Casey Carlson, 2009 Work-Life Rising Star
Previously serving as the Senior Manager of Talent Inclusion at Deloitte, Casey Carlson had specific responsibility for Internal Inclusion Communities, External Diversity Conferences and Research. She focused on attracting and retaining diverse talent, including the next generation. She researched demographic and workforce attitudes to create and implement innovative initiatives that foster an environment that ensures the best talent is attracted, retained and motivated toward career growth. Carlson played an integral role in the development of the organization's Decoding Generational Differences project, to become better attuned to the emerging generation of workers.
Judith Finer Freedman, Founder, The Balanced Worker Project
Judith Finer Freedman is a work-life consultant who researches and lectures on the dynamics of work-life effectiveness, generational diversity, mentoring and gender bias. She founded The Balanced Worker Project in 2006, which specializes in initiatives for senior managers on generational diversity and mentoring and for seasoned workers, new hires and graduate students on work-life effectiveness and generational and gender differences. The concept is to help workers fulfill their career dreams without giving up their life dreams. Through her innovative Balanced Worker Project, Finer-Freedman works to change the culture of workplaces to embrace the new generation, accept their strengths and harness their challenges, and reduce the stigma of supporting work-life programs for all employees.
James Moon, Senior Analyst, Work Life, United Services Automobile Association
After serving as an officer in the U.S. Army for 22 years, James Moon joined USAA in 2000 and today, he manages the development, implementation, improvement and administration of all enterprise-wide work-life programs. He established a fully integrated military leave assistance program for employees in the Reserve and National Guard, and he provided assistance to spouses of military members during the period they were deployed. Moon was responsible for the creation of the Personal Balance Tool (PBT), which provides USAA employees with a comprehensive, Web-based instrument as a one-stop shop bringing together all employee assistance and work-life program resources, benefits information, and USAA services to help employees meet their unique needs. The PBT helped USAA become a recipient of the AWLP Work-Life Innovative Excellence Award in 2008.
2009 Work-Life Innovative Excellence Award Recipients
KPMG LLP – Team of Choice
The Team of Choice Initiative is a unique team-based approach to work-life effectiveness that teaches member to respect the work-life and career development priorities of each other, while offering the highest level of service to clients. When a project comes to a team of auditors, they use Team of Choice to establish a formal Blueprint that serves as a customized plan to help align client expectations with the team’s resources. By encouraging professionals to work together to achieve work-life effectiveness and career satisfaction, the team realizes predictability and flexibility in their schedules and commits with relentless focus on the clients.
Pepsi Bottling Group – PBG’s HealthyMoney Program
Getting out of debt, buying a home, or sending a child to college can cause major stress and anxiety, especially in today’s economic environment. This stress steeps into the work environment, so in 2007, Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) introduced HealthyMoney. The free program helps PBG’s 35,000 employees become empowered with the knowledge, tools and confidence to build life-long financial stability. On-site workshops cover the financial implications of life events like getting married, having children, divorcing or retiring; goal-setting; cash and debt management; and more. Employees receive a HealthyMoney Workbook that includes self-assessments, helpful tips and targeted activities to help them build personalized action plans.
RSM McGladrey – Coach on Call
At RSM McGladrey, the conversation about work-life effectiveness has been extended throughout the company, with the help of expert consultants, to empower the nearly 8,000 employees. The Coach on Call program offers all RSM McGladrey employees free access to work-life coaching services from a professional life coach, no matter where they are located. The discussions are completely confidential, and employees go away with actions plans and strategies to strengthen working relationships, manage stress, establish a flexible work arrangement, and achieve overall work-life integration. The results have helped employees become more resilient and action-oriented about the challenges they face in both their personal and professional life.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for Excellence in Work-Family Research The Kanter Award is a partnership between The Center for Families at Purdue University and The Center for Work and Family at Boston College. It is sponsored by AWLP and WorldatWork and given to the authors of the single best piece of work-family research published during a calendar year.
“Getting a Job: Is There a Motherhood Penalty?”
In a laboratory experiment and audit study of actual employers, participants evaluated employment application materials for a pair of same-gender, equally qualified job candidates who differed in parental status. The experiment found that mothers were penalized on perceived competence and recommended starting salary. Men were not penalized for being a parent. The audit study showed that actual employers discriminate against mothers, but not against fathers.
Shelley J. Correll, Stephen Benard and In Paik co-authored the outstanding research, originally published in the March 2007 issue of American Journal of Sociology.
Judith Finer Freedman, Founder, The Balanced Worker Project 
James Moon, Senior Analyst, Work Life, United Services Automobile Association