Young professionals have let go of the unattainable goal of work-life balance. They understand that if you consider work and sleep—it’s just mathematically impossible. So they look for, and stay in, work situations where they can have time for what they care about, or what I like to call work-life integration – having each of the spheres of life, i.e., career, family, friendships, recreation, health, and so forth, honored. Most young professionals care as much about lifestyle as their paycheck. To keep your young professionals happy, productive and employed by you—try out these fun and effective ways to encourage work-life integration.

1. Value privacy and “off” time. Help your new employees establish healthy boundaries between work and other areas of their life. For example, can you mutually agree that emails will not be sent over the weekend? Or, if they are, that they are to be read and not responded to. Communication is key here. Mutually agree how you will respect your new hire’s personal time.

2. Combat workplace stress. Stress plus hard work does not create a productive employee. Stress, unfortunately, costs American companies approximately $300 billion each year in absenteeism, presenteeism (coming to work despite illness), lackluster performance, poor company morale and turnover. Employees need opportunities for happiness, leisure, learning, growth and a sense of accomplishment. As a manager of new hires, it is important that you recognize when your employees are stressed out and work with them to create a calmer environment.

3. Co-Create a Culture of Global Responsibility. According to a recent survey conducted by CSRwire.com, 79 percent of Gen Y employees want to work for a company that cares about how it affects and contributes to society. Use this as a way to let new hires do what they care about—while at work. Let your young professionals spearhead a charitable project or community service program. Show them that their values are honored within their workplace’s four walls.

4. Communicate with employees about what is important to them and how you can incorporate it into the workplace. Most young professionals want work and life to be interconnected. They hunger to work for a company that feels like a natural extension of their own personal brand. Partner with your employees to make them feel happy at work. Do they value exercise? Offer to let them sit on a balance ball at work or try to find a discount for employees at a local yoga studio.

Employees are much more likely to stay at companies where they are happy and able to be themselves—all of their selves. You can help with this by respecting their need for work-life integration. Honor the needs of employees and their families by creating opportunities, programs and services that help bridge the gap between career and personal life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Alexia Vernon is an author, speaker, International Coach Federation (ICF) certified coach, trainer, and media personality who specializes in helping organizations recruit, retain, educate, and grow their young professional workforce. In her book 90 Days 90 Ways: Onboard Young Professionals to Peak Performance, Alexia demonstrates how to achieve the goal of getting new employees oriented, integrated and trained within 90 days of their employment. As a member of Gen Y and with her unique approach to talent development, Alexia has been featured in hundreds of media outlets including CNN, NBC, Wall Street Journal, CBS MoneyWatch, FOX Business News, Forbes.com, ABCNews.com, TheGlassDoor.com, and Mint.com.  To learn more visit www.AlexiaVernon.com and connect with Alexia on Twitter @AlexiaVernon.

Choosy moms choose — work? Or family? That’s the struggle many working moms are facing, as many working moms say they’re having trouble finding the time to both support their families financially and be home with their families.

Although the economy has made significant improvements since we talked with CareerBuilder’s Mary Delaney about working moms one year ago, many families are still surviving on just one working parent; more than one-third (35 percent) of working moms and 44 percent of working dads surveyed by CareerBuilder said they are the sole financial provider for their household.

In addition to the fact that one parent is often trying to be the sole provider financially while also being physically and emotionally there for their family, the burden may be even heavier for women, more of whom reported they earned a low salary than did male respondents.

Just how much lower of a salary?

Comparing these two groups, working moms who were the sole provider were three times as likely to earn less than $35,000 (45 percent of moms compared to 15 percent of dads), while working dads were more than twice as likely to earn $50,000 or more (63 percent of dads versus 28 percent of moms) and nearly three times as likely to earn six figures (18 percent of dads compared to 7 percent of moms), according to the 2011 CareerBuilder Mother’s Day survey. The survey was conducted among 484 working moms and 836 working dads, employed full-time, with children 18 and under living in the household.

Quality — but not quantity

Working moms are still facing less quality time at home due to financial challenges, heavier workloads and longer hours in the office — and despite an improving economy, this reality has actually worsened. One quarter of all working moms said they spend two hours or less with their children each work day, up from 18 percent in 2010.  Twenty-four percent take work home at least once a week.

Workers want employer support

Many workers are on the search to find that perfect work/life balance — and for working parents, it’s top priority. Despite any existing financial struggles, 31 percent of all working moms said they would take a job with less pay if it meant they could spend more time with their children.

For employers, that’s a statistic worth paying attention to. Working moms want flexible options to help them spend more time with their families — and in an environment when many of them are working with less pay, longer hours and extremely heavy workloads, consider the benefits to both them and your organization that more balance in their lives could bring. Happier employees who feel that their needs are valued in an organization are more likely to want to stay with your company and contribute in the long run.

“While all indications point to economic recovery, working moms are still waiting to feel the effects,” said Hope Gurion, Chief Development Officer at CareerBuilder and mother of two. “However, these moms possess a great deal of resourcefulness and resilience and continue to provide for their families.  While moms say they would give up things, including pay, to spend more time with their children, they are making the most of the time they do have and getting creative in work arrangements.”

Gurion recommends the following tips for working moms who are overworked:

1. Talk to other moms – Many families are in the same boat as you, and having a support network is essential to your personal and professional sanity. Get tips from other working moms on how they juggle personal and professional commitments, how they’ve managed through difficult financial situations and how they’ve moved ahead in their careers.
2. Keep an “I’m Fabulous” file – Keep track of all of your accomplishments within the organization, quantifying results whenever possible, and list out the additional responsibilities you have taken on in the last year.  It helps you to build your case when negotiating for a better salary or consideration for promotion with your employer.
3. Go in with a game plan – The vast majority of working moms who have taken advantage of flexible work arrangements said it hasn’t negatively impacted their careers, so talk to your supervisor or HR department and explore options. Make sure to come to that conversation with a game plan on how you can manage workload and cover responsibilities.
4. Get organized – Structure in your life will save you time, stress and mental energy. Keep one calendar for business and family commitments to avoid double-booking. Set up a schedule for chores, homework, family activities, playtime, and other family commitments.
5. Remember quality over quantity – Make the most of your personal time. When you’re home, it’s all about them. Wait until after the children go to bed before checking email or finishing up that presentation.
6. Schedule “me time” – Working moms need to take care of themselves too. Put actual time on the calendar for an hour or more of doing something you enjoy like going to the gym, taking a walk, or reading.

Don’t worry, working dads — though this survey focused on working moms, we’ve got you covered. Check out our five tips to help fathers better balance their work and family lives for some great ideas on de-stressing and re-focusing. And, really, many of the tips above apply to working parents in general, not just mothers — so they may also help you formulate the game plan you need moving forward.

Employers, have you been helping working parents achieve more of a work/life balance? If so, how?

SALT LAKE CITY – Under the leadership of Governor Gary R. Herbert, first as Lt. Governor and now as Governor, the State of Utah has climbed to the top spot in Forbes Magazine’s annual ranking of “The Best States for Business and Careers.”

Utah ranks No. 1 in the report, released Wednesday, bumping Virginia from its four-year reign in the top spot. Among the factors that placed the Beehive State at the top are:

• Annual economic expansion of 3.5% over the past five years
• Annual total employment increase of 1.5%
• Annual increase in household income of 5%
• Decrease of corporate tax rate from 7% to 5%
• Energy costs that are 35% below the national average

“While magazine rankings do not tell the whole story, they certainly create a narrative that shows Utah has all the elements that make us a successful place to start or expand a business and a desirable location to live and raise a family,” Governor Herbert said. “Several years ago, we made a conscious decision to make economic development a priority. We have since consistently climbed in the rankings and, in the past year, our leadership pushed Utah to the top of the list.”

Forbes’ “Best States” ranking measures six categories for business: costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, current economic climate, growth prospects and quality of life.

Utah’s rankings in those categories are:

• Business Costs: 8
• Labor Supply: 5
• Regulatory Environment: 6
• Economic Climate: 1
• Growth Prospects: 20
• Quality of Life: 18

In announcing this year’s results, Forbes noted that while states across the nation have suffered as a result of the national economic downturn, some states, like Utah, have weathered the downturn better than others. The magazine notes: “But some areas are doing better than others, and for many of them, it isn’t an accident. Who’s doing the best job when it comes to fostering growth? Utah.”

“This recognition shows that not only is the State of Utah open for business, it shows that our businesses can compete anywhere in the nation and the world,” said Jason Perry, Governor Herbert’s chief of staff and former executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.

After selecting Perry to serve as his chief of staff, the Governor appointed Spencer Eccles in September 2009 to serve as GOED’s new executive director. Both appointments served as proof of the Governor’s commitment to economic development in the State.

“The Governor’s directive to me was to continue to make Utah a state where businesses not only wanted to be, but a state where they needed to be,” Eccles said. “We have succeeded in ensuring that Utah has a pro-business environment and an unparalleled quality of life. We will continue to support our existing Utah companies while attracting others to the State.”

Under Governor Herbert’s leadership, the State has announced major expansions of Utah businesses and the relocation of other notable companies to the Beehive State. Forbes notes the many businesses, such as Goldman Sachs, Oracle, eBay and Adobe, which recently acquired Utah’s own Omniture, have recognized the benefits of operating in Utah. Other homegrown companies like Merit Medical, Nelson Laboratories and Sun Products (formerly Huish) have expanded with the assistance of the State and local
communities.

Along with Eccles, GOED operates under the leadership of Derek Miller and Josh Romney, also appointed by Governor Herbert in September 2009 to serve as an economic ambassador to Utah. Together, the Governor’s Office and GOED have forged partnerships between the Utah Legislature, local governments, education and the private sector through initiatives such as the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, USTAR and the Utah Cluster Acceleration Partnership.

“This is a great day for the State of Utah, but I also understand there are still businesses and families in the State that continue to struggle as we emerge from the national recession,” Governor Herbert said. “As Governor, my promise to all Utahns is that I will continue to foster economic growth throughout the State. Expanding our tax base is the single best way to fully fund public education and to pay for other critical state services such as public safety and human services.”

Over the past year, the State has seen the addition of 19,000 new jobs and, as noted by Forbes, now showing positive job growth. Also, preliminary data indicate that statewide sales tax collections are significantly up over this time last year and the State is expected to see revenue growth for the first time in several years – all encouraging factors that point to economic growth in Utah.

The full Forbes article in available online at www.forbes.com/2010/10/13/best-states-forbusiness-business-beltway-best-states.html.

If you’re like many companies, you, in the spirit of budget-cutting, slowed down employee travel in 2010 — or even halted it altogether. According to a new CareerBuilder survey among more than 2,400 U.S. employers and more than 3,900 U.S. workers, 30 percent of companies say they cut back on business travel last year — and it wasn’t such a good move for many of them. Of the companies who cut back on travel, more than one-third (37 percent) said it negatively affected their business. Have you had a similar experience?

Lack of business trips and the bottom line

Budget cuts can often have ripple effects in other areas of the business. Many businesses who cut back on travel in 2010 had fewer opportunities for  face-to-face meetings, leading to communication issues, hurdles in fostering client relationships, and, ultimately, fewer sales. When asked how fewer business trips affected their bottom lines, companies reported the following results:

• Less effective internal communication: 12 percent
• Fewer sales: 11 percent
• Less effective execution on internal business initiatives: 10 percent
• Less customer loyalty: 8 percent

How will this year be different?

Based on 2010′s results, will companies alter business travel frequency in 2011? For the most part, it appears they won’t. The majority of companies (77 percent) report business travel levels will stay the same as last year. Eleven percent said their companies will take more business trips this year (perhaps to counter the negative effects of cutting back in 2010), while 13 percent said business travel will decrease.

Although frequency of travel may be “business as usual” in 2011, many companies have started taking a different direction to help cut unnecessary expense: Altering the way that employees travel.

“Business travel is an important part of many companies’ operations as it lets them stay connected with clients and employees across the globe,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “Some companies are revisiting their policies, though, to ensure they’re maximizing the effectiveness of their business travel initiatives.”

How are companies keeping a closer eye on travel expenses?

• Taking out the extravagance: Nearly one-third (32 percent) of companies are placing specific restrictions on business travel for employees since the recession, asking them to fly coach, lowering entertainment budgets, and having them only travel domestically.
• Virtual meetings: Forty-two percent of companies said they rely more on phone/Web conferencing now to conduct business with clients, with 31 percent saying they get just as much out of virtual meetings as face-to-face meetings.

Tell me — has your business cut down on employee travel, or otherwise changed policies around travel to cut costs? What has worked well — and what wouldn’t you do again?

If you’re asking author, advertising CEO and performance coach Nigel Marsh, the answer would be an enthusiastic (and Aussie-accented) “No.” In Marsh’s TED talk (you can watch the video at bottom of this post), in which he shares his thoughts on work/life balance and asks the oft-raised question, “What does a life well-lived look like?”, he argues that it’s not up to corporations or outside interests to determine employees’ work/life balance — it’s up to the employees themselves.

Work/life balance (or whatever phrase you want to use to refer to the idea) is often on the minds of employers and employees alike, and it’s an idea that continues to evolve as technology seeps into more and more aspects of our existence and workplace/personal lines are getting even blurrier. Marsh tells the story of his own transformation from a “classic corporate warrior” who was eating, drinking, and working too much and neglecting his family, to someone who turned 40 and decided to turn his life around and spend a year at home with his family — to a man who has, for the seven years since, spent his time struggling with studying and writing about striking a balance between “work” and “life.”

Marsh’s observations during the last seven years have led him to make four observations about work/life balance:

1) If society is to make any progress on this issue, we need an honest debate. The problem, Marsh says, is that all of the discussions about work/life balance involve people complaining about the phrase itself. He also argues that discussions around perks like flex time and dress down Fridays only serve to mask the core issue: That certain career choices are fundamentally incompatible with being meaningfully engaged on a day-to-day basis with a young family. According to him, we need to start acknowledging the core issues and thinking about the issue on another level if we really want to see change.

2) We must be responsible for setting and enforcing the boundaries that we want in our lives. We have to take responsibility for the type of lives we want to lead, Marsh argues — not rely on others to do so. In his words, “If you don’t design your own life, someone might design it for you — and you might not like their idea of balance.” Translation for employers: it’s the job of your employees (and, in your own career, yours) to decide the boundaries needed to make work and personal lives work in harmony — and that formula is going to be different for everyone.

3) We have to be careful (read: realistic) with the time frame upon which we choose to judge the balance in our life. We need to elongate balance, Marsh says, without falling into the trap of, “I’ll have a life when I retire” – or of “I’ll do everything in a day.” It’s not realistic — we must find the middle road, Marsh says. We can’t necessarily achieve everything we want to in a day, but at the same time, we can’t wait until our personal lives have fallen apart because of work to find that perfect balance. And speaking of finding that perfect balance…

4) We need to approach balance in a balanced way. We must attend to various aspects of our lives, including the intellectual, emotional and physical. And the great thing is, Marsh points out, it doesn’t always take a major overhaul to strike more of a balance in our lives — small changes can radically transform the quality of our relationships and of our lives.

Which, Marsh hopes, will bring us to a more thoughtful, balanced definition of what a life well-lived looks like.

I want to know — what are your thoughts as an employer? Do you feel responsible for your employees’ work/life balance, and do you think you have the power to make changes in the workplace that will translate to powerful and lasting changes in their sense of balance? Or do you agree with Marsh — that it’s not the job of an employer to be concerned with an employee’s work/life balance, or that, even if it is, there are no changes you can make to workplace rules and perks that will carry enough weight?

Is work/life balance about changing the structure and fluidity of the workplace to more effectively fit into our personal lives, or more about finding ways to increase our dedication to our personal lives so that they work within our given workplace structures?

Is it really up to an employee to find his or her own way (home)?

Watch Nigel Marsh’s TED talk on work/life balance here:

Are you one of those people addicted, not to love as Robert Palmer once claimed you were, but to work? Or worse yet, are your own employees stuck to their ergonomic yet stifling cubicle chairs, desperately looking for you to help them regain a sense of balance?

You might have caught my recent blog post about the increased usage of mobile devices, and how the technologically “on” mentality these devices spur is affecting the way many people work — even when they’re not actually at work. While access to mobile devices may add pressure for workers to be available at all times of the day or night, it’s just one of many reasons people are spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about, talking about, and even dreaming about Ryan Reynolds work these days. A new CareerBuilder study of more than 3,100 workers examines signs of work addiction, takes stock of how many workers are suffering from it, and explores ways workers can find a happy medium between work and personal time as we dive into 2011. 

Can you identify with any of the following signs of work addiction?

1. You spend most of your day – including your free time – thinking about work. (24 percent of workers surveyed reported that when they’re at home or out socially, they’re still thinking about work. Nineteen percent say they often dream about work.)
2. You’re more concerned about what your boss thinks than your own family.
3. You would rather be in your cubicle than in your home. (15 percent of workers surveyed said they feel this way.)

Longer Hours and Water Cooler-Themed Dinners

The leaner staffs and heftier workloads of 2010 encouraged (or forced) many employees to work longer hours than usual and take work home with them. One out of two workers said their workloads have increased over the last six months, and there’s no indication that trend is changing:

• More than half of workers (52 percent) reported they put in more than the standard 40 hours a week, while 14 percent said they work more than 50 hours a week.

• As far as taking work home, 31 percent bring home work at least once a week, while one in ten bring home work at least every other day.

• Some workers just can’t stop talking about work to family, co-workers, and friend, either. Sixteen percent of workers said most of their conversations – at work, home or out socially – always tend to focus on work.

A High Price to Pay

If you guessed that all this heightened focus and pressure on work, work, work is taking a toll on workers’ relationships with themselves and with their families, as well as increasing their stress levels and causing health issues — well, you’d be right on target.

• 22 percent of workers reported they don’t have time to pursue personal interests because they say they’re always working.
• 12 percent said the amount of time spent on work is causing friction with their family.
• 27 percent have not taken a personal or sick day in the last few years.
• 26 percent have experienced health issues tied to stress on the job.

“With increased demands at the office and greater accessibility through mobile devices, the workday literally never ends for some workers,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.  “While a strong work ethic is valued, a lack of balance with your personal life can ultimately work against you in the long run.  As the year wraps up, take inventory of your personal time and see where you need to make adjustments in 2011.”

Stop the Insanity

So what’s an overworked soul to do? Well, if you find you or your employees are hitting the Excel spreadsheets a little too hard, and neglecting the gym, the dinner table, or the kids’ soccer games, here are some tips, courtesy of Haefner, for achieving a more manageable schedule and a better work/life balance:

1)    Set aside personal time. You schedule business meetings and events successfully, so do the same for “me time” or “family time” and stick to the schedule you create.

2)    Let go. Learn to delegate work-related tasks and responsibilities to others.

3)   Take off the e-leash. In most cases, that e-mail or text can wait.  Turn off your electronic devices at a certain time.  Take care of personal commitments and put the kids to bed before turning it back on.

4)   Talk to others who understand your situation. Check out support groups such as Workaholics Anonymous and find out what others have done to achieve their recovery.

New Year, New “You” Time?

As we enter a shiny new year, unmarred by any mistakes we will inevitably make (and hopefully learn from), we are ambitious in our determination to make this year better than the last. Rather than solely focusing on revenue, productivity, and the “bottom line,” then, let’s pause and ask ourselves this question: Am I being mindful of balance in my own life — and in the lives of my employees?”

Only you (and your employees) know the answer.

A recent article in the Chicago Sun-Times about Chicago Police Sgt. Jeffrey Allen’s lawsuit against the city of Chicago piqued my interest — not because he was suing the city of Chicago, but because he was suing due to the fact that he hadn’t gotten compensated for the off-duty time he spent working on his Blackberry.

As we’ve mentioned before on The Hiring Site, access to mobile devices are changing the way people work — employees are working from their smart phones while driving, on the train, or in the grocery line — and even if they don’t want to be working during all hours and from all places, bosses often expect them to. Some workers, particularly of the younger Millenials generation, are even sleeping next to their smartphones for fear of missing out on a single minute of Internet action.

And now, with this lawsuit, a new question comes to the forefront; a question that we’ve been building up to as the use of smart phones in workers’ every day lives has rapidly increased: Should workers be compensated for the work they do on company-owned mobile devices during non-work hours?

To compensate or not to compensate?

Some say yes. After all, 20 minutes here and there on the Blackberry can quickly add up to a significant amount of time spent working during non-work hours. Mobile devices like Blackberrys or PDAs leave behind a clear trail of evidence — so it’s easy for employees to prove they are actually working.

Chicago’s Mayor Daley, however, responded by saying the officer was displaying silliness in a time of economic crisis. In his own words: “This is unbelievable. We’re public servants. If I asked for that, I’d be paid millions of dollars. We’d have to take all the BlackBerrys away from public servants.”

Public servant or not, do employees have the right to be compensated for the extra work they do? As Paul Geiger, one of Sgt. Allen’s attorneys in the Chicago case, said, “We have reached a point in society where it’s very easy to get a whole lot of unpaid work from employees just by the use of these devices.” And he may have a point. Now, employees don’t have to be at home or the office chained to a bulky computer — they can access work from just about anywhere — and many employers are taking advantage of that. Employer expectations are higher than ever — yet compensation doesn’t always fall in line.

Work/life balance : Becoming a thing of the past?

More than compensation, by sending employees the message that their time is not their own if they have a company-owned device like a Blackberry, employers may be taking away any semblance of a work/life balance. This doesn’t just apply to work on mobile devices — but to work in general. With employer expectations higher and leaner staffs, employers seem to be saying that this is just the way it is. But are they unwittingly causing employees to want to leave? As CareerBuilder’s Mid-Year Job Forecast showed us, 25 percent of workers reported they have a worse opinion of their employer in the wake of the recession — and the same percentage plan to leave their place of work in the next year.

Setting guidelines for company-issued devices

As we’ve seen already in the case of a police officer getting fired for sexually explicit texts, employers want control over the messages employees are sending on company-owned devices — but with that control comes a responsibility to set and communicate clear guidelines of how these company-owned mobile devices are to be used when they are issued.

Whether employers allow overtime and compensate additionally for the extra time, or restrict employees from using the devices for work outside of working hours, or allow for a more flexible schedule, knowing that employees are working odd hours and responding to work needs all hours of the day, they need to set guidelines of where and when employees are both allowed and expected to use company-owned devices.

Where do we draw the line?

Guidelines aside, though, the bigger question remains: Is it acceptable for employees to be expected to do work e-mail while eating dinner with the family? Is doing work outside of work hours just an inevitable part of living in an über-connected society with blurred lines between our personal and professional lives? Or is this a trend that needs to take a turn in a different direction?

This Sunday is Father’s Day, and while it’s a great excuse to spoil dads everywhere with the latest gadgets, grill supplies, or bacon of the month club memberships, a little extra quality time with Dad might be in order this year, in light of results from CareerBuilder’s annual Father’s Day survey.

Survey results among 800 working fathers who are employed full-time showed that a still-struggling economy is causing many working dads to experience more stress, more work — and, not surprisingly, less time spent with their families.

Why the stress?

• One in ten working dads said their spouse or significant other has become unemployed in the last 12 months, with 50 percent of those dads indicating it’s causing stress at home.
• Forty-two percent of working dads said they are the sole providers in their household
• Nine percent of working fathers say they have taken on a second job in the last 12 months to provide for their family.

Office overtime on overdrive

As many of you know firsthand, leaner staffs have led to fewer people handling a higher volume of work. This has made it more difficult for working fathers to achieve a healthy work/life balance, as many are stuck at the office working longer hours — and less time with their kids.

But just how many hours?

• Sixty-three percent of working dads said they work more than 40 hours per week.
• Three in ten (31 percent) working dads who take work home reported they typically bring work home five days a week or more.
• Thirty percent bring work home on the weekends.

And how much less time with their kids?

• Close to four in ten (37 percent) of working dads said they spend two hours or less with their children each work day.
• More than three in ten (35 percent) reported they missed two or more significant events in their child’s life due to work in the last year.

How to be a better juggler

These are bleak statistics, but as Mary Delaney, one of CareerBuilder’s own busy working mothers, has said, there are things you can do to better balance work and family. and now, Jason Ferrara, VP Corporate Marketing at CareerBuilder and a father of two, shares his tips for working dads everywhere to better manage the delicate balancing act of providing for one’s family — and being there as a partner and a father.

“Especially in tough times, working dads have to be more creative and strategic to successfully juggle both work and family commitments,” said Jason Ferrara, VP Corporate Marketing at CareerBuilder and father of two.  “Employers understand the importance of working dads’ time away from the office and continue to place an emphasis on work/life balance through benefits that encourage employees to better manage their schedules. However, year over year, we find that nearly half of working dads do not take advantage of the flexible work arrangements offered to them.”

I’m not suggesting getting Dad a juggling set for Father’s Day (though I’m not not suggesting it, either), but the following tips are designed to help working Dads more effectively juggle their professional and personal lives. After all, although our multitudes of work and life commitments won’t necessarily go away, learning to prioritize them is a strong start.

Ferrara recommends the following tips for working dads navigating through difficult economic times:

1. Keep everyone in the mix. Remember that communication is a two-way street.  Besides just listening to what is going on in your family’s lives, talk about what is going on in your office, so everyone understands why you are away or have to do some work when you are home.
2. Learn to say no. In addition to actual work, sometimes activities associated with your job can take a toll on your free time. Determine what additional activities you can turn down and which are necessary so that you can free up more of your time outside of the office.
3. Develop a master family calendar. Add every family member’s schedule to one master calendar so there are no surprises.  Also, save vacation days for important events and talk to your supervisor about flexible work arrangements.
4. Play now, work later. Put down your Blackberry and avoid checking e-mails until after your children have gone to sleep.
5. Plan a family event in your office. Take advantage of the summer months when school is out and the office may be less hectic by scheduling a kid-friendly potluck or other event with co-workers and their families.

What’s worked for you?

Do you have a solution that’s helped you better manage your work and family lives to add? Let us know in comments — We’d love to hear about it!

You may have a dozen reasons to celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, but here’s one you may not have thought of — a tough economy. A recent CareerBuilder survey of 604 women, employed full-time with children 18 and under living in the household, shows that working moms may be feeling more stressed — and less appreciated — in our current economic climate.

Working moms, many of them recently tasked with the responsibility of keeping their families afloat due to unemployed spouses or other financial issues, have had to become more resourceful than ever.

According to survey results:

• Twelve percent of working moms said their spouse or significant other has become unemployed in the last 12 months, with two-thirds (67 percent) indicating that it is causing stress at home.
• Thirty-six percent of working moms said they are the sole provider for their household.
• Nearly one-in-ten (9 percent) have taken on a second job in the last 12 months to provide for their family.

Work/life balance — what’s that again?

As a result, achieving a work/life balance can be a lot of work in itself, as moms are working more hours — which often translates to less time at home with the family:

• Forty-three percent of working moms work more than 40 hours per week.
• More than one-third (34 percent) who take work home reported they typically bring work home three days a week or more.
• Twenty-three percent bring work home on the weekends.
• Nearly one-in-five (18 percent) of working moms said they spend two hours or less with their children each work day.
• Nearly three-in-ten (29 percent) reported they missed two or more significant events in their child’s life due to work in the last year.

So what can working moms do to achieve more balance?

CareerBuilder’s Mary Delaney, a working mother herself, offers other working moms her thoughts and tips:

“The tough economy has taken its toll on family units and working moms are challenged with doing more with less time,” said Mary Delaney, President of Personified, CareerBuilder’s talent consulting division, and mother of three.

“What we’re seeing from these moms is a great deal of resourcefulness and resilience as they provide for their families.  While they may not be able to spend as much time with their children as they would like, working moms are making the most of the time they do have and getting creative in work arrangements.”

Delaney recommends the following tips to help working moms navigate through difficult economic times:

1. Talk to other working moms. Many families are in the same boat as you and having a support network is essential to your personal and professional sanity.  Getting tips from other working moms on how they juggle personal and professional commitments can be a big help.
2. Seek out flexible work arrangements. The vast majority of working moms who have taken advantage of flexible work arrangements said it hasn’t negatively impacted their careers.  In fact, one-in-five (21 percent) said it has actually helped their careers.
3. Have a plan. Structure in your life will save you time, stress and mental energy.  Keep one calendar for business and family commitments to avoid double-booking. Set up a schedule for chores, homework, family activities, playtime, etc.
4. Take advantage of work perks. Companies offer a variety of perks such as wellness benefits, company discounts on entertainment venues, etc.  Talk to your HR department and see what is available to help save money on monthly expenses and fun family outings.
5. Make the most of your family time. When you’re home, it’s all about them.  Wait until after the children go to bed before checking email or finishing up that presentation.
6. Schedule some “me time.” Working moms need to take care of themselves too.  Put actual time on the calendar for an hour or more of doing something you enjoy such as going to the gym, taking a walk, reading, etc.

Working moms (or dads) — any tips to add that have helped your family get things back in order?

There are six words that, when used together, can cause a bit of anxiety (no, I’m not talking about So You Think You Can Dance?).

Consider this scenario: Your employee is rushing to get to work. He or she is driving a car, one hand on the wheel — and one hand on the smart phone. Every once in a while your employee anxiously glances down at the phone, anticipating the inevitable work correspondence. Your employee doesn’t have to wait long, because five minutes into the drive, you, the frazzled boss who’s up early and thinking about a project, decides to e-mail said employee, knowing full well your employee will check the message right away – and feel compelled to respond. You type those six very important words: What is the status on this?

You hit send.

This type of situation may be more of a problem than you realize. Whether you’re a boss who’s always connected and expects the same of your employees, or you’re an employee who feels pressured to be “on” at all times, even while driving – you may need to slow down a bit. According to the results of a new CareerBuilder survey of more than 5,200 workers, more than half (54 percent) of workers who have a smart phone or similar device said they check it when driving a vehicle — and many are risking safety on the road because they feel pressured to respond.

Which Industries are Most Connected On the Commute?

In comparing industries:

• Sixty-six percent of sales workers used their smart phones while driving, more than any other group surveyed.
• They were followed by  professional and business services workers (59 percent).
• Health care workers were third in terms of industry use (50 percent).

How Bad Is It?

It’s bad enough that almost of quarter (21 percent) of workers say they check their mobile device every time it vibrates or beeps — but worse that 18 percent report they are required by their company to be accessible beyond office hours via mobile device. In addition, 14 percent of workers said they feel obligated to constantly stay in touch with work because of the current tough economy.

It’s true that the lines between work and home lives are often blurry at best due to our ability to be connected in so many ways and at all hours of the day. It’s important for bosses to keep in mind, however, that if employees are not at work and you require them to correspond or make work decisions, there’s a possibility you could be putting them in danger.

And while it’s also true that employees are not always in the precarious position of driving while texting or e-mailing, consider that your employees have personal lives just like you. By corresponding during off-hours, you may be forcing them to respond while they’re mid-first-date (and nervous to begin with), enjoying a Broadway show, praying, or even attending to other “personal business” — in the bathroom. Workers with smart phones said they are checking in with the office on their smart phones from virtually anywhere and everywhere, including:

• During a meal:  62 percent
• On vacation:  60 percent
• While in the bathroom:  57 percent
• Lying in bed at night:  50 percent
• At a movie, play, or musical:  25 percent
• On a date:  18 percent
• Working out at the gym:  17 percent
• At a child’s event of function:  17 percent
• At church:  11 percent

Think Before You Hit “Send”

While sometimes communication outside of the office may be necessary, consider your options before contacting — and decide whether the message you’re communicating is important enough to hit “send” regardless of where your employee may be at that moment. And think of your frequency — are you abusing your power as an employer, as well as your employee’s time? Or are you acting in good faith?

“It is challenging for workers to maintain a good work/life balance when they are constantly connected to the office, so turning their devices off is important for their health and safety,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder. “The lines between work and life can be very blurry these days – 17 percent of workers said they feel like their work day never ends because of technology connecting them to the office. To reduce burnout and avoid potentially risky behavior, workers should allot technology-free time when away from work.”

Consider the three tips below to help you and your employee to work together on a work/life balance:

• Encourage employees to turn off the smart phone while driving. Not only is it illegal in many states, but using a mobile device while driving is dangerous to both your employee and others on the road. Let your employees know that if it’s necessary to leave his or her smart phone on and a conference call or other urgent matter comes up, you want them to pull over to safely handle the situation.
• Help your employee create a backup plan: Help your employee plan to have an out-of-office message or voicemail at the ready, and arrange for them to leave contact information for others on your team familiar with your employee’s area of the business who are able to step in if needed. Alternately, arrange to handle business yourself if you’re able to in a sticky situation. That way, any emergency can be handled appropriately if your employee can’t get to it — and you’ll still be aware of what’s going on.
• Have a personal policy in mind. What are your parameters for getting in touch with your employees on off-hours or while out of the office? Where do you draw the line — and if you don’t, consider whether there are ways you can modify your plan and communicate that out to your employees.

What’s your take on the issue — is it a problem or a necessary evil in our current work environment?