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Study: high quality childcare can yield long-term academic benefits – Wellness – TIME.com

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These latest findings from the Early Child Care Research Network — a federally funded research project into American childcare that was launched in 1991 — expand on those from an earlier study that examined the impact of childcare quality on 4½-year-olds about to enter kindergarten. As lead author Deborah Lowe Vandell, chairwoman of the department of education at the UC Irvine told the Journal:

"The effects didn't fade away… Lots of things change after [age] four and a half. We would have expected [the effects] went away."

The early benefit seen by age 4½ seems to persist through adolescence, the researchers found. Yet, in addition to tracking long-term academic benefits of high-quality care, the study also revealed that children who spent time in childcare were more slightly likely to engage in impulsive or risky behavior than those who did not attend childcare outside of the home. As the Los Angeles Times explains:

"In terms of risk-taking, the link to time spent in day care was more marginal: Ten more hours a week in day care prompted the average teen to answer one out of 30 questions with an admission of more risky behavior."

via wellness.blogs.time.com

Metro – As economy rebounds, companies worry about talent exodus

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As the recession eases and companies begin to add to strained staffs, employers are also taking action to retain existing top talent at their organizations.

According to a new CareerBuilder survey, nearly one-third (32 per cent) of employers are concerned about losing their high performing workers in the second quarter, while one-third (33 per cent) of workers said it is likely they will start looking for a new job when the economy picks up. As a result, employers are turning to a variety of different retention strategies to hold onto those workers and their valuable intellectual capital.

Increased workloads, longer hours and fewer resources related to the recession may be contributing to higher job dissatisfaction. Looking at key factors that influence job satisfaction and company loyalty, workers reported the following:

• Pay: Nearly one-third (32 per cent) of workers said they are dissatisfied with their pay, up from 29 per cent during the same period last year.
• Work-life balance: Nearly one-quarter (22 per cent) of workers said they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their work-life balance.
• Career Progress: Twenty-seven per cent of workers are dissatisfied with the career advancement opportunities provided by their current employers.

Of workers who have their sights set on making a career move, they shared the attributes they will be primarily looking for in a new employer in addition to competitive pay and benefits. Good career advancement opportunities (60 per cent) and good work culture (57 per cent) topped the list. Others include:
• Less stressful work environment (45 per cent)
• Sense of ownership in their position, that they can make a difference (42 per cent)
• Camaraderie, more family-like work environment (34 per cent).
“Many employers were forced to make unpopular, though necessary decisions during the recession in terms of adjustments in headcount, pay and overall strategy,” said Jason Ferrara, vice-president of corporate marketing for CareerBuilder. “As the economy improves and resources are reinstated, companies are employing different ways to repair and enhance the employee experience and strengthen morale.”

via www.metronews.ca