Donna Klein Presents the "Business Case" in White House "Nursing in the Workplace" Conference Call

U.S. Department of Labor Seeking Public Comments on Workplace Lactation Law

On Monday, December 20, Corporate Voices' Executive Chair and CEO Donna Klein participated in a special conference call on "Nursing in the Workplace" hosted by the White House Council on Women and Girls.  Donna joined Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, Tina Tchen on the call to discuss the benefits workplace lactation programs provide to business.

During the call it was announced that the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division is requesting public comments on its preliminary interpretations of a new provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that requires employers to provide nursing mothers with reasonable break time and a private space for expressing breast milk while at work. This new provision - the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Law - became law when the Affordable Care Act was signed by the president in March 2010. The provision responds to a reality that many women face when they return to work after having a baby.

In order to provide additional guidance about the law's requirements DOL is providing an opportunity for the public to submit information and comments for its consideration. It will consider this information in formulating further guidance for regulating this break time requirement.

At this time, DOL does not plan to issue regulations implementing this provision.Because of the wide variety of workplace environments, work schedules and individual factors that will impact the number and length of breaks required by a nursing mother, regulations may not be the most useful or effective means for providing initial guidance to employers and employees.If, however, based on the administration and enforcement of the break time requirement and the comments received in responses to this Request for Information, DOL may determine that regulations are necessary, and will initiate rulemaking at that time.

To assist employers with complying with the new law, DOL has issued Wage and Hour Fact Sheet #73: Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the FLSA and has posted Frequently Asked Questions on its website.

Comments may be submitted to Montaniel Navarro, DOL, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Room S-3502, Washington, D.C. 20210, or to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov for the next 60 days - with a deadline of Feb. 22, 2011

Workplace Flexibility: Ensuring Success for the 21^st Century
Elance, Inc., e-One, gDiapers and Flexpaths LLC Become Business Champions in National Campaign
Employer Perspective on Flexibility Highlighted in "Focus on Workplace Flexibility" Blog Series

Corporate Voices would like to congratulate Elance, Inc., e-One, gDiapers and Flexpaths LLC for joining our national workplace flexibility campaign since the last issue of this Update, and for committing their support for Corporate Voices' Statement of Support for Expanding Workplace Flexibility.

Businesses in the campaign enjoy a host of benefits and public recognition, including being invited to a series of National Dialogues on Workplace Flexibility currently being organized across the country by the U.S. Department of Labor's Women's Bureau. Corporate Voices is also developing micro success stories to highlight the many ways our "Business Champions" are using flexibility as a strategic management tool for 21^st century success. These micro success stories will serve as important examples of what works to encourage the wider business community to adopt this smart management practice.For "Business Champions" interested in having Corporate Voices develop their story, please fill out and return this Questionnaire to ysiu@corporatevoices.org.

Corporate Voices launched this campaign in June after the first-ever White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility to create a broader awareness of the positive business and employee benefits of flexibility. This campaign seeks to create the critical momentum needed to expand flexibility within the business community.

Employer Perspective on Flexibility Highlighted in "Focus on Workplace Flexibility" Blog Series 

To maintain this forward momentum, Corporate Voices has launched a "Focus on Workplace Flexibility" blog series. This series will provide commentary and analysis on the key demographic and economic changes transforming work and family, and will illustrate how workplace flexibility can be a catalyst for success for businesses and working families in the 21^st century. This series will also highlight the practical tools and resources that exist to help employers successfully implement flexibility practices.

• Read the first post in this series, "Focus on Workplace Flexibility-Main Themes"
   
• Read the second post in this series, "Focus on Workplace Flexibility-The Rise of Older Workers and Caregivers"
   
• Read the third post in this series, "The Path to Employer Flexibility is Paved with Business Results."
   

To learn more about Corporate Voices' national workplace flexibility campaign and about how you can join, please visit Corporate Voices' website or contact Yvonne Siu.

Georgia's Governor's Office Highlighting the Business Engagement Stakeholders Wheel

Corporate Voices is proud to announce that Georgia Governor's Office for Children and Families will be incorporating The Business Engagement Stakeholders Wheel: Identifying Business Leaders in Your Community into its statewide System of Care Toolkit. The Business Engagement Stakeholders Wheel provides community leaders with a listing of the different business organizations and leaders who could be potential partners, as well as information on the roles business can play to ensure all youth are ready for college, work and life.

By including the Stakeholders Wheel into their System of Care Toolkit, communities across the state of Georgia will have access to this tool.  The Executive Office will also be linking to Corporate Voices' website of additional business and community tools created through Ready by 21.

Corporate Voices' Ready by 21 Team continues to filter requests for further access and information to the tools and resources that help community and business leaders create and sustain partnerships in order to improve outcomes for youth and prepare them for the workforce.

EITC and "Section 127" Among Corporate Voices' Policy Priorities Included in the "Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010"

In recent days, Congress has reached final agreement on a range of big-ticket initiatives and sent them through to the White House for President Obama's signature.  Among them was the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010-the $850-plus billion measure that continues for two more years tax breaks for Americans of all incomes, and extends jobless benefits to long-term unemployed workers.  The package also creates major new incentives for business and consumer spending in 2011, including a cut of two percentage points in Social Security payroll taxes for all workers.

Also included in the tax deal is a measure of interest to many Corporate Voices partners: A two-year extension, through 2012, of the "Section 127" employer-provided education assistance program, which was set to expire on New Year's Day.  The measure allows employers to exclude from an employee's wages up to $5,250 yearly in education assistance for undergraduate and graduate course work-providing a powerful incentive to invest in a more highly skilled workforce. Corporate Voices representatives had been meeting with Congressional staffers to urge action on this provision, and we're most pleased with this outcome.

Valuable expansions in the federal Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit-key benefits for low- and middle-income working families-will also be continued under the tax deal.

Another top Corporate Voices policy priority, however, met a disappointing outcome:  Congress failed to extend the Disconnected Youth Employment Tax Credit beyond December 31^st.  This small but important incentive provides a tax break to employers who hire vulnerable young adults (16-24), a population that has suffered disproportionately in the economic downturn.  The measure was dropped from the Congressional deal in last-minute negotiations over much bigger items, but we believe it retains bipartisan support and will work with interested partners to secure its continuation early in 2012.