TESTIMONY OF FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN BEFORE THE HOUSE POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M01152R000400560033-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: April 24, 1985
• Content Type: REPORT

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tA.
IrA
federally employed women ? an organization for opportunity & equality for women in government
[phone] ? 1010 vermont avenue, northwest, washington, d.c. 20005
TESTIMONY
OF
FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN
BEFORE
THE HOUSE POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES
THE PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE
FLEXIBLE AND COMPRESSED WORK SCHEDULES ACT
APRIL 24, 1985
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TESTIMONY ON THE PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE FLEXIBLE
AND COMPRESSED WORK SCHEDULES ACT BEFORE THE HOUSE POST OFFICE AND CIVIL
SERVICE SUBCOMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES, APRIL 24, 1985.
CHAIRPERSON ACKERMAN, THANK YOU FOR INVITING FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN.
(FEW) TO TESTIFY HERE TODAY. FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN IS AN INTERNATIONAL
MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING WOMEN IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH-
OUT THE UNITED STATES AND FOREIGN NATIONS. FEW IS A PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT,
NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FOUNDED IN 1968 TO ADVOCATE EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY AND FOSTER FULL POTENTIAL FOR WORKING WOMEN IN THE FEDERAL SECTOR.
FEW HAS SUPPORTED FLEXIBLE AND COMPRESSED WORK SCHEDULES FOR FEDERAL
EMPLOYEES SINCE THEIR INCEPTION IN 1977. WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT ALTERNATIVE
WORK SCHEDULES (AWS) PROVIDE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WITH MANY ADVANTAGES SUCH AS INCREASED EMPLOYEE MORALE, EFFICIENCY,
AND PRODUCTIVITY; VERSATILITY TO MORE SUCCESSFULLY COMBINE FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
WITH JOB DEMANDS; AVAILABILITY OF AN EXPANDED LABOR POOL; AND ADDED
INCENTIVES TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.
THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEE FLEXIBLE AND COMPRESSED WORK SCHEDULES ACT
ENCOMPASSES A VARIETY OF OPTIONS THAT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES CAN UTILIZE TO INCREASE
THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL TIME MANAGEMENT AND ACCOMMODATE THEIR
LIFESTYLES. THESE OPTIONS INCLUDE FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS, FOUR TEN-HOUR
DAYS PER WEEK, NINE WORKING DAYS OF VARYING LENGTHS PER TWO WEEK PERIOD,
AND MAXIFLEX -- A COMBINATION OF THE ABOVE. ALL OF THESE OPTIONS ARE
BENEFICIAL IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES (AWS) ARE ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL TO WOMEN
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WHO ARE EMPLOYED IN THE FEDERAL SECTOR. THE NUMBER OF WOMEN ENTERING THE
LABOR FORCE OVERALL IS INCREASING AT A DRAMATIC RATE. TODAY, OVER 48 MILLION
WOMEN ARE IN THE WORKFORCE; 53 PERCENT OF ALL WOMEN OVER THE AGE OF 16
YEARS ARE EMPLOYED. MANY OF THESE WOMEN HAVE OBLIGATIONS BEYOND THEIR
CAREERS INCLUDING CARING FOR CHILDREN OR ELDERLY DEPENDENTS. FIFTY PERCENT
OF ALL MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN UNDER SIX PARTICIPATE IN THE. LABOR MARKET
AND SIXTY-SIX PERCENT OF ALL MOTHERS WITH CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF SIX
AND SEVENTEEN ARE EMPLOYED.
MOST WOMEN WORK BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC NEED. MANY FAMILIES ARE DEPENDENT
UPON DUAL WAGES IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING; TAKING
A FEW YEARS OFF TO RAISE CHILDREN IS NOT AN OPTION MANY WOMEN CAN AFFORD
THESE DAYS. IN ADDITION, ONE IN FIVE WOMEN WORKERS IS THE HEAD OF A HOUSE-
HOLD AND HER INCOME IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR HOUSING AND FEEDING HER CHILDREN.
THE ECONOMIC SITUATION OF FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN REFLECTS THAT OF
ALL WOMEN IN OUR SOCIETY. MOST WOMEN CIVIL SERVANTS ARE EMPLOYED BECAUSE
THEY ARE DEPENDENT UPON THEIR INCOME TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR
FAMILIES. IN APRIL 1984, NEARLY HALF OF ALL FEDERAL WORKERS IN THE GENERAL
SCHEDULE GRADES WERE WOMEN, THE MAJORITY BEING CONCENTRATED IN GRADES 1-8.
ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES ALLOW MANY WOMEN WHO WORK FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO MORE SUCCESSFULLY COMBINE THEIR CAREERS WITH THEIR PERSONAL
LIVES. BY ALTERNATING WORKING HOURS, WOMEN CAN OFTEN EASE SOME OF THE
FINANCIAL BURDEN OF CHILDCARE. ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES ALSO BENEFIT TWO
PARENT FAMILIES WHO ARE BOTH EMPLOYED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT; COUPLES
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ARE BETTER ABLE TO STAGGER THEIR WORK SCHEDULES TO COINCIDE WITH THEIR
CHILDREN'S SCHOOL HOURS, THUS DECREASING THE NEED FOR CHILD CARE.
THE INCORPORATION OF AWS HAS REDUCED SOME OF THE PRESSURE AND STRESS
OF TRYING TO JUGGLE "TWO CAREERS" FOR MANY WOMEN AND MEN. FLEXIBILITY
IN ORGANIZING ONE'S PERSONAL LIFE LEADS TO INCREASED JOB SATISFACTION
AND PRODUCTIVITY -- A BENEFIT TO BOTH THE EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYER (IN THIS
CASES THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT). IN ADDITION, AWS OPTIONS MAKE AVAILABLE
TO THE GOVERNMENT NUMEROUS TALENTED WOMEN WORKERS WHO OTHERWISE MIGHT
BE UNABLE TO WORK IN THE FEDERAL SECTOR, THUS INCREASING THE OVERALL QUALITY
OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE.
ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES OFFER OTHER BENEFITS AS WELL. BY ALTERNATING
HOURS OR DAYS PER WEEK WORKED, FEDERAL EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ALSO PART-TIME
STUDENTS CAN CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION OR PURSUE ADVANCED DEGREES, INCREASING
THEIR VALUE TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT
GAINS IS IN OVERALL INCREASED PRODUCTION; I.E., ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES
AND THEIR RESULTING STAGGERED WORKING HOURS ALLOW MANY GOVERNMENT OFFICES
TO REMAIN OPEN BEYOND THE NORMAL EIGHT-HOUR DAY.
COMMUNITIES HAVING LARGE NUMBERS OF FEDERAL WORKERS ALSO BENEFIT FROM
ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES. FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES ALLOW MORE EMPLOYEES TO
PARTICIPATE IN CAR POOLS, THUS DECREASING TRAFFIC CONGESTION. THEY ALSO
ENCOURAGE STAGGERED RUSH HOURS.
THE FLEXIBLE AND COMPRESSED WORK SCHEDULES ACT HAS RECEIVED OVERWHELMING
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SUPPORT SINCE ITS INCEPTION. PRESENTLY, OVER 300,000 GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
IN 41 FEDERAL AGENCIES OPT FOR ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES. THE GOVERNMENT
ACCOUNTING OFFICE HAS CITED INCREASED WORKER EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS DECREASED
ABSENTEEISM AS REASONS TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM. AN OFFICE OF PERSONNEL
MANAGEMENT STUDY SHOWS THAT 90 PERCENT OF ALL EMPLOYEES AND 85 PERCENT OF
ALL SUPERVISORS IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF ALTERNATIVE WORK
SCHEDULES, FEW URGES AN AGGRESSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR SUPERVISORS AND
MANAGERS BY THE OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AWS
PROGRAMS. EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS AND SEMINARS SHOULD BE DEVELOPED THAT COULD
AID SUPERVISORS IN DEVISING POSSIBLE AWS IN THEIR AGENCIES. WHENEVER
POSSIBLE, FEDERAL EMPLOYEES SHOULD BED WELL INFORMED OF THE EXISTENCE OF
FEW SUPPORTS H.R. 1534 WHICH WOULD CONVERT THE TEMPORARY AUTHORITY TO
ALLOW FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO WORK ON A FLEXIBLE OR COMPRESSED SCHEDULE UNDER
TITLE 5, UNITED STATES CODE, INTO PERMANENT AUTHORITY. WE URGE THIS
COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER,-AND PASS THIS LEGISLATION IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER
IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULES
BEFORE THE EXPIRATION OF THE PRESENT PROGRAM ON JULY 23, 1985. AT A TIME
WHEN GOVERNMENT MORALE IS VERY LOW DUE TO THE CONSTANT THREAT OF CUTBACKS
IN FEDERAL EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS AND BENEFITS, THE PERMANENT AUTHORIZATION OF
ALTERNATIVE WORK SCHEDULE PROGRAMS COULD PROVIDE A RAY OF HOPE THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.
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IMPORTANT LEGISLATION FOR FEDERALLY EMPLOYED WOMEN. I WILL BE HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE COMMITTEE HAS.
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