Employee Benefits

"Given the changing demands of the workforce -- most families made of up two parents, each working full time; an aging population resulting in more people working longer and more people with elder care responsibilities; a sagging economy forcing young people to juggle school and full-time work -- traditional job schedules no longer fit with our lives. More and more people need changes like flexible start times and compressed workweeks."

"With people living longer the number of caregivers in the workplace is rising rapidly and that costs companies up to $34 billion a year due to absenteeism and lost productivity. That doesn't include health care costs, which are higher for caregivers who are more likely to suffer from heart disease, depression and other health issues than noncaregivers. At the same time the number of companies offering elder care programs and services has declined."

Developed by SHRM, this free online software helps calculates the hidden costs of HR initiatives, including work-life and wellness programs. 

"The Yahoo no-work-from-home brouhaha had working moms up in arms last week. Professional women with children had been dealt a blow, they said. Oh, and as one writer reminded us, it's an issue for working dads, too.
Okay, but what about all the single people? And all the people without kids? We need to stop acting like they're not part of the work-life conversation."

While companies have been offering perks and benefits for employees with children for decades, few employers are prepared for the growing demand in elder care services as the number of employees caring for a parent or older relative continues to grow.

How work gets done, who does it and the tools they use to accomplish the task are all shifting as the new year approaches.

Another voice on Yahoo's decision to end telecommuting for employees, yet with an eye toward how other CEOs may respond.

"Marissa Mayer, the relatively new CEO of Yahoo, has decided she wants her employees showing up to the offices beginning in June, not just telecommuting from home all the time, according to All Things D's Kara Swisher."