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CREATIVE
CITY NEWSLETTER: JULY 2002
ISSUE 6: LEADERSHIP
ISSUE IN FOCUS: Leadership
NEWS YOU CAN
USE: Put Your City to the Test
CREATIVE CORNER:
The Blur Building
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: Orlando,
FL
Creative City Resources
Upcoming
Events
CREATIVE CITY RESOURCE: Creativity
in the Evolving Workforce
A Creative Cities Thought Paper
(page 2)
Role of the Employer
Employers are beginning to take note of the impact commuting
is having on employees. In response, they are offering options
and programs that make commutes easier and more flexible.
Government Aid Employers can get government aid to cover some
commuting costs.
Flextime By offering creative work schedules, employees are
able to travel during off-peak hours.
Staggered Work Staggering the start and end times of employees'
shifts will push
Hours some people out of rush hour as well as make the company
available more hours for customer service.
Compressed Work Employees are able to work more hours in one
day so that they
Week may be able to take a day off.
Group Pass Employers can join a discounted transit pass program
that offers
Program marked down fares for employees.
All of these programs have shown an increase on the productivity
of employees as well as a reduced use of sick days and annual
leave. Employees will work harder so that they may use the flexibility
in their hours to their benefit.
Role of Government
The government has definitely recognized the importance of taking
the burden out of commuting - both to ease the frustration of
the people and help the environment by reducing the number of
cars on the road. In the last 15 years, many acts have been
passed which promote responsible, environment-friendly commuting.
1990 Federal Clean Air Act - This amendment to the original
1970 Federal Clean Air Act called for tighter pollution standards
for emissions from cars and trucks, stricter control of fuel
quality, a clean fuel pilot program in California, and for the
26 dirtiest areas in America to adopt new emissions programs.
The amendment was in response to the increase in cars on the
road and their environmental impact.
1991 Intermodal Transportation Efficiency Act - State and local
governments were given more flexibility in determining transportation
solutions, whether mass transit or roadways, and the tools of
enhanced planning and management systems to guide them in making
the best choices. New technologies, such as intelligent vehicle
highway systems (now known as Intelligent Transportation Systems
or ITS) and prototype magnetic levitation systems, were funded
to push the nation forward into thinking of new approaches in
providing transportation for the 21st century.
1998 Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA 21)
- TEA 21 authorizes funding for three new environmental programs,
including a total of $750 million from FY1999 to FY2003 for
the Clean Fuels Formula Grant Program to assist transit systems
in purchasing low-emission buses, a total of $250 million from
FY1999 to FY2003 for the Advanced Vehicle Technologies Program
under which environmental technologies are eligible for funding,
and an unspecified amount from FY1998 to FY2003 for the Surface
Transportation-Environment Cooperative Research Program.
Commute Focused Organizations
Transportation Management Agencies (TMAs) - TMAs bring public
and private organizations together to cooperatively tackle traffic
congestion and air-quality issues that affect a specific area,
give members a unified voice to address local governments and
transportation policies, and help develop creative commuting
benefits programs to help in recruitment and retention of quality
employees.
Perimeter Transportation Coalition - The coalition develops
services and programs to expand mobility options, enhance economic
development and protect the environment. It grows with new rail
stations, employment centers and renewal projects, and integrated
transportation systems.
Metropolitan Council's Metro Commuter Services (MCS) - MCS recognizes
individuals, businesses and organizations for excellence in
promoting transportation programs in the work place that provide
alternatives to driving alone.
Minneapolis Bicycle Advisory Committee - It promotes bicycle-friendly
elements in Minneapolis development, elements that include bike
lanes, bike paths and bike lockers at LRT stations.
TELECOMMUTING & WORKING FROM HOME
The Department of Labor predicts that 40% of the workforce will
be working from home by 2020. More and more people are working
from home full time, or telecommuting (working from home at
least one day a week). It is saving employers money and employees
time. Telework centers have been created to make telecommuting
and working from home even easier. A telework center is a place
with all the necessary office supplies (i.e. conference rooms,
computers, photocopiers, sometimes even a support staff) for
employees to complete their jobs.
The Benefits
Telecommuting and working from home serves to benefit the worker,
the employer and the environment. Employees that have had the
liberty to work from home full or part time boast of increased
productivity due to less distractions. There is reduction in
stress from reduced or eliminated commuting times which leads
to an increase in personal time. Employees also appreciate the
money they save on commuting costs, business clothes and eating
out. Overall, these employees are reported to be happier than
employees who spend all day, everyday at the office.
Employers Offering work at home options attracts more creative
employees and allows employees to work more often, two beneficial
factors. Creative employees are attracted to and will remain
in careers that offer the freedom to work from home. The employers
also benefit because on days that the employee cannot make it
to work, (i.e. sick child, inclement weather) they may still
be productive and accomplish things. Financially, there is a
benefit as well. Telework centers and home offices reduce overhead
costs as they are less expensive to maintain than centralized
offices.
The Environment Working from home means a reduction in commuting.
A reduction in commuting can relieve congestion as well as the
mounting issue of road rage. Less congestion on the road means
less hazardous fumes being released into the air, and that means
less pollution and better air quality therefore appeasing new
clean-air regulations. Another benefit is the reduced dependency
on gasoline relieve some of the strain on our dwindling natural
resources.
The Drawbacks
With all of its pros, telecommuting and working from home must
have some drawbacks. By trusting employees to do their work
from home, some management positions will become obsolete. These
supervisory positions are just not feasible in a home office.
Of course, those supervisory positions are there for a reason.
Some people cannot handle the independence, and distrust can
make some managers nervous. Those employees who are in the office,
under the watchful eye of management, may become jealous of
the telecommuters as they must take their calls for them and
spend their time taking care of problems that those working
from home are obviously unable to do.
The Design
Another problem is more physical, zoning can pose a problem
as it is difficult to rezone homes as places of business. Because
residential neighborhoods were designed to be just that, residential,
and not business districts, caution needs to be taken to make
sure that neighbors are not offended by an employees change
in lifestyle. Live/work spaces are now being developed where
some units are occupied by working tenants and some by living
tenants to achieve an agreeable mix. However, in most cases,
people are working out of their homes in areas that were not
intended for business. Some guidelines have been proposed to
maintain a neighborhood harmony such as: the business must be
indoors; office space should be limited to 400 square feet;
there should be no alterations or changes to the building's
residential character; commercial vehicles should be parked
in the garage; no client may park in front of the house; exterior
storage is not allowed; and work must not produce noise, fumes
or dust.
WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE
Recently, an article on the internet stated that "Girls
are more naturally adapted to an economy of service and brain-power."
While this sounds like more of a biased opinion than fact, women
are in fact making tremendous strides in the workforce. The
past 30 years have seen the first woman to run for national
office, the first woman to pilot a space shuttle, and the first
woman to serve as attorney general. One of the biggest economic
trends of the 90's was the growth of small business which was
fueled largely by female entrepreneurs. Women account for 80%
of consumer spending, out number men in the voting booth, and
are the primary source of leadership in raising the next generation.
Women are poised to become the dominant social, economic, and
political force for the next century. An increased presence
in the workforce has made women feel more valued at home and
raised their self-esteem.
The increase in workforce presence is a result of women's increased
presence in higher education. Almost 40% of business school
graduates are women and 38% of all businesses in America are
owned and operated by women. In medical schools, women make
up 43% of the student body and 50% in law schools.
More women in the workforce also means more working moms. Nearly
a third of all employed women in the US workforce have children
under 13 and 38% have children under 18. An impressive 64% of
college-educated moms are still in the workforce.
Unfortunately, even with all of this participation, there is
a disparaging difference between the role that women are playing
in the workforce as opposed to men. While women make up 46%
of the workforce, they hold only 3.8% of the highest titles
and 2.7% of the top-earning jobs.
The Situation at the Workplace
Although women still have a long way to go before they have
achieved equality, their situation shows promise. Women today
have more money, more independence, and more influence than
ever before. They have reached a point where they are more comfortable
going after what they want and demanding what they deserve.
While most attribute this change to an increasingly liberal
and equity focused society, evolution of the physical workplace
has been cited as a reason as well. The increased computer use
in the workplace is estimated to explain about 55% of the rise
in demand for female workers. Many blue collar jobs that once
emphasized strength and physical skill are now done by computer,
therefore, women that lacked the physical strength are now capable
of doing the job. As computerization improves the working conditions
at factories and production facilities, women are more likely
to fill other jobs that do not involve using one, simply because
the conditions are more appealing. Women are notable more attracted
to environments where there is an opportunity for creativity
- something that old factories never offered.
Old habits are hard to brake, and a historically male dominated
workforce will display remnants of its chauvinistic heritage
from time to time. Women still face many obstacles such as stereotyping,
struggling with bias in performance appraisal, promotion, and
salary, and serious work/life tradeoffs as they move up the
corporate ladder. Organizations are still working subconsciously
under male standards leaving women to struggle with challenges
specific to their gender, such as childbirth. Even when women
are the dominant sex in a work environment, they tend to be
less satisfied because men frequently get special treatment.
As women do advance their careers, gender biases and career
barriers become more evident. Numerous studies have shown that
as women climb into positions of power and authority, biases
become more pronounced.
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