National Associates Committee

Last winter AssociateNews conducted a reader employment survey. More than three-quarters of respondents indicated that it was either very important or important that a typical workweek remain around 40 hours and that a comp time policy be instituted so that when we do have a big push, the extra hours can be utilized as time-off later.  Flex time, or the ability to manipulate your own schedule based on personal or project needs, was even more appealing to associates – 82% of respondents indicated that flex time was either very important or important.  Additionally, The New York Times article “Still Searching for Equilibrium in the Work-Life Balancing Act” by Kelly Pate Dwyer references a study by the Society for Human Resource Management stating that “[Balance] is the No. 1 factor in job satisfaction for workers age 35 and younger.” This is especially interesting for associates, who are typically younger than our AIA counterparts.

Have you found a way to balance your work life and home life?  What struggles or triumphs have you experienced since entering the workforce?  Share your tips, tricks, successes and difficulties.

By Mark Schwamel, Assoc. AIA

As our industry continues moving towards a ‘greener’ tomorrow, the National Associates Committee (NAC) requests your personal opinions about your recent experiences at the American Institute of Architects national convention in Boston and whether or not you feel we are on the right path to a sustainable future.
Read more of Are We "Walking The Walk" in the Right Direction? in Forward

Describe how sustainable your overall convention experience was?

As we all work towards reaching the 2030 Challenge regarding carbon-neutrality, should we be doing more or is this already a big enough challenge for our profession? Should the AIA and architects in general be supporting or initiating other programs regarding sustainability and doing even more?