Sec. 2. Findings

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Congress makes the following findings: Over the last 50 years, the demographics of the Nation’s workforce have undergone significant changes. As a result of the changes, the modern workforce has a more diverse set of needs. Over time, increasing numbers of women have joined the workforce. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in 1960 women composed 33 percent of employed persons, whereas in 2010 they were 47 percent of employed persons. Fewer households have at least 1 parent at home.

According to the Bureau of the Census, more than 70 percent of children are raised in families that are headed by either a working single parent or 2 working parents. Furthermore, the number of households with married parents and children, in which both parents were in the workforce, rose to 66 percent in 2010. The number of single-parent families has also increased, almost tripling over the last 50 years, from 5 percent in 1960, to 14 percent in 2010. More households are caring for older relatives.

According to the Bureau of the Census, the average life expectancy for a child born in 2010 is 78.3 years, almost 10 years longer than for a child born in 1960. The National Alliance for Caregiving found that 57 percent of persons who provide unpaid care to an adult or to a child with special needs are employed, with 46 percent working full time and 11 percent working part time. Many jobs are now located outside of city centers. Low-wage employees in particular have difficulty reaching jobs through public transportation during off-peak shifts, such as shifts that start in the evening or early morning.

In response to the needs of the modern workforce some employers have instituted flexible work arrangements, which, according to Georgetown University Law School's Workforce Flexibility 2010 initiative, are voluntary arrangements between employees and employers that alter the time or place at which work is conducted, or the amount of work that is conducted, in order to allow employees to more easily meet the needs of both work and family life. The National Study of the Changing Workforce, published in 2002 by the Families and Work Institute, found that employees with access to flexible work arrangements reported less interference between their job and family life, and fewer mental health problems.

Corporate Voices for Working Families found that implementing workplace flexibility improves employee satisfaction, morale, and teamwork as well as employee health, well-being, and resilience, and helps to reduce stress. Flexible work arrangements have also been shown to improve the bottom line for businesses. Corporate Voices for Working Families found that implementing workplace flexibility improves the bottom line by helping businesses to attract and retain key talent, increase employee retention and reduce turnover, reduce overtime and absenteeism, and enhance employee productivity, effectiveness, and engagement.

The President's Council of Economic Advisors found that, as more businesses adopt flexibility practices, the benefits to society, in the form of reduced traffic, improved employment outcomes, and more efficient allocation of employees to employers, may be greater than the gains to individual businesses and employees. According to a 2011 Government Accountability Office report, a flexible work environment can increase and enhance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

The Society for Human Resource Management believes that the key to getting the best out of every employee is a flexible work environment. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, businesses can retain their most valuable asset—a trained and committed workforce—by offering flexible workplace policies.