[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 16355]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

SENATE RESOLUTION 276--DESIGNATING OCTOBER 2013 AS ``NATIONAL WORK AND 
                             FAMILY MONTH''

  Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Murray, Mr. 
Schatz, Mr. Brown, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Begich, 
Ms. Warren, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the following resolution; which 
was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 276

       Whereas, according to a report by WorldatWork, a nonprofit 
     professional association with expertise in attracting, 
     motivating, and retaining employees, the quality of a job and 
     the supportiveness of a workplace are key predictors of the 
     job productivity, job satisfaction, and commitment to the 
     employer of workers, as well as of the ability of an employer 
     to retain workers;
       Whereas the term ``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, promoting health 
     and wellness, providing paid and unpaid time off, providing 
     financial support, encouraging community involvement, and 
     improving 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-life needs that 
     often require robust policies and programs that provide 
     flexibility to employees in unique circumstances;
       Whereas studies show 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 2013 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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