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A. Over the last few decades, the demographics of the nation’s workforce and family structures have significantly changed. These changes include an increased number of women in the workforce; fewer households with children that have at least one parent staying at home full-time; and more single-parent households. As a result of these and other changes, the demands placed on workers with family responsibilities are greater and more complex today than they have been previously.

B. Many families have direct caregiving responsibilities for elderly parents or other older relatives. Family members serving this caregiving role face the same work/family pressures as parents with minor children, and are even more challenged when they also have caregiving responsibilities for minor children.

C. Many employees who live outside city centers have lengthy commutes to their jobs. Traffic patterns during rush hour elongate those commutes. Commutes of long duration leave less time for employees to balance work and caregiving responsibilities and also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. Flexible working hours and telecommuting options will reduce demands on streets and highways and mass transportation systems during rush hour. Berkeley and the Bay Area will likely benefit from both a caregiving and environmental standpoint.

D. Shorter work hours can reduce environmental impact. If people choose to work less and consume less, they will also pollute less. A study named "Hours of Work and the Ecological Footprint of Nations" compared work hours and ecological footprint internationally and found that shorter work hours reduce total ecological footprint. If American work hours were the same as work hours in the Netherlands or in Germany, it would reduce our ecological footprint and our greenhouse gas emissions by about 20%. Allowing people to choose shorter work hours improves the quality of life at the same time as it reduces environmental impact, because people will choose shorter hours only if they think it would improve their lives.

E. Studies indicate that providing employees with access to flexible work arrangements reduces the conflicts many face between their work responsibilities and their family obligations, with the effect of enhancing employee satisfaction and morale and overall well-being.

F. Flexible work arrangements may also benefit businesses at minimal cost. Implementing workplace flexibility helps businesses attract and retain key talent, increase employee retention and reduce turnover, reduce overtime needs, reduce absenteeism, and enhance employee productivity, effectiveness, and engagement.

G. In 2014, over 78% of Berkeley residents voted in favor of Measure Q, an advisory measure to inform the Berkeley City Council that the voters request it to adopt an ordinance that would give public sector and private sector employees in the City of Berkeley the right to request to work part-time. (Ord. 7528-NS § 1 (part), 2017)