Families and Flexibility: Building the 21st Century Workplace

This report details the findings of a survey of working New Yorkers -- conducted by the Comptroller's Office, in partnership with A Better Balance -- designed to provide policymakers with insight into how flexible work arrangements are, or are not, being used by individuals and businesses throughout the city. It is intended to gauge the need for workplace reforms, including but not limited to, legislation establishing the "right to request" FWA's, paid family leave, and advance notification of schedules. The survey, while non-scientific, yielded over 1,100 responses from residents of all five boroughs working in a range of industries, from professional services and education, to health care, retail, and construction between June and August 2015. The results suggest that New Yorkers from all walks of life face an untenable tension between their professional and personal responsibilities, and that a new model of work is needed to ensure that parents can remain in the workforce, families have the flexibility to care for loved ones of all ages, and workers of every stripe have the opportunity to succeed