work-life

Last month, Brad Fitch, President and CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), was interviewed on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. Based on research done by CMF and 13 years of personal experience working on the Hill, Brad discussed a wide range of topics on the show, painting a more accurate picture of the life and work of Members of Congress. Topics ranged from the initial challenges with setting up a congressional office, hiring staff, and learning new issues, to debunking some common myths about Congress such as congressional pay and office budgets. 

Last week, CMF and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) launched a training series on congressional work-life as part of the "Life in Congress" research project. These programs are focused on enhancing staff's professional and personal lives by exploring options for more flexible workplaces.

Washington and Hollywood have had an uneven love affair over the years, but currently it's enjoying a smoking hot revival! Capitol Hill staffers joined millions outside the Beltway in binge-watching the frothy "House of Cards." But even as we collectively obsess over these fictional accounts of D.C., it's worth considering how the show impacts or even drives our deepening cynicism about American politics. "House of Cards" lead actor Kevin Spacey further blurred the lines between perception and reality when he said in an interview, "Some people feel that 99 percent of the show is accurate."

CMF's report, "Life in Congress: The Member Perspective," finds that Members of Congress and their staff work extremely hard and long hours, and value their contribution to society. This raises the question, if Member's of Congress are working so hard why is Congress falling short of getting things done and boosting public approval?

CMF's Brad Fitch takes a look at the human element to the report findings from the recent report, "Life in Congress: Job Satisfaction in the U.S. House and Senate Staff." The report provides a window into staff job satisfaction, what can improve, and what it really means for staff to work in public service.  

Is workplace flexibility possible in congressional offices? Can something that's "easy to say, hard to do" be implemented in such a unique work environment? In this month's Roll Call commentary, Brad Fitch discusses why workflex is important for Congress to consider—and the consequences of not doing so.

CMF is conducting a study on the benefits and office policies of House and Senate personal offices to provide congressional managers with guidance on common practices. The report will look at the benefits currently provided to Member office staff—such as leave, family-friendly benefits, bonuses, etc.—as well as personnel practices, such as performance reviews and staff retention tactics.