Blog of the Gate 3 WorkClub

Once More ...

In September, I mentioned KidsNCommon, a site that helps divorced parents co- manage the lives of their kids. The Wall Street Journal's Sue Shellenberger writes about the same topic today, and mentions OurFamilyWizard, another website that helps parents stay organized (you need to be a subscriber to WSJ). OurFamilyWizard is $99 per parent per year, but seems to offer a wider range of benefits. You can watch a Flash or Quicktime movie of what you're buying. If you use either of these sites, or know of others, drop us a line: we'd like to hear from you!

Hey Ho, Hey Ho, It's Off To Grandma's We Go ...

Did you know that some 75 million Americans will be traveling to and fro during the holiday season?  Donna Williams, writing for Fast Company magazine, has come up with a delicious list of timely tips directed toward the leisure traveler. However, I know from experience that some business travelers are guilty of the trespasses Ms. Williams has outlined, just as some leisure travelers are not. (It seems to me that what we do not need is yet another point of diviseveness during a time of year that can already be harrowing.) Frankly, if leisure and business travelers came together and followed her suggestions, we would all experience friendly skies. Read A Holiday Proposal for Plane Travel Etiquette, then add your own suggestion to her list. Here is my addition:

Don't cough or sneeze without covering your mouth -- with something more than just your hand. Need I say more in this time of flu vaccine shortages?

The Road Well-Balanced

Do you travel to see prospects and clients? If so, then you know that though your meeting may be just a few hours, hotel stays can make all of the hours you’re away from home feel like "work." You miss your significant other, your pets, your kids, your noisy neighbors – even that lumpy mattress you’ve been meaning to replace (but who has time, and at least you know where all the lumps are, and you put them there). Christopher Elliott, a journalist who writes about business travel, has written a no-nonsense, entertaining article, Finding Balance on the Road, that will provide you with a few cogent ideas to counter the stress of retaining your balance between work and life. And if you feel you've mastered the tug between being on the road and being at home, it never hurts to give yourself a brush-up: check out Elliott's Business Travel section.

Dealing With Kids After Divorce

Could you use a simple way to handle your child-related divorce decrees? If so, KidsNCommon may have the answer: the site offers an easy-to-use online tool that can make the job easier while reducing some of the emotional hardship divorce can bring. The site promises to let you:

• schedule shared bills, and events;
• communicate via online messages;
• share documents; and
• join an online community for support.

Two plans are available: one for parents and other supporting family members (free), and a premier plan ($99). The premiere plan allows you to provide access to advisors and attorneys, useful for sharing documents with your former spouse. Whether you choose the free or fee version, according to the site, you must be a parent to use KidsNCommon. If you try it, please post your experience here for other Gate 3 members to read.

Providing For Parents

If you are responsible for the care of an elderly parent or relative, either directly or indirectly, you may be struggling with balancing those demands with those of your work, your children and your partner. If so, you are not alone. Estimates for California show that there may be as many as 1.8 million families that care for someone age 50 or over. According to the National Family Caregivers Association, some 47% of family caregivers are employed. Of those, nearly three-quarters work full-time. And if you run your own business, there's a good chance that you define "full-time" in excess of 60 hours a week. A recent survey* of working adults who are caring for elderly relatives showed the following results: 46% cited dealing with emotional issues took the biggest emotional toll; 26% said taking care of financial and legal concerns as the biggest cause of stress; 20% chose providing day-to-day assistance; and 8% cited spending time on the phone or in person with their elderly relative. While you may not be able to afford the types of employee assistance programs of large corporations, here are resources you (and your employees if you have them) can turn to that will provide you with information and support. Government Eldercare Locator National Organizations AARP National Alliance for Caregiving Local Organizations SF Bay Area Caregiver Services Local Caregiver Resource Center Online Caregiver Support Link2Care [Registration required] Caregiver Support Group [Registration required]

*Source: ComPsych

Sailing The Seas

I've just finished listening to Post Captain by Patrick O'Brian. This is the book that follows Master and Commander, which I was introduced to by a Smithsonian article. If you're unfamiliar with Captain Jack Aubrey and his sidekick Dr. Stephen Maturin, you're missing out: What a great series! Along with all other aspects of life aboard ship, Jack is responsible for the health care of his men, very ably provided by his friend Stephen.

As Masters of our ships, we are responsible for our own health care (and anyone else riding along with us). And if we're sick and not working, that may be billable time lost. And getting sick does not help keeping our work and life in balance -- down time usually results in business crunch time. The Web, of course is a rich vein of resources on staying healthy. Here are a few to get you started.

Your Disease Risk. From the Harvard Center for Cancer Protection. Find out your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Your answers to a quick questionnaire will place you on a seven-level risk scale. The site then lists steps you should take to reduce your risk of the specific disease.

Headache Impact Test. Created by QualityMetric Inc., a company that creates and licenses health-care measurement tools.

Real Age. Based on the work of Dr. Michael Roizen, who has authored books on how to determine your real age based on exercise, what you eat, etc. This site has lots of nutrition and fitness information.

Med Info-Chip. This is a great tool, and a fantastic way to bring the power of USB technology to everyone. The Med Info-Chip holds your personal information, like your allergies, diseases, medications, past medical procedures, and emergency contacts. Your whole medical history is held on the 64 MB chip, or you can purchase the 128 MB model that will hold two medical histories. Slip it into your pocket, and you'll be covered.

New California Law

Hello All. I've found a nice collection of news out there this week, but the most important may be the new law giving dads the right to paid paternity leave.

More Dads Taking Paid Paternity Leave
Janet Kidd Steward, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2004
In California this month, a new law took effect that guarantees partially paid paternity leave for most workers in the state... <- article ->

Here's To More `Flexitime'
Barbara Lewis, The Hindu Business News, 23 July 2004
Britain's new Employment Act legalising flexible working hours for parents of young children is a welcome move. The new Employment Act attempts to strike a balance between the needs of the employer and the employee. It stops short of providing an automatic right to flexible work, defined as "job sharing, home-working and `flexitime', as well as various other arrangements." Instead, it gives parents of children under the age of six, or of differently-abled children under the age of 18, the right to apply to work flexibly. But more needs to be done... <- article ->

'Ironwomen' Juggle Work, Family, Training
Alicia Chang, Associated Press, 22 July 2004
Karen Lieb considers herself an "ironwoman," and it would be hard to argue with her. The triathlete from Saranac Lake, N.Y., is raising three kids, teaching part-time and training for Sunday's Lake Placid Ironman triathlon - a grueling endurance race that combines swimming, cycling and running.... <- article ->

Ever wonder why your neighbor, your spouse, your sibling, handles work-life balance differently? Maybe you're missing some genes -- or maybe you have an extra set...

Key Genetic Differences Among People Revealed; Some Missing Large Chunks of DNA, while Others Have Extra
MSNBC, 22 July 2004
WASHINGTON - A new way of comparing DNA has turned up surprising genetic differences among normal, healthy people, researchers said on Thursday... <- article ->

I liked this next story and it reminded me of why I like the idea of Gate 3. As entrepreneurs who have chosen to start with or keep your overhead low, we may not have the support from the same number of co-workers. But that's why a place like Gate 3 is so important ... it can provide that sense of connectedness that may get lost when you are working from a home office. I hope you have the opportunity to partake of the events at Gate 3, encourage your friends and colleagues to join, and build collegial relationships amongst other Gate 3 members. - Cheerio 'til next week.

Co-Workers' Cheers Assuage Fears: When the Going Gets Tough, Colleagues' Support Can Make a World of Difference
Amy Joyce, Washington Post, 25 July 2004
When Charlene Unitan found out in February that she had breast cancer and needed surgery followed by chemotherapy, the support she received from her workplace helped her dig her way through the toughest of tough times. <- article ->

Welcome!

Thanks for dropping by Gate 3’s blog on balancing work and life. I am thrilled to use my expertise as a researcher to hunt out and gather the best the Web has to offer on how we can love our work and love our life (and those in it!) simultaneously. If you come across a great story that illustrates the success someone is having in keeping the see-saw of work and life from crashing down on one side or the other, please drop me a line: pc @ curtis research.com (remove the spaces!). -- Patrice {Research Director, Curtis Research Group}

Let's jump right in with a few great tid-bits I've been saving up ...

Listening to Academics, Part III: Impact of Mobile Virtuality and Interactivity
By Steve Wallage, TheFeature, 12 July 2004

This is an interesting interview about the effect that the mobile life is having on the blurring of home and work life:

http://www.thefeature.com/article?articleid=100870&ref=1848141

Benefits Are Back, But Forget Lavish Extras: The Focus Is Now Lifestyle
Diane E. Lewis, Boston Globe, 8 July 2004

The economy is coming back and so are the perks. But forget the fancy cars and foosball tables that dominated the dot-com era. .. The new perks range from pet insurance and home-buyer assistance programs to ''quiet" rooms to alleviate stress and onsite chiropractors to help workers ease aches and pains...

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/07/08/benefits_are_back/

Forget Your Troubles: It's Good For Your Well-Being; Taking The Time To Take A Vacation Can Make You Healthier And Happier And You Just Might Live Longer, Too
Susan J. Landers, AMNews, 19 July 2004

Some well-promoted research findings pointing up the heart-protective value of vacations: middle-aged men who had risk factors for heart disease -- high cholesterol, smoking and hypertension -- reduced their risk of dying, especially from this illness, if they took time away...

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2004/07/19/hlsa0719.htm

<<(If we just had a bigger brain, or a smarter brain, we wouldn't need to spend so much time on work ... read on, if this sounds attractive to you ... patrice)>>

'Smart Pills' Make Headway
Rita Rubin, USA Today, 7 July 2004

Americans already spend $1 billion a year on dietary supplements claiming to boost brainpower, even though there's little evidence that they work; experts are now claiming it's only a matter of time before medications specifically designed to improve mental ability hit the market...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-07-07-smart-pills-main_x.htm