III 112th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 299 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 19, 2011 Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Kohl, and Mr. Lautenberg) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Designating October 2011 as National Work and Family Month.

Whereas, according to a report by WorldatWork, a nonprofit professional association with expertise in attracting, motivating, and retaining employees, the quality of workers' jobs and the supportiveness of the workplace of the workers are key predictors of the job productivity, job satisfaction, and commitment to the employer of those workers, as well as of the ability of the employer to retain those workers; Whereas work-life balance refers to specific organizational practices, policies, and programs that are guided by a philosophy of active support for the efforts of employees to achieve success within and outside the workplace, such as caring for dependents, health and wellness, paid and unpaid time off, financial support, community involvement, and workplace culture; Whereas numerous studies show that employers that offer effective work-life balance programs are better able to recruit more talented employees, maintain a happier, healthier, and less stressed workforce, and retain experienced employees, which produces a more productive and stable workforce with less voluntary turnover; Whereas job flexibility often allows parents to be more involved in the lives of their children, and research demonstrates that parental involvement is associated with higher achievement in language and mathematics, improved behavior, greater academic persistence, and lower dropout rates in children; Whereas military families have special work-family needs that often require robust policies and programs that provide flexibility to employees in unique circumstances; Whereas studies report that family rituals, such as sitting down to dinner together and sharing activities on weekends and holidays, positively influence the health and development of children and that children who eat dinner with their families every day consume nearly a full serving more of fruits and vegetables per day than those who never eat dinner with their families or do so only occasionally; and Whereas the month of October is an appropriate month to designate as National Work and Family Month: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1)designates October 2011 as National Work and Family Month; (2)recognizes the importance of work schedules that allow employees to spend time with their families to job productivity and healthy families; (3)urges public officials, employers, employees, and the general public to work together to achieve more balance between work and family; and (4)calls upon the people of the United States to observe National Work and Family Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.