On March 31, 2010,  President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and the White House Council on Women and Girls hosted a daylong summit at the White House, inviting organized labor, small business and large company leaders, policy experts and parents to discuss best practices for bringing about workplace flexibility – unprecedented! And, it was not just about flexibility for parents — flexibility to incorporate quality of life issues for all employees was part of the discussion, as well.

Quoting from the President’s remarks:

“Now, it’s true that women are still disproportionately affected by this issue….  But plenty of fathers out there wish they had more time to spend with their kids.  Plenty of sons wish they could do more for their elderly parents.  Plenty of workers — both women and men — wish they could go back to school so they can beef up their skills and advance their careers.  And there are plenty of communities that desperately need the new jobs we can create when we embrace teleworking and mobile workplaces.”

The time is to act is NOW.  Get involved with this effort. Here are some links that can help:

Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Flex Options website, www.flexoptions.org. 

Office of the President – Work Life Balance and the Economics of Workplace Flexitility report.

9to5 advocacy group

MomsRising.org advocay group