[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15909]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL WORK AND FAMILY MONTH

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed 
to the consideration of S. Res. 299.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 299) designating October 2011 as 
     ``National Work and Family Month.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be 
agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be laid 
upon the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 299) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 299

       Whereas, according to a report by WorldatWork, a nonprofit 
     professional association with expertise in attracting, 
     motivating, and retaining employees, the quality of workers' 
     jobs and the supportiveness of the workplace of the workers 
     are key predictors of the job productivity, job satisfaction, 
     and commitment to the employer of those workers, as well as 
     of the ability of the employer to retain those workers;
       Whereas ``work-life balance'' refers to specific 
     organizational practices, policies, and programs that are 
     guided by a philosophy of active support for the efforts of 
     employees to achieve success within and outside the 
     workplace, such as caring for dependents, health and 
     wellness, paid and unpaid time off, financial support, 
     community involvement, and workplace culture;
       Whereas numerous studies show that employers that offer 
     effective work-life balance programs are better able to 
     recruit more talented employees, maintain a happier, 
     healthier, and less stressed workforce, and retain 
     experienced employees, which produces a more productive and 
     stable workforce with less voluntary turnover;
       Whereas job flexibility often allows parents to be more 
     involved in the lives of their children, and research 
     demonstrates that parental involvement is associated with 
     higher achievement in language and mathematics, improved 
     behavior, greater academic persistence, and lower dropout 
     rates in children;
       Whereas military families have special work-family needs 
     that often require robust policies and programs that provide 
     flexibility to employees in unique circumstances;
       Whereas studies report that family rituals, such as sitting 
     down to dinner together and sharing activities on weekends 
     and holidays, positively influence the health and development 
     of children and that children who eat dinner with their 
     families every day consume nearly a full serving more of 
     fruits and vegetables per day than those who never eat dinner 
     with their families or do so only occasionally; and
       Whereas the month of October is an appropriate month to 
     designate as National Work and Family Month: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates October 2011 as ``National Work and Family 
     Month'';
       (2) recognizes the importance of work schedules that allow 
     employees to spend time with their families to job 
     productivity and healthy families;
       (3) urges public officials, employers, employees, and the 
     general public to work together to achieve more balance 
     between work and family; and
       (4) calls upon the people of the United States to observe 
     National Work and Family Month with appropriate ceremonies 
     and activities.

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