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Companies go virtual, set workers up at home
Now 6 a.m. has Frederick making a "two-second" commute to her basement office and taking a break at about 7:30 to get Tanner, 7, and Cody, 5, off to the school bus. Then it's back to work until about 4:30 p.m., when the bus brings her boys back home.
Frederick is a claims specialist for Midwest Family Mutual Insurance Co. in Plymouth, Minn., which transformed itself over the summer into a virtual company.
The 50-plus men and women workers now do their billing, underwriting and policy reviews on computers and phones in ergonomically correct workstations in their homes, all provided by the company.
"The more we talked about it, the more we said, 'Well, why not?' " President Ron Boyd said.
Estimates on the extent of telecommuting are all over the place, said Jane Anderson, director of the Midwest Institute for Telecommuting Education, a Minneapolis consulting firm.
Cost Growth Leads to Stop-Work on Team Lockheed LCS-3 Construction
In its November 2006 briefing "Modularity, the Littoral Combat Ship and the Future of The United States Navy" [PDF format]. Washington think-tank The Lexington Institute offered an in-depth look at the LCS as the Navy's most transformational program, and the key program challenges that must be overcome in order for the LCS program to be successful. One was cost-growth - and that challenge has now come firmly home to roost for Team Lockheed. The US Navy says they are "working closely with the contractor to identify the root cause of the costs growth... [and] reviewing the overall acquisition strategy for the LCS program..." From the release:
"The Navy issued a stop work order Jan. 12 to Lockheed Martin Corp. Maritime Systems & Sensors unit, Moorestown, N.J., for the construction of the third Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).
Schering benefits from its diversity
When scientist Gina Pastino decided she wanted to work on developing new drugs, she checked out options within her company, and weighed them against openings at other pharmaceutical firms.
It didn't take the Montclair resident long to choose to stay with Kenilworth-based Schering-Plough Corp., where she's worked since 2000. The company had reimbursed the 39-year-old for the cost of adopting two children after her partner gave birth to each, and Schering-Plough gave her paid leave to be with the family.
The company also has the domestic-partner benefits that allow her spouse to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom.
"The fact that the company treated me so well here is what kept me here, versus finding work elsewhere," says Pastino, a senior clinical scientist with the company's research institute.
Alaska artist's acclaimed painting featured in Ohio show
The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, the oldest American art museum in the country, has added the work of Juneau painter Daniel DeRoux to its permanent collection.
The painting "All the Joy a Good Home Brings" was exhibited in the First Western States Biennial at the Smithsonian's National Collection in 1979. It has also been exhibited at the Denver Art Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Newport Harbor Art Museum. A press release from the donors of the painting, Barbara Desind Kernan and Joe Kernan, said: "Dan DeRoux's wonderful and whimsical masterpiece has brought joy to our family all the years we have owned it and will now find a permanent home in one of America's most significant art museums. We know it will be enjoyed and appreciated by generations to come." "DRUMS" ADDED TO NATIONAL FILM REGISTRY The Library of Congress and National Film Preservation Board has named "Drums of Winter" ["Uksuum Cauyai"] (1988) to the National Film Registry.
Ayis to clean up after Philippine course
A GROUP of 30 aspiring ayis will head to the Philippines for six-month professional schooling. "The Philippines is famous for its ayis," said Xia Jun from Shanghai EJLL Home Economics Service, which is running the scheme with Zhong Fei Service Company. "The students will be sent to a special housemaid training school." Housemaid jobs overseas are a major source of employment for Filipinos, especially women, and many training institutes have sprung up in the country. Many expats prefer Filipino housemaids because many can speak English, which is an official language in the country. However, Chinese law stipulates that Filipinos cannot work as domestic helpers in China, a gap Xia hopes the students will fill when they return in August. "Through the bilingual training, they can not only master English and household skills, but can also improve their work attitude," Xia said.
