Creating Inclusive Work/Life Supports for Faculty and Staff Kate Quinn, PhD Upper Midwest HERC/MnCUPA-HR Spring 2013 Conference

Overview Examples of flexible policy options Why flexible policies are needed Why the devil is in the policy details Examples of key details Examining policy details: Internal and external benchmarking Translating the details into best practices Resources for creating career flexibility on campus

Policies, Programs, Supports: For Anyone Paid leave for caregiving Childcare, parent support groups, referral services Eldercare support groups, resources, and referral services Other care (spousal, sibling, etc.) support groups, resources, and referral services Retirement transition supports and resources

Policies, Programs, Supports: For Faculty Tenure Clock Extension Part-time Tenure Active Service Modified Duties Dual Career Hiring Housing Assistance Phased Retirement

Policies, Programs, Supports: For Staff Flex-time Compressed Workweek Telecommuting Part-time and Job-share Shared Leave

Why policies are needed

Two Studies Tomorrow’s Physician (APSA) The Work-Life Balance Experiences of Administrators in the Academy (Dr. Wilk)

Tomorrow’s Physician American Physician Scientists Association Explores experiences, perceptions, and predicted experiences in medical training and careers 5 medical schools 1103 responses, 37.8% response rate Focusing on 845 indicating “education” for career intention

Obstacle Pred. Exp. Balancing family and work responsibilities 84.7% 37.4% Balancing clinical, research, and education 61.7% 25.2% Not finding position in desired location 44.5% 5.2% Loan repayment 37.3% 15.6% Lack of opportunity/funding 29.8% 13.9% Under-compensation 28.5% 7.0% Satisfactory professional advancement 26.8% 8.8% Malpractice/lawsuit 24.0% 0.4% Discrimination/biases against gender/ethnicity 12.5% 6.2% Sexual harassment 1.3% 1.1% Listwise N = 845

Top Three Factors in Career Selection Ability to balance work and personal life 72.3% Opportunities for patient care 69.4% Opportunities to teach 36.3% Financial security 35.2% Opportunities for research 33.9% Opportunities for community service 18.7% Opportunities for international work 14.6% Autonomy 14.2% Opportunities for interactions with students 12.3% Prestige 6.8% Opportunities for travel 6.6% Opportunities for national work 2.1% Opportunities for local work 1.8% Other 1.2% Listwise N = 845

Work-Life Balance for Administrators in the Academy: Under Ideal Worker Pressure Dissertation of Kelly E. Wilk (2013) Qualitative study Interviews with 32 administrators across one campus The campus had one work-life benefit: an employee assistance hotline

Work-Life Challenges for Staff Half of all participants reported that they experienced difficulty balancing their personal and professional lives Student Affairs: most likely to report trouble balancing their work and non-work responsibilities (11 of 14) “There’s an expectation that you’ll work harder because you don’t have kids or a husband.”

Staff Work-Life by Gender Administrators with Self-Rated Good to Excellent Work-Life Balance Administrators Under Age 40 with Young Children Who Report Poor Work-Life Balance

Staff Policy Desires 94% desired formal work-life balance policies (30 out of 32 interviewed). Administrators reported difficulty managing work and life commitments and they wanted organizational support to help them do so. Telecommuting (53%) Flexible Hours (41%) On-Campus Childcare (34%) Eldercare (16%)

The Big Picture for Staff Administrators shared many reasons why they felt such policies were important and several confided that the ability to work flexibly was simply something that they expected from their employer in today’s mobile society. --Kelly E. Wilk, PhD

What does this mean for institutions?

Flexible Policies Are Needed… They need to be inclusive of various work-life needs They need to be inclusive of all employee types They need to be inclusive across the life- and career- course

The Devil Is in the Details If no one is eligible to use a policy, does it really exist? If everyone is eligible to use a policy that meets no ones needs, is this any better? If using a policy might hurt a career more than not using it, how many people will risk using it? If a policy excludes half your employees and sabotages morale, does it help your campus?

Details Who is eligible? Who is excluded? What circumstances are included/excluded? Are there limitations to utilization? Who approves utilization requests? What impact does policy use have on career outcomes? Who monitors utilization and impacts? How is the option funded?

Eligibility “Tenure-line faculty who give birth during their normal 9 month contract after a period of at least 2 years of regular employment ….”

Eligibility Details Open to men and women? Biological parents, or all care-givers? Early career, mid-career, late-career? All employees, or select tiers? Restricted to certain circumstances or flexible?

Limitations “…have 12 months from the birth event to formally request a tenure clock extension. Faculty may request one additional year on the tenure clock per birth event, up to a maximum of two additional years.”

Limitation Details Is there a maximum number of occurrences? Is there a maximum length of occurrence(s)? Are there restrictions to when or how occurrences can happen?

The Request Process “Within 12 months of the birth, faculty must submit a written request to the department chair, who will submit a request to the dean of the college, who submits a request to Academic HR, with the final decision resting with the Provost.”

Details of the Request Process How intimidating/burdensome is the request process? How many “gate-keepers” are involved? Is policy use an entitlement or negotiable? Does the process make flexibility part of the standard business practice or a special accommodation?

Faculty Evaluation “Faculty who receive tenure clock extensions for childbearing will be evaluated for tenure by the same standards as other faculty, without consideration of the extra year.”

Details of Faculty Evaluation Does changing the clock increase productivity expectations? Are review committees provided guidelines for how to evaluate faculty who used flexible policy options? What safeguards exist to ensure that policy use does not hinder faculty careers?

Tracking Policy Utilization Need data to conduct policy analysis, recognize trends, recommend changes, etc. Do policy users all come from one department/college? Is utilization increasing? Are career outcomes different for faculty who use policies and faculty who don’t? Are resources being efficiently allocated?

Funding How are policies funded? Centrally? At the college level? The department level? Fewer faculty tend to use policies if it will be a hardship on the department Central funding signals institutional commitment

The Details in Action Internal assessments, with benchmarks for improvement over time External benchmarking to peers

Internal Assessments Who uses policies, for what reasons, and what are the career outcomes? Are policies and programs effectively supporting faculty/staff? Is availability and utilization consistent across campus? What is the “ROI”? What improvements are needed?

External Comparisons Are policies and programs competitive with those offered at other schools? How does utilization compare to other schools? What improvements are needed?

Why Details Are Important Policy availability ≠ utilization Wait lists don’t always measure demand Context matters “Suites” of policies and programs most effective

Two Examples Flexible Policy Options Paid Family Leave

Flexible Policy Options Do flexible options exist formally or informally, or are they under development Who is eligible and under what circumstances Are there limitations on policy utilization (total number of terms, years, etc.) How are the options communicated and funded Is utilization tracked and who has usage statistics Are there written guidelines for how employees are evaluated after policy use

Paid Family Leave Are paid options available or under development Is paid family leave separate from paid sick leave, even for birth mothers Who is eligible and under what circumstances Are there limitations on policy utilization If paid leave is accrued – at what rate If paid leave is not accrued – what amount is available How are the options communicated and funded Is utilization tracked and who has usage statistics

Best Practices Inclusive policies and programs Support across the life- and career-course Leadership from the top – visible support Flexibility is part of the strategic plan Intentional and consistent communication Training for chairs/supervisors, committees Utilization of policies monitored/assessed Improvements made as needed

Resources Establishing a Family-Friendly Campus: Insights on Success. J. Lester & M. Sallee, Eds. Stylus Publishing (2009) Tenure-Track Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey© – Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) College and University Work-Family Association (CUWFA) National and Regional HERCs

Resources (cont.) Kate Quinn. (2010). Tenure Clock Extension Policies: Who uses them and to what effect? Journal about Women in Higher Education, 3(1), 182-206. Kelly E. Wilk, PhD Seton Hall University kellywilk711@gmail.com (609) 313-4147 Flexible Faculty Careers Award – American Council on Education and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

For Additional Information Kate Quinn, PhD Kate.Quinn.PhD@gmail.com 703.574.3746 Skype: kate.quinn.phd

Questions or Comments?