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did you know?

Nearly 60 percent of workers believe that telecommuting at least part-time is the ideal work situation.

IBM saves $700 million in real estate costs by allowing 25% of its worldwide employees to work from home.

wise words we heard

Businesses that ignore the possibilities offered by emerging technologies risk becoming dinosaurs.

virtual work

Virtual workers are defined as people who work from home, from the road, from anywhere that isn't a traditional office. The common denominator for all virtual workers is that they communicate and perform work duties almost entirely through electronic technology. Going virtual makes sense for many workers, not just the people you see plugging in at coffee shops around the globe: Gen Yers just starting out, older workers phasing into retirement, people who need a custom-fit because they have restricted physical abilities or live in remote geographic locations, or two-job families where being close to both jobs is impossible. High- and low-wage employers have found moving to virtual work productive and profitable. Call centers, sales teams, individual consultants - even entire organizations - have all found this new way of working to be virtually perfect.

Virtual work can create a more robust business overall, as it has been shown to cut workplace costs and produce more satisfied, productive employees.

Advice for Employers

Adopt a performance-based management philosophy. Look more at results and less and whose car is in the parking lot.

Use technology in innovative ways to promote team building. Consider going beyond the basics of phone and email in order to help create a close group and help workers connect. Set up a community home space featuring pictures and profiles of team members, a discussion board, a team calendar, or a chat room.

Show respect. This might mean being sensitive to members who speak English as a second language, or paying attention to language and cultural differences, business protocols - even time zones.

Design fair and consistent guidelines for who can take advantage of virtual work.

Meet in person, too. Many companies that adopt virtual work also have regular retreats or in-person check-ins. This promotes team cohesion.

Remember that workers cannot be available 24/7 and will need boundaries to make virtual working successful for both themselves and the business.

Advice for Workers

When making a case for a flexible work arrangement, cite the business benefits of higher productivity, less time lost commuting, worker loyalty, decreased absenteeism, improved health and sometimes reduced real estate costs. (See Studies and Research)

Create an expectation of clear work/life boundaries. Just because you are now connected to work at home or on vacation doesn't mean you should be online 24/7. Clarify what will work well for you and your employer.

Be realistic but open-minded about virtual work's plusses and minuses. While it fits well with some jobs, virtual work isn't a good fit for others.

Consider stepping up the frequency of communication. This can mean checking the team's calendar or sending an email after every phone conference to document and confirm the action plan. Find out what will make this work well for everyone.

MomsRising Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month – ¡Con Mucho Gusto!

Submitted by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner on Wed, 2011-09-21 04:00

On the occasion of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, MomsRising is celebrating Latina mothers across the United States, ¡Con Mucho Gusto! (With great pleasure.) With a population of 50 million in the United States (1), Latinos have and will continue to contribute to our country in a myriad ways to our economy, our children’s education, and our culture. When Latino families thrive, we all benefit from their contributions whether through taxes to our economy, volunteer hours at our children’s schools, or multicultural events.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, MomsRising is hosting a blog carnival — ¡Con Mucho Gusto! — to recognize the many contributions of Latino parents who strive every day to make a better life for their children and to strengthen our country as a whole. We also want to renew our promise to help Hispanic families attain the American Dream as part of our mission to achieve economic security for all families in our country, to help all children acquire a healthy start in life, and to end civil and human rights abuses in the name of immigration enforcement.

In this blog carnival, we listen again to the voices of Latinos who have published blog posts on MomsRising’s website. They range from Paola Mendoza, a filmmaker and actress who writes movingly about her mother’s experiences as a Colombian immigrant in the United States, to MomsRising member Maria Ramirez’s story in Spanish asking our leaders not to cut Medicaid. We also hear from Congresswoman Linda T. Sanchez on the importance of a paid sick days bill and grandmother and first time blogger, Luz Villafana, on why she supports the DREAM Act, which would have granted approximately a million young undocumented youth of good moral standing the opportunity to attain conditional residency. And there are many more Latina leaders, policy partners, staffers, members and bloggers who contributed to our blog in the last year and a half on a wide range of issues from analysis of the healthcare reform bill to personal stories of why they are politically active. Latino issues are American issues.

If we have forgotten to include your blog post, please let us know! E-mail Elisa at elisa at momsrising dot org. We hope that you enjoy the stories and have a ¡feliz mes de la herencia hispana!

–Kristin, Elisa, Mary, Anita, Gretchen, Donna, Monifa, Joan, Sarah, Claire, Julie, Ashley and Ruth.

Hispanic Art and Culture
The Story Behind My Film “Entre Nos”
by Paola Mendoza

Book Review: Enrique’s Journey
by Elisa Batista

Movie Review: La Misma Luna (Under the Same Moon)
by Erika Chavez

Book Review: “Get Me Out” is a Witty History of Childbirth
by Dora Calott Wang

Savory Latino Meals Without the Meat (Recipes and time-saving tips included!)
by Elisa Batista

The Personal is Political – Latinas Speak Out
Foreclosure: Dismantling Family Ties
by Janis Bowdler

Jessica Alba: Why I’m joining the campaign for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families
by Jessica Alba

Wells Fargo wants to know what’s a-brewin’ in my uterus before they make me a loan
by Linda Falcão

Ensuring a Future for My Children
by Elisa Batista

There Is Nothing Like This, But I Have Faith
by “Tigger”

Let’s Not Leave Workers in the Cold this Holiday Season by Kety Esquivel