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2009: For workers and employers, a yearlong high-wire act

By Cindy Krischer Goodman, McClatchy Newspapers, Source: MCT News Service

This was a year American workers needed the sharp reflexes of circus performers. We had to jump and grab onto whatever semblance of work/life balance _ or a job _ that might come our way.

I started out the year with a fun piece on the circus, a peek behind the tent at how Mike Stuart, general manager of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, balances his family life with the 24/7 job of putting on shows in 16 cities a year. It was a story that caught the attention of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

But a few weeks into the year, the reality of a worsening economy had set in, and I began to hear from readers about serious issues affecting the workforce. Layoffs were sweeping through businesses, forcing managers to make tough decisions about who stays and who goes. I wondered in my column on Jan. 14 whether one's personal situation factored in _ does a single mom get spared rather than the young professional who lives with his parents? Maybe.

Employers were reporting sleepless nights as they started to get leaner to ride out the recession. I discovered most organizations were unprepared to help managers deal with the harsh realities of downsizing. One supervisor was taken aback by the reaction of an employee when he told him he was being laid off: The man cried.

By the end of January, workplace discussion had turned to the inauguration, hope for the future, and the reality that work/life balance was going to be harder than ever to achieve as schedules became more grueling. And soon, it became evident in the new world of work that employees needed to think differently, to work on marketing themselves.

"We all need to treat ourselves like a brand that needs to be marketed," said personal branding guru Dan Schawbel. "One of the best ways to succeed is to craft a compelling image that lets the world know just how good you are at what you do." And thus, Brand Cindy emerged. It is still being polished.

With deep waves of layoffs and experts predicting joblessness would continue through the end of 2009, fear, uncertainty and anxiety began to take hold. People began to work longer, dress better and postpone vacations.

"Workers who still have a job are worried about when the other shoe is going to drop," said Steve Zaffron, CEO of the Vanto Group consulting firm.

I wrote a column on March 4 about a trend I unwittingly would become a part of only a few weeks later _ the freelance revolution.

"As times get tougher, many are turning to freelancing and contract work, transforming a trend that was once a lifestyle choice into a matter of economic survival," I wrote. I detailed how people were frustrated trying to find full-time work and began piecing together a living doing projects, consultancies and part-time gigs from home for an outside employer. "These are the new jobs," said Sara Horowitz, executive director of Freelancers Union.

One of the uplifting columns I wrote this year showed how the good companies get it. To come out ahead in this recession, they are employing strategies to keep their workers informed and engaged. El Dorado Furniture, a three-generation South Florida business, gathered its workers for motivational seminars. "We told them how the recession has affected us and told them what they could do as employees and members of the community," says Jesus Capo, chief information officer at El Dorado.

Of course, out of tough situations such as high unemployment comes transition. Many moms found themselves in a new scenario: seeking work-at-home arrangements driven not by flexibility _ think soccer practices and piano recitals _ but as the best option to supplement family income. In my Mothers Day column, I detailed how the surge in unemployed male breadwinners was leading mothers to sell jewelry out of their kitchens, run businesses out of their living rooms and seek Internet opportunities to make up for the shortfall in household budgets.

Work-at-home mom Laurie Conway said the three most important traits are self-motivation, persistence and organization. "It takes time to build it up to where you can make a living, but you can do it."

By midyear, I learned college graduates were in trouble as they sought full-time jobs alongside the millions of experienced, downsized job seekers. For these grads, balancing expectations with the reality of the worst job market in 25 years has become a necessity.

Maria Hernandez, with a fresh degree from Florida International University's hospitality and tourism school, took a job as a part-time manager at a White House/Black Market store. "It's good to have something no matter what it is," she said.

Along with grads, many experienced workers found themselves grappling with a new reality, too _ working harder for less pay. Widespread pay cuts required a whole new way of managing work and life.

In my July 15 column I wrote about how a friend of mine had given up her babysitter. She just couldn't afford the help when she and her husband both endured pay cuts. I still want to believe that the salary freezes, dwindling bonuses, commissions and tips, and pay cuts are temporary.

Like many, I enjoy catching up with friends on Facebook, seeing what industry experts are talking about on Twitter and reading blogs by people with common interests.

I asked in my Sept. 16 column, "Where does social media fit in with work/life balance?" It's a question I will continue to ask as we see more Internet users spending an increasing amount of time in social media environments.

I also wrote about the secret of how working moms do it all: late-night computer stints. With the kids asleep, we're spending our evenings online catching up with friends, paying bills, shopping, working and doing all the tasks moms used to do when they had more daytime hours to do it. I expect that trend to continue.

Clearly, this was a trying year for business owners who had to think smarter to stay afloat and carving out a personal life. Layoffs forced us to find new appreciation for our jobs or be creative in finding a new path to earn a living.

In this recession, many voices still remain unheard. I feel fortunate to be the medium that gave sound to some. I hope you will join in the conversation.

Happy 2010!

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Cindy Krischer Goodman: cgoodman@MiamiHerald.com.

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(c) 2009, The Miami Herald.

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