[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18360-18362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               SUPPORTING NATIONAL WORK AND FAMILY MONTH

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1598) expressing support for the designation of 
the month of October as National Work and Family Month.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1598

       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

[[Page 18361]]

     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 children from 
     making needed doctors' appointments and 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, breastfeeding is the most beneficial 
     form of infant nutrition, and the greater the duration of 
     breastfeeding, the lower the odds of pediatric overweight and 
     obesity;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, less than half of mothers 
     who work full time exclusively breastfeed their newborns;
       Whereas, according to the CDC, employer policies that 
     encourage breastfeeding benefit individual families as well 
     as employers by improving productivity and staff loyalty, 
     enhancing the employer's public image, and reducing 
     absenteeism, health care costs, and employee turnover;
       Whereas studies show that a third of children and 
     adolescents in the United States are obese or overweight and 
     that healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and 
     physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and 
     developing related diseases;
       Whereas studies report that family rituals, such as sitting 
     down to dinner together and sharing activities on weekends 
     and holidays, positively influence children's health and 
     development, and that children who ate dinner with their 
     family every day consumed nearly a full serving more of 
     fruits and vegetables per day than those who never ate family 
     dinners or only did so occasionally;
       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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Roe) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.


                             General Leave

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House 
Resolution 1598 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1598, which 
expresses support for designating October as National Work and Family 
Month.
  Over the past 40 years, the family dynamic has changed. Women 
comprise nearly half of the United States workforce. For most working 
women, their responsibilities do not cease at the end of the workday 
but continue on at home as most women serve as their families' primary 
caregivers. Beyond caring for their own families, working women often 
take on additional caregiver responsibilities by caring for their 
parents and/or their spouses' parents.
  But it isn't just women who face the challenge of balancing work and 
family, Mr. Speaker. More than ever before, men have taken on a greater 
share of family responsibilities in addition to their workplace duties.
  With working families taking on extra hours to make ends meet during 
these tough economic times, the need for a work-life balance is more 
crucial than ever. Employers who afford their employees with policies 
that help to balance work and family reap substantial benefits, ranging 
from improving an employer's bottom line, increasing retention rates, 
decreasing absenteeism, and improving productivity and morale.
  A 2008 report by the Families and Work Institute found that workers 
who are able to balance work and family are more highly engaged in 
their work and less likely to look for jobs in the next year. They also 
enjoy better overall health, better mental health, and lower levels of 
stress.
  Finding a good balance between work and family is important to most 
people. A 2009 survey of students found that two-thirds of respondents 
cited a healthy work-life balance was an important career goal. In 
addition, Mr. Speaker, research by the Radcliff Public Policy Center 
found that women in their 20s, 30s and 40s and men in their 20s and 30s 
identified the most important job characteristic to be a job schedule 
that allows them to spend time with their families.
  According to research by the Sloan Center on Aging & Work, a majority 
of workers aged 53 and older attribute their success as employees to 
job flexibility, which contributes to an overall higher quality of 
life. 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.
  Families with working parents face many challenges when it comes to 
balancing family time with working hard to provide for their families, 
and it is so important that we recognize this every day, because it is 
such a challenge; but it is equally important to recognize that the 
substantial benefits accorded and afforded to parents, children and 
employers when workers have access to policies of support lead to a 
much healthier work-life balance.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1598, 
expressing support for the designation of the month of October as 
National Work and Family Month.
  Establishing a healthy balance between work and family obligations is 
something that most workers--women and men both--struggle with at some 
point in their careers. Studies have shown that employees who are able 
to effectively balance family and work responsibilities are less likely 
to report

[[Page 18362]]

making mistakes or to feel resentment toward employers or coworkers.
  Eighty-five percent of United States wage and salaried workers have 
immediate, day-to-day family responsibilities outside of their jobs. 
Workplace flexibility often allows parents to be more involved in their 
children's lives. Parental involvement is associated with children's 
higher achievement in language and mathematics, improved behavior, 
greater academic persistence, and lower dropout rates.
  Today, with this resolution, we support the designation of the month 
of October as National Work and Family Month. Through this designation, 
we recognize the importance of balancing work and family, and we urge 
public officials, employers, employees, and the general public to work 
together to achieve more balance between work and family.
  With that, I stand in support of this resolution, and I ask my 
colleagues for their support.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the 
author of this resolution, the gentlewoman from New York, Congresswoman 
McCarthy.
  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. I want to thank Ms. Woolsey, who is my 
colleague on the Education Committee and who has been working with me 
on this also, and I want to thank Mr. Roe from Tennessee for bringing 
this up.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1598, a 
resolution supporting the recognition of National Work and Family 
Month. I think my colleague, Ms. Woolsey, really spoke about the 
essence of the bill, so I am going to speak a little bit shorter on 
this.
  I want to thank Representative Platts for introducing this resolution 
with me, and I want to thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member Kline 
for bringing this resolution to the floor today under suspension.
  This resolution highlights the need to focus on a healthy work and 
family balance. Study after study has shown that finding the right 
balance between work responsibilities and family obligations is one of 
the most important things for all of our workers. Workers who have a 
better work-family balance have better overall health and have less 
stress. Children also benefit from having their parents available more 
often. Employees who are able to spend enough time with their families 
are happier at work and are more productive than those employees who do 
not have enough time to spend with their families. Achieving a work-
family balance is good for all employers, employees and their families.
  This resolution just basically asks all Americans to consider how to 
achieve a healthier work-family balance, to increase the quality of 
life for our employees and their families and improve productivity for 
our employers.
  Thank you, and I urge the passage of this resolution.

                              {time}  1720

  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I will simply say that one of the 
great challenges in my life was to balance a professional practice with 
my family. And I will say also that you will never regret 1 minute that 
you spend with your children or your grandchildren. So I would 
encourage support of this.
  I thank the gentlelady from California and New York for speaking 
about this. I think one of the most important issues we have today is 
time with our families. As our families break down, our children are 
left alone so much. I would encourage everyone, especially at this time 
of year, to spend as much time with their families as they can. It will 
be the best investment you have ever made.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, most children are lucky if they have a two-
parent family these days, but if they even have one parent or two 
parents, both of those parents are in the workforce. They work long 
hours, they commute long distances to put food on the table, and quite 
often they are not able to sit at that table and share that food with 
their families because their work-life balance is so unbalanced. So 
families with working parents face many, many challenges when it comes 
to balancing family time with working to provide for their families, 
and it's important that we recognize this as an everyday challenge.
  It is equally important to recognize that substantial benefits are 
afforded to parents, children, and employers when workers have access 
to policies that support a healthy work-life balance. So I want to 
thank Representative McCarthy for sponsoring this important resolution, 
and I thank Congressman Roe for being part of this with us. I encourage 
my colleagues to join me today in support of House Resolution 1598.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support for H. 
Res. 1598, a resolution expressing support for designating October as 
National Work and Family Month.
  As the mom of a three year old and another one on the way, I know 
first hand the struggles parents face. One of the most challenging 
aspects is how to balance work and family responsibilities--knowing 
that our attention to both is critical. We know that parental 
involvement plays a direct role in our children's growth and 
development. We know that providing direct care to our aging parents 
may sometimes be the best and/or only option. Yet, we also know that 
our employers are looking at ways to stay in business and improve their 
bottom lines.
  H. Res. 1598 highlights the benefits of balancing work and family 
needs and recognizes the efforts that employers have undertaken.
  Statistics demonstrate that a growing number of employers recognize 
the benefits of providing flexibility in the workplace and are 
successfully meeting the needs of their employees. Employers understand 
that having programs in place to address work-life balance issues are 
effective and necessary and are to the companies' benefit.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1598.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground 
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum 
is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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