RESOURCES FOR ACHIEVING LIFE BALANCE ARE MANY AND VALUABLE by Laura Ring Very little is intuitive when it comes to making major changes in our life. Success in balancing work and home is no exception. It is a set of skills that relates to time management and career sense, along with hard information on what the market values and what the law says. There's also the social side to the decision - who else is succeeding at this and what do they think? We need resource support to validate our feelings and share with others who have succeeded. Since this is the age of instant information, the Internet and bookshelves are packed with resources on how to feel good about your decision and succeed at your choice. Besides the ease of sourcing information on the Web, and since this is a topic some of you are still grappling with, the Web is also nice for the secrets it keeps. If you need support on convincing yourself, employer our spouse as to the benefits of being balanced, the laws on how you can, or some feedback on what to expect at home and in the office when you do, these sites offer some of the best insight. There are also a few books listed - they're still a good way to get information and the ultimate in portability! Web sites worth checking: www.en-parent.com The Entrepreneurial Parent is a community and career resource for parents looking to balance work and family on their own terms. Its site features a great "book shelf" with suggestions for reading, a strong community center and additional online resources. www.abilizer.com Formerly Perksatwork.com, Abilizer closed on $67 million this spring to help change the way companies provide services that increase the quality of life for employees. It offers a suite of tools to target communications about these benefits. Abilizer provides a portal of information to employers that want to help their employees manage the balance of work and home and be more productive at both. It's a very interesting site and has signed up some big companies as customers. (P.S. This could be an indicator of where to work?) www.womans-work.com Ignore the name. This well-organized resource site not only has a "dad's corner" for those new millennium men wanting to get a jump on their peers on this idea, but also sample policies on how to arrange, for instance, a telecommuting policy within your workplace. Womans-work.com is committed to helping employees find alternative work arrangements such as job sharing, flex time, or telecommuting that provide time for balance. www.workoptions.com/balance.htm Many working parents are finding flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting, job sharing and part-time hours an important part of their work and family balance management strategy. This site offers help on a fast-track route for developing a winning proposal with their Flex Success: A Proposal Blueprint and Planning Guide for Getting a Family-Friendly Work Schedule." A proven step for restructuring a current job into something more flexible is a written proposal to one's boss. Instead of writing your proposal from scratch, let WorkOptions.com provide you with short-cut resources and tips. www.nationalpartnership.org/workandfamily/fmleave/balance.htm If you work for a company with at least 50 employees and have worked there for a least a year, you are probably covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year for family needs, including new babies, adoption and serious illnesses. Even if you're not covered by the FMLA, you may be covered under state family and medical leave laws. Good site to learn and use your rights. Quick list of must-reads: Harvard Business Review on Work and Life Balance; by Harvard Business Review. Work at Home Wisdom: A Collection of Quips, Tips, and Inspirations to Balance Work, Family, and Home; by Andi Axman, David H. Bangs Jr. The Pleasure Prescription: To Love, to Work, to Play - Life in the Balance; by Paul Pearsall. Spirituality Work: 10 Ways to Balance Your Life on the Job; by Gregory F. Pierce. Take some time to learn how to succeed at this important mission in your life; you won't regret the investment. Derby Management 399 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116 Tel: 617-292-7420