Work-Life Balance Award Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4855) to establish the Work-Life Balance Award for employers that have developed and implemented work-life balance policies, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R. 4855, as amended, into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the passage of H.R. 4855, as amended, the Work-Life Balance Award Act, a bill introduced with Chairman Miller.

I thank Chairman Miller for his hard work in bringing this legislation forward.

I also want to thank my Republican colleagues--Ranking Member Kline and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is the ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee--for their support and for their hard work.

H.R. 4855, as amended, establishes an award at the Department of Labor to be presented annually to employers of any size which have exemplary work-life policies. The bill also sets up an independent board, appointed by the Secretary of Labor, based on recommendations from Congress, to develop the application process and to establish criteria for evaluating the work-life balance policies of applicants. The board is also charged with providing awardee recommendations to the Secretary. The board will consist of representatives from children and families' groups, from State and local governments, from business or business organizations, and from labor.

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee held a hearing on the introduced bill in April. Our witnesses testified that the bill could be improved by establishing broad guidelines for the board to consider in establishing its criteria.

As a result, H.R. 4855, as amended, provides, in determining the criteria, that the board may consider those work-life policies which provide access to employees regardless of wage level, job position, or the number of hours worked; two, which ensure that workers can use the policies without risk of penalty; three, which allow workers to exercise the policy with regard to a broad range of family members. In addition, the board may also evaluate other factors affecting the quality of the workplace, including employee benefits and compliance with labor and health and safety laws.

Finally, the bill requires the Secretary to collect data from the application process. This data is important because it will tell us not only what policies are being offered but also what policies are actually being utilized by workers and employers.

Working Mother Magazine and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Mr. Speaker, also give out awards to companies with outstanding work-life balance policies. They are great programs, and this award is not intended to supplant these or other awards but to

complement ongoing efforts. Creating an award at the U.S. Department of Labor is important for a number of reasons.

Outside of the Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides unpaid leave for qualifying employees, there is no national policy to support work-life balance. This award will send a strong message that the Federal Government supports and encourages work-life balance.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mr. Speaker, many years ago, when my children were not parents themselves, I was working full time outside of the home, with four children. It was a struggle to meet both the needs of my family as well as the responsibilities of my job. And as the human resources manager of a startup electronics company about 30 years ago, I was aware that many of my employees were going through the very same struggles that I was. Unfortunately, some 30 years later, nearly every single parent is under these pressures--men as well as women. And they are desperate for work-life balance.

One of the main reasons I ran for Congress over 18 years ago was to fight for working families. I was a new Member when we passed the Family and Medical Leave Act, and I knew what an important step we were taking, particularly for working women, to provide job-protected family and medical leave for certain workers, even though it was unpaid.

But the benefits provided by FMLA are not sufficient. While more than 100 million leaves have been taken under the Family and Medical Leave Act, nearly two in three workers are not covered by the Act. And even if they are, most can't take advantage of its provisions because they simply cannot afford to take unpaid leave.

Sadly, the United States lags far behind the rest of the world in providing work-life benefits to their employees. It is unacceptable that our country, which is the number one economy in the world, can barely compete with developing nations in this arena. Workers should not have to choose between work and family, and ultimately we in Congress need to do much more.

However, the effort for work-life balance must be waged on all fronts, and currently, many in the business world are leading the way. These companies know that providing work-life benefits increases retention, decreases absenteeism, and increases productivity and loyalty.

The award created by H.R. 4855, as amended, will recognize these employers for their efforts and create an incentive for others. It will also set

standards for best practices and shine a light on the needs of working families.

Mr. Speaker, I hope we will vote for the second step after the Family and Medical Leave Act that this Congress will take to support working Americans, men and women, and help them balance the challenges they meet in doing a good job for their families and a good job for their employer, because it must be possible. And we can help make that happen.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4855, the Work-Life Balance Award Act.'' Thank you to my colleagues: Congresswoman Woolsey and Congressman Miller for introducing this important legislation that establishes, in the Department of Labor, an annual Work-Life Balance Award for employers that have developed and implemented work-life balance policies.

We are all aware of the benefits of holding a job, but too little attention has been paid to the dangers associated with stressful working conditions. Long hours have a significantly negative impact on life satisfaction and time-related stress, which in turn have a negative effect on wellbeing.

Non-standard work hours, and stressful workplace environments cause health problems, higher levels of stress, psychological distress, greater relationship conflicts for dual-income couples, less time spent with children and lower life satisfaction.

A peer-reviewed study of 10,000 Londoners tracked since 1985, published in the European Heart Journal, found that rates of angina, nonfatal heart attacks and death from heart-related conditions were 60 percent higher in people who worked at least three hours beyond ``the normal, seven-hour day'' compared with those who didn't work that amount of overtime. The study notes that overtime work ``has increased in recent years'' and that the U.S. is one of the countries that is well above average in percentage of people working overtime.

A Canadian study found that ``people experiencing time pressure have lower levels of satisfaction, higher levels of stress, lower self- reported physical and emotional wellbeing, and greater insomnia. Work- life conflicts can lead to higher levels of anxiety and depression; sleep disturbances and a host of other ailments.''

The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights recent research in the domain of occupational health psychology shows that many stressful experiences are linked to being offended--for instance, by being offended or ridiculed, by social exclusion, by social conflict, by illegitimate tasks. According to the WHO, ``Such experiences of being treated in an unfair manner constitute an `Offence to Self,' and this may have quite far reaching consequences in terms of health and well- being.''

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is greatly concerned with the health effects of workplace stress. According to the CDC, ``evidence is rapidly accumulating to suggest that stress plays an important role in several types of chronic health problems--especially cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders.''

Mr. Speaker, although some employers create unhealthy work environments, other employers now recognize that staff who feel able to balance the demands of work and home are more engaged, productive and motivated. These trendsetters deserve to be recognized for their compassion and leadership. This is why I support the Work-Life Balance Award Act.

Research has identified organizational characteristics associated with both healthy, low-stress work and high levels of productivity. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), examples of these characteristics include: recognition of employees for good work performance, opportunities for career development, an organizational culture that values the individual worker, and management actions that are consistent with organizational values.

Mr. Speaker, widespread workplace stress is costly to our citizens and our nation. Stressful work environments ruin lives and are costly to our healthcare system. It is often said that prevention is the best medicine; establishing a balance between work and life is a vital disease prevention measure.

Once again, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures. If I were present for rollcall votes, I would have voted in the following manner:

Roll 347, June 10, 2010: On Agreeing to the Amendment: Waters of California Amendment No. 1 to H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 348, June 10, 2010: On Agreeing to the Amendment: Garrett of New Jersey Amendment no. 5 to H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, I would have voted, ``no.''

Roll 349, June 10, 2010: On Agreeing to the Amendment: Price of Georgia Amendment no. 7 to H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, I would have voted, ``no.''

Roll 350, June 10, 2010: On Agreeing to the Amendment: Turner of Ohio Amendment no. 9 to H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, I would have voted, ``no.''

Roll 351, June 10, 2010: On Agreeing to the Amendment: Edwards of Texas Amendment no. 12 to H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, I would have voted, ``no.''

Roll 352, June 10, 2010: On Agreeing to the Amendment: Maffei of New York Amendment no. 13 to H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 353, June 10, 2010: On Passage: H.R. 5072, FHA Reform Act of 2010, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 354, June 10, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass: S. 3473, To amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to authorize advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 355, June 14, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree: H. Res. 1368, Supporting the goals of National Dairy Month, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 356, June 14, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree: H. Res. 1409, Expressing support for designation of June 20, 2010, as ``American Eagle Day'', and celebrating the recovery and restoration of the bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 357, June 14, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass: H.R. 5502, To amend the effective date of the gift card provisions of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 358, June 15, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree: H. Res. 1383, Honoring Dr. Larry Case on his retirement as National FFA Advisor, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 359, June 15, 2010: On Agreeing to the Resolution: H. Res. 1436, Providing for consideration of H.R. 5486, the Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act; and providing for consideration of H.R. 5297, the Small Business Lending Fund Act, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 360, June 15, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended: H.R. 4855, Work-Life Balance Award Act, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 365, June 16, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree: H. Con. Res. 242, Honoring the NAACP on its 101st anniversary, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 366, June 16, 2010: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree: H. Res. 1422, Honoring the Department of Justice on the occasion of its 140th anniversary, I would have voted, ``aye.''

Roll 367, June 16, 2010: On Motion to Suspend and Agree, as Amended: H. Res. 1414, Congratulating Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men-- Englewood Campus, the Nation's first all-male charter high school, for achieving a 100 percent college acceptance rate for all 107 members of its first graduating class of 2010, I would have voted, ``aye.''

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

I would like to commend Congresswoman Woolsey for her leadership on the work-life balance issues in her capacity as Chair of the Workforce Protection Subcommittee. Her commitment on these important issues is a great asset to the Education and Labor Committee in this Congress. I am pleased to serve with her and support her legislation before us today to recognize family-friendly workplaces. The Work-Life Balance Act will recognize employers of any size for their exemplary work-life balance policies. Not only will the award set a standard for best practices, it will shine a much-needed light on the concerns of working families.

Over the past 40 years, America's working families have changed dramatically. While once a single breadwinner could support a middle- class family, today that situation appears to be a relic of the past. Women now make up half of the workforce and share a greater responsibility for financially supporting the family. While women now are full partners in providing for families, many remain the primary caregiver for their children and other family members. Balancing the career and family responsibilities can seem impossible at times. But in today's economy, achieving balance is necessary.

Women are not doing this alone. Increasingly, men are becoming more involved with child care and elder care responsibilities. Good employers recognize this and understand the importance of providing flexibility to their employees. They have rightly revamped family leave policies to attract and retain best workers. Employers understand that family-friendly policies not only help workers balance work and family, but also improve employers' bottom line. These policies increase retention rates, decrease absenteeism, improve productivity and morale.

What's good for the modern family is good for business. Businesses that are doing the right things to promote a better work-life balance should be recognized. It goes to the heart of our Nation's competitiveness and how we value our Nation's families.

Parents should never have to choose between their paycheck and taking a day off because their child needs to see a doctor. This is precisely why I am a strong supporter of the bill before us today, the Work-Life Balance Award Act. This award will serve as a benchmark for companies who wish to improve their current policies so that they can be more accommodating to the needs of their workers. It will also give prospective employees a leg up when they're looking for family-friendly workplaces to go to work.

The proof will be in the results. When employers choose to implement pro-family policies, they reap the benefits of a healthier, more productive workforce. I urge my fellow colleagues to vote ``yes'' with me today on this important and necessary bill. Thank you very much, again, to the author of this legislation, Congresswoman Woolsey.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

H.R. 4855, the Work-Life Balance Award Act, establishes an annual award within the Department of Labor to recognize employers with exemplary work-life balance policies. This bill represents a bipartisan effort to highlight the positive policies currently being used by employers to help their employees meet the competing demands of family and work. H.R. 4855 would highlight best practices by employers and encourage innovation in the adoption of work-life balance policies, which we hope will encourage other companies to adopt similar programs.

It's important to note that the bill does not create any mandates or new requirements. Many employers accommodate employee requests for greater workplace flexibility without the use of government mandates, which can increase the cost of employment and stifle creative arrangements. If employers want to pursue this award, they will do so voluntarily and with no penalty if they choose not to do so, nor will this award confer any specific government procurement or tax advantage on the recipients. The only advantage will be related to the employer being able to market themselves as winning this award and providing these types of flexibility in their workplaces.

It's appropriate that the bill sets out a process by which the criteria for receiving this award will be determined. For us in Congress to claim that we know best about what constitutes appropriate flexibility in the workplace and to lock that in so that it could not be changed without another act of Congress would be, frankly, presumptuous and ensure that this award would lose its relevancy over time as new concepts of flexibility emerge and employers respond to employee needs in new ways.

This award would complement similar private-sector awards and showcase public and private organizations that maintain and utilize policies to help their employees to find ways to maintain productivity, while providing workplace flexibility. The award program would be housed at the U.S. Department of Labor, and funding for the program would come out of existing funds at the Labor Department.

I'd like to thank the sponsors of the bill, particularly the main sponsor, Congresswoman Woolsey, for working to craft this bill in a bipartisan manner and for maintaining an open dialogue with interested parties throughout this process.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.