexibility so that working parents can spend time with and be with their children.

About the author

Ellen Galinsky is the president and co-founder of Families and Work Institute (FWI), a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that studies the changing workforce, the changing workplace, the changing family, and the changing community.

By Julie Gilbert

If there was a new Girl’s Network in place in companies, all things would be different – including the business strategy, growth opportunities, employee engagement, and communities…not just for women, but for men as well. What is required for this to happen is for women to actually support other women.

When the concept of women supporting other women is first suggested, it is consistently met with an incredulous, “What do you mean? I support other women!” It is not until we start examining the conversely typical behavior, and aftermath, that it becomes clear. We have plenty of work to do.

Let’s look at a typical real life situation that often takes place in companies across the globe, and very likely in your office, with frightening regularity. Think of the last time a woman received a promotion or high-visibility position and the reaction of her female colleagues. Was she overwhelmed with emails from female colleagues congratulating her with a rally of endorsement and support of how she so deserved the past due advancement? Did these women step up and arrange the happy hour to laud this recent achievement?

Or, was this great news met with a deflating silence? Or worse yet, perhaps there were questions and snide comments of “Why did she get that promotion?” or “Who did she know?” The list could go on with negative hypotheses about how she was able to “pull that off” – as if this position were some manipulated conspiracy plan on her part, having no connection to her business outcomes, values and experience. Imagine what could happen if, instead, we came together to support each other’s successes, linked our networks and built massive business opportunities as a result? The notion is not as far fetched as it may sound.

To help quantify this issue and the consequences we all feel, let’s look at the facts. Why is it that an embarrassing number of 10 of the top Fortune 500 CEOs are female, despite the fact that 48 percent of all privately-held firms are at least 50 percent owned by women and between 1997 and 2004, the estimated growth rate in the number of women-owned firms was nearly twice that of all firms?

The majority of consumer decision-making power and bucks spent in most industries is now made by women. The companies that understand this will have few worries about future growth. However, to figure it out, they must get the female lens in all discussions about strategy and execution. Until the guys start wearing nylons, smiling graciously through 10 hours of pain due to the pinch of a high heel on their toes, or understanding why women love the flat panel TV for its sleekness and the elimination of the bulky TV from the living room, we need our female perspective in the discussion. There is not a substitute!

The great news is that a successful support system can be a reality. For example, Best Buy is on a quest to change this dynamic for women leaders at all levels of the organization and make Best Buy the place for women to work and shop. With our WOLF (Women’s Leadership Forum) movement, we now have more than 13,500 female employees — spanning retail and corporate — bonded and innovating new business opportunities aimed at women and building leadership skills at the same time. In a short time, WOLF has significantly increased in our female market share, decreased female turnover by more than 5.7 percent, increased the number of female job applicants by more than 37 percent and increased our give back to communities by more than 1,000 percent (and that’s only a sampling of our total impact).

WOLF has profoundly impacted the culture of Best Buy, creating re-energized authenticity and emotion at all levels. And, it has deliberately brought males into the movement to create not a “girls club” or a “boys club,” but a “we’re all on this team together” club. Everyone wins here – personally and professionally – and great business has and will follow. And, we are just getting started.

So now, imagine a day when women deliberately reach out to each other inside and across companies to promote the skills and leadership talents that make each of us shine. Imagine a day when “happy hours” all over the country start sprouting up filled with women getting together to build relationships, share business opportunities, and make great change happen in communities all over the globe. Imagine a day when 250 of the Fortune 500 companies are led by our female colleagues. Now that is what we should be shooting for. So let’s get moving, ladies!

About the author

Julie Gilbert is a senior vice president for Best Buy, a global retailer of technology and entertainment products and services. She leads retail training and leadership development, guides the company’s innovation engine and employee resource group, WOLF, and oversees the company’s strategy to increase its market share with female customers.

By Billie Williamson

With all the progress in women’s advancement over the years, there are still only 10 female CEOs in the Fortune 500 – less than three percent. These amazing women, such as Indra Noovi of PepsiCo, Patricia Woertz of Archer Daniels Midland, and Margaret Whitman of Ebay have beaten all the odds and made it to the very top.

When you look at the numbers, there just aren’t enough women in top corporate positions to mentor other women toward reaching those same positions. So, who is really going to make gender equity a reality? The answer: Men.

What if men became change agents with other men? What if more male leaders gave their rising female managers the most visible opportunities, put them on the most complex accounts or projects, and coached them to success in those roles? Imagine how quickly women could advance within an organization if the top men were strategically pulling for them.

It’s not that men want women to fail, rather, most men want women to be very successful. Men often just need some coaching so that they know how to mentor their female employees and help them build the relationships and skills they need to succeed in the most demanding leadership positions. Sometimes men, and women for that matter, can make assumptions about other women. Assumptions such as, “She has small children, she’d never want to transfer.” We need to coach men to ask the question, rather than making assumptions around what a woman will or won’t do to advance her career.

In my experience, men want to know how to work better with women. For example, they really want to know how to best handle the news that one of their star employees is having a baby. These are critical conversations that can either make or break the confidence of a rising female within an organization. A man who provides positive feedback and helps a woman navigate her options will go a long way in retaining that woman.

I believe that the road to gender equity is a two-way street however. In addition to receiving coaching and mentoring by men, women executives need to understand the importance of building relationships throughout their careers at all levels within their organization. Too often, women do not realize the benefits of having these relationships already in place when they are being considered for a leadership promotion.

At Ernst & Young, as part of our gender equity efforts, we have sought the input of women for more than 25 years but we had not spent significant time speaking to our men about the same issues. This past year, we brought in a male executive coach – someone who knows our firm’s culture and would make our men feel at ease. He traveled across the U.S. and Canada, holding focus groups with male partner/principals and senior managers to get honest feedback about how men felt about coaching and mentoring women.

There were challenges identified as a result of the focus groups: Some men were struggling to find the skills that would enable them to coach women toward leadership. Further, men were not sure that they understood how a woman could be a committed professional, a great wife, and a wonderful mother – this seemed like a very demanding situation! We used those dilemmas at our subsequent Women’s Leadership Conference to create workshop scenarios for senior men and women to address and attempt to resolve together.

Here are some of the tips that Ernst & Young women have offered to our male partners:

Engage in the dialogue with women – ask questions, provide honest feedback, guidance and tips. Don’t sugarcoat it – if there is something a woman, or man, needs to do to improve, it’s important to be candid and explain what actions should be taken.

Place women in key roles – understand and appreciate the richness that diversity of thought and a woman’s leadership style can bring to your project, client, or team.

Be willing to be a mentor – help women come up with good solutions to tough situations with clients or colleagues and encourage them to seek advancement opportunities in their career.

The men at Ernst & Young have been very receptive to this advice. Fortunately, we have a Chairman and CEO that understands the importance of gender equity and who sets the tone at the top of our organization. Although at times it might seem slow, real progress is being made in moving women into leadership roles within other organizations in corporate America as well – but it’s going to take many more years to see equity at the top. Until that happens, we have to understand the critical role men play in women’s advancement.

About the author

Billie Williamson is the Americas Director of Gender Equity and Flexibility Strategy Partner at Ernst & Young, LLP.

When you look at the numbers, there just aren’t enough women in top corporate positions to mentor other women toward reaching those same positions. So, who is really going to make gender equity a reality? The answer: Men.