Durham's Partnership for Children honored second time with the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility

   The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce's Workforce Development Initiative in partnership with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation honored Durham's Partnership for Children for a second year with the 2007 Alrfed P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace on Oct. 16 at the Washington Duke Inn four local businesses received the award including Durham's Partnership for Children.

   “We are honored to be receiving the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility for a second consecutive year,” said Marsha R. Basloe, Executive Director of Durham’s Partnership for Children, a Smart Start Initiative. “It is gratifying to be recognized by The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce for our commitment in making our workplace work for our employees. Durham’s Partnership for Children strives to model family-friendly practices within the non-profit and early childhood sectors. By supporting policies, such as job sharing arrangements, flexible hours and work-at-home options, we are not only working within the context of our organization’s mission to support young children and their families, our team, in turn, is more productive and accountable in supporting the needs of the organization."

   In addition to flexible schedules, job sharing and part-time work arrangements, the Partnership also cultivates employees from multiple generations. For instance, the Partnership enables retirees to return to work, lend their longstanding expertise, while setting their own schedules as well as parents of young children and employees who are returing to school.  

   The Sloan Foundation and its project, When Work Works, has produced a report to share how businesses both large and small can incorporate policies that promote work/life balance and at the same time support increased productivity, employee retention and absenteeism. 

   The Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce is one of 30 local chambers across the country participating in finding local businesses that adopt flexible policies. The national winners will be printed in USA Today early next year. To learn more about this national initiative, visit www.whenworkworks.org

Download the report Making Work "Work": New Ideas from Winners of the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility.