DOI is committed to quality of work life and offers numerous work/life flexibilities to employees such as alternative work schedules, telework, and access to a child care center. The Department is also demonstrating its commitment by investing currently in multi-year,  multi-level renovations  to create an even better place for employees to work.  Renovations were completed recently in the snack bars and the auditorium, and the fitness center was upgraded.  Lisa Guide, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget at the time of the event, said in her welcoming remarks, "We are all struggling to balance our work and personal lives. Some of us have elderly parents with physical challenges.  Some of us, like me, have young children at home. We need options and support. Providing family-friendly and quality of work life options increases productivity — it’s not an either/or situation.  When the employer provides support, it comes back to them. For instance, DOI has a Maternal Wellness Room. Well, studies suggest that babies that are nurse-fed are sick less often than babies that are formula-fed. By insuring healthy babies, it’s one way the agency can keep the employee productive at work. These programs help us to remain competitive—we can better recruit and retain employees."

Dr. Pat Kinney, Director of the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of Work/Life Programs, emphasized the need to understand that work/life applies to every individual no matter what their life circum-stances. Those circumstances create a unique set of demands for each person. Dr. Kinney  shared statistics indicating that workplaces will need to meet greater demands for quality of work life. That is, approximately 30 percent of the full-time Federal workforce will be eligible to retire in five years and one half of senior executives will be eligible to retire in three years. A different generation of employees will replace them.