[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 768 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 768

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                      October 14, 2009.
Whereas, according to a report entitled ``Attraction and Retention'' published 
        by an organization called WorldatWork, the quality of workers' jobs and 
        the supportiveness of their workplaces are key predictors of job 
        productivity, job satisfaction, commitment to employers, and retention;
Whereas, according to a 2008 report by the Families and Work Institute entitled 
        National Study of the Changing Workforce, employees with a high level of 
        work-life integration are, compared to employees with moderate or low 
        levels of work-life integration, more highly engaged and less likely to 
        look for a new job in the next year, and also enjoy better overall 
        health, better mental health, and lower levels of stress;
Whereas, according to a 2004 report entitled ``Overwork in America'', employees 
        who are able to effectively balance family and work responsibilities are 
        less likely to report making mistakes or feeling resentment toward 
        employers and coworkers;
Whereas, according to the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings 
        released by the Partnership for Public Service and American University's 
        Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation, work-life 
        balance and a family-friendly culture are among the key drivers of 
        employee engagement and satisfaction in the Federal workforce;
Whereas finding a good work-life balance is important for workers in multiple 
        generations, as indicated by a 2009 survey entitled ``Great 
        Expectations! What Students Want in an Employer and How Federal Agencies 
        Can Deliver It'', which found that attaining a healthy work-life balance 
        was an important career goal of 66 percent of respondents, and a 2008 
        study entitled ``A Golden Opportunity'', which found that workers 
        between the ages of 50 and 65 are a strong source of experienced talent 
        for the Federal workforce and that nearly 50 percent of these potential 
        workers find flexible work schedules ``extremely appealing'';
Whereas, according to research by the Radcliffe Public Policy Center in 2000, 
        men in their 20s and 30s and women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s identified 
        as the most important job characteristic a work schedule that allows 
        them to spend time with their families;
Whereas, according to research by the Sloan Center for Aging and Work, a 
        majority of workers age 53 and older attribute their success as an 
        employee, by a great or moderate extent, to job flexibility, and also 
        report that, to a great extent, job flexibility contributes to an 
        overall higher quality of life;
Whereas employees who are able to effectively balance family and work 
        responsibilities feel healthier and more successful in their 
        relationships with their spouses, children, and friends;
Whereas 85 percent of United States wage and salaried workers have immediate, 
        day-to-day family responsibilities outside of their jobs;
Whereas, according to the 2006 American Community Survey, 47 percent of wage and 
        salaried workers are parents with children under the age of 18 who live 
        with them at least half-time;
Whereas job flexibility often allows parents to be more involved in their 
        children's lives, and parental involvement is associated with higher 
        child achievement in language and mathematics, improved behavior, 
        greater academic persistence, and lower dropout rates;
Whereas a 2000 study entitled Urban Working Families revealed that a lack of job 
        flexibility for parents negatively affects child health by preventing 
        parents from making needed doctors' appointments and children from 
        receiving adequate early care, which makes illnesses more severe and 
        prolonged;
Whereas, from 2001 to early 2008, 1,700,000 active duty troops have served in 
        Iraq and 600,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve (133,000 on 
        more than one tour) have been called up to serve, creating a need for 
        policies and programs to help military families adjust to the realities 
        that come with having a family member in the military;
Whereas according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, 
        less than half of mothers who work full time exclusively breastfeed 
        their newborns although support for lactation at work benefits 
        individual families as well as employers by improving productivity and 
        staff loyalty, and decreasing absenteeism and employee turnover;
Whereas according to the CDC, breastfeeding is the most beneficial form of 
        infant nutrition, and the greater the duration of breastfeeding, the 
        lower the odds of pediatric obesity;
Whereas studies report that family rituals, such as sitting down to dinner 
        together positively influence children's health and development, and 
        that healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical 
        activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related 
        diseases;
Whereas unpaid family caregivers will likely continue to be the largest source 
        of long-term care for elderly United States citizens, and the Department 
        of Health and Human Services estimates the number of such caregivers to 
        reach 37,000,000 by 2050, an increase of 85 percent from 2000, as baby 
        boomers reach retirement age in record numbers; and
Whereas the month of October would be an appropriate month to designate as 
        ``National Work and Family Month'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the designation of ``National Work and Family Month'';
            (2) recognizes the importance of balancing work and family to job 
        productivity and healthy families;
            (3) recognizes that an important job characteristic is a work 
        schedule that allows employees to spend time with families;
            (4) supports the goals and ideals of ``National Work and Family 
        Month'', and urges public officials, employers, employees, and the 
        general public to work together to achieve more balance between work and 
        family; and
            (5) requests that the President issue a proclamation calling upon 
        the people of the United States to observe ``National Work and Family 
        Month'' with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.