Leading in the 'New Normal' Economy: How Employers and Employees Can Thrive Now and in the Future

2010 Work Life Conference to be Held March 25-26 in Washington, D.C.

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Mar 19, 2010, 10:54 ET

NEW YORK, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior HR and work life experts will discuss how employers and employees can thrive in the new economy at the 2010 Work Life Conference. This meeting, held by The Conference Board and the Families and Work Institute, is March 25-26 at the Renaissance M Street Hotel in Washington, D.C. Participating organizations include Deloitte LLP, IBM, Accenture, Best Buy, Marriott, GlaxoSmithKline, KPMG and many others.

"Our goal is to serve both as a magnifying glass for understanding 'the new normal' and often confusing trends that are swirling all around us, and as binoculars for seeing what is ahead on the horizon," says Ellen Galinsky, President of the Families and Work Institute, and conference program director. "This conference will look at what skills are needed to succeed in the 21st century." Topics include:

Leadership in the new normal with Bob Johansen of the Institute for the Future
Communication in the new normal with Morra Aarons-Mele of Women Online; Lisa Witter of Fenton Communications; and Garrett Graff of Washingtonian Magazine
Redefining career paths in the new normal with Cathy Benko of Deloitte LLP

"With White House and Congressional focus on work life issues, it is an especially exciting and opportune time for the 2010 Work Life Conference," says Galinsky. "We are thrilled to announce that two Washington 'insiders' -- one a senior staff member from the White House and the other a well-known broadcast journalist -- will join us to share their unique perspectives on these issues." They include:

Martha Coven, Special Assistant to the President, Domestic Policy Council, The White House
Judy Woodruff, Senior Correspondent, PBS NewsHour

In addition, Corporate Voices will host a Public Policy Overview to provide the current policy landscape on work life issues at the evening reception on Thursday, March 25.

Other conference highlights include:

As employee health and wellness initiatives are being redesigned in response to spiraling health care costs and declining health, this conference will explore what makes such programs effective; what are the challenges; and what are the next steps in health and wellness.
- Dr. Joseph G. Grzywacz of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center on work life as a key to effective health and productivity management;
- Dr. Ellen Ernst Kossek of Michigan State University on how company work life policies impact the health of workers;
- GlaxoSmithKline on its cutting-edge approach to using energy principles to build a healthy, high-performing workplace culture;
- Ernst & Young on how to help employees manage through challenging times; and
- Blue Shield of California on the key success factors and challenges in driving behavioral change with wellness programs
The roles and identities of men, especially younger men, have changed in their work and in their personal and family lives. Dan Mulhern, the First Gentleman of Michigan and Brad Harrington, Executive Director of Boston College Center for Work & Family will discuss how these changes affect men's career intentions, attitudes and behaviors.

Other sessions include:

Tools for Managing Workload
Aging Well: A Journey from Research to Practice
Innovative Approaches to Workforce and Career Development
International Perspectives on Work Life
Many Paths to Flexibility

Also at this conference, the "Moving into the Future Awards" will be presented. Recipients include:

Accenture -- for its program on "Combining Technology and Work Life to Improve Engagement"
KPMG -- for "Enhancing Employee Engagement through Career Development"
Marriott -- for "Marriott Matures: Collaborating to Address Lower-Wage Associates' Needs as They Age"

In addition, The Conference Board Work Life Leadership Council's annual "Media Award" will be presented to Susan Seitel, President of WFC Resources. Both award ceremonies will take place March 25 at 5:30 PM in the City Center Ballroom, lower lobby level.

Further information, including program details, can be found at the following link: http://www.conference-board.org/conferences/conference.cfm?id=2007

SOURCE The Conference Board