Oklahoma DHS Director Bids Farewell – News On 6 – Instead, Hendrick touts progress made in setting a record number for adoptions and child support collections during the down economic times. We asked, "How did you justify keeping your job until now?" Hendrick replied, "You can listen to all of the … – – and more » – -

February may be the shortest month, but as many in the Northern hemisphere can attest, it usually doesn’t feel like it. With winter grinding along and the post-holiday comedown hitting home, it is generally one of the gloomiest months of the year. No offence, Groundhog Day and Valentine’s Day (itself a source of depression for many), but it is a month in obvious need of more holidays.

Luckily, we now have one. A whole week’s worth of celebrating remote work, in fact. It may not sell as many roses or chocolates as that better-known mid-month holiday, but Anywhere Working Week is now in full swing in the UK. Announced late last year with the support of MP Norman Baker, the seven-day event to highlight the personal, business and environmental benefits of flexible and remote working has a fistful of big-name founders, including Business in the Community, Microsoft, Nokia, Nuffield, Regus, Vodafone UK and Transport for London, and it is also supported by the UK Department for Transport, WWF and the Trades Union Congress.

“It’s no longer viable for businesses to stick to rigid, inefficient ways of working if they want to compete successfully in the market,” says Gordon Frazer, the managing director at Microsoft UK on the initiative’s home page, and the weeklong event is meant to promote these more flexible practices. To spur participation the sponsors are offering giveaways to those who sign up as supporters, as well as a handy calculator that British individuals can use to find out how much they would save by working remotely.

As the Digital Workplace Forum points out, the event is hardly making waves and compares it unfavorably to a similar but more cleverly promoted event in the Netherlands. The Forum blames the British government for its lackluster support, saying:

The lack of visible ‘oomph’ with Anywhere Working week is disappointing. . . . For all the positive benefits which flow from the Digital Workplace we believe the UK government should be championing remote working far more actively. It reduces pressure on transport, is good for the environment and produces a healthier, happier and more productive workforce.

To be fair to the British government though, the U.S. equivalent, Telework Week 2012, is next week and is hardly a pressing topic of discussion around American kitchen tables either. The truth is remote working doesn’t have tons of immediate sex appeal (that’s probably why the Dutch had to use pretty women in pink bathrobes to get their event some attention), despite the Digital Workplace Forum and the Anywhere Working Week sponsors’ being completely correct about its many benefits, which is both a shame and a marketing challenge.

How could the Anglophone countries take a leaf out of the Netherland’s book and find a way to make remote work a hot topic?

Image courtesy of Flickr user Martin Kliehm

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• The Future of Work Platforms: An Overview
• The Future of Workplaces
• Report: The Enterprise Videoconference Landscape, 2010 – 2015

There’s an article in the February 6th edition of Fortune discussing Salesforce.com. In it they say “You can learn a lot about CEO’s by what they keep in their office, but with Benioff, we’re mostly baffled”.

I think the Manager Tools community can get this with the two clues which are in the article. (In fact, I think most of you will get it with one, but I’m giving you two). Number One: “…a phrase Benioff uses in conversation about his business as often as he puts !!!!! in emails…”. Number Two, from the description of his office: “In addition to the framed magazine cover stories and standard-issue notes from US presidents, … there’s a .. bobblehead of Powell, with a handwritten note from the general, saying only “Oy!”, a lava lamp from Google; Kermit the Frog, an animatronic donkey sporting a Cal-Berkeley yarmulke…”

There’s a bunch of other clues in the article, but I think that’s enough for you to know, if you ever met him, what the most appropriate conversation style would be. Prove me right?

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/tag/salesforce-com/

Treasury Department Crackdown On Deadbeat Parents Causes Concern – News On 6 – Getting behind on child support could cost some Oklahoma parents their entire income starting next year. The move is a federal effort to crack down on men or women who don't pay. Parents who fail to pay and receive government benefits could end up with …

Man Accused Of Threatening To Blow Up DHS With Ryder Truck Bomb – News On 6 – According to court documents, Carl Grande called the Oklahoma Child Support Enforcement Division on February 9. An operator recorded the entire call. Grande told the operator he wanted to leave a message. He hurled profanity at the woman, then said, … – – and more » – -

Four jailed for nonpayment of child support – Sequoyah County Times – Anyone owing child support or needing information is encouraged to call 1-800-522-2922 or contact the local office in Sallisaw. Child support payments should be mailed to: OCSE, PO Box 268849 Oklahoma City OK 73126-8849.

Shawnee man threatens to blow up DHS building – KRMG – Carl Grande allegedly called DHS in Oklahoma County on February 9th, 2012 and said he would blow up the building and wanted his child support money back. Police say Grande was driving a tractor-trailer rig when he made the call on his cell phone. – – and more » – -

The number of independent workers is on the rise. That’s good news for professionals who want to control their own varied and interesting careers, but if you’re based in the U.S. being independent also comes with some significant benefits headaches, with how to obtain affordable health insurance primary among them.

But if independent workers live in New York, New Jersey or Oregon, they will soon have a new option when it comes to obtaining coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare to its detractors) and the Freelancers Union. The organization, which currently has 170,000 members, was recently awarded $340 in low or no-interest federal loans through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to launch “consumer operated and oriented plans,” or Co-Ops that are open to everyone, including independent workers who typically struggle to find affordable coverage. The new plans will be non-profit and will be run by a local CEO and board of directors in each state.

The Co-Ops are set to begin enrolling members in the fall of next year and to begin offering benefits in January 2014. The Freelancers Union already covers around 23,000 workers and their family members in New York States through its existing insurance offerings, but anticipates covering an additional 200,000 workers across the three states within five years.

By cutting out the for-profit health insurance industry out of the equation, Co-Ops are intended to return insurance to its roots, in which workers pooled risk and supported each other. And by competing with private plans, the Co-Ops should also drive down costs for patients. “Co-Ops will promote competition in the insurance market and respond well to the health care needs of Americans,” according to Marilyn Tavenner, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

“It’s like venture capital for healthcare,” said Sara Horowitz, executive director of the Freelancers Union. “By empowering nonprofit social entrepreneurs to compete with private insurers, Co-Ops provide a powerful new tool to bring more affordable options to the most people.”

Do you think the Obama administration’s healthcare reforms are the solution to independent workers’ health insurance woes?

Image courtesy of Flickr user Images_of_Money.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Putting Big Data to Work: Opportunities for Enterprises
• Personal tools lead to practical business
• Connected world: the consumer technology revolution

'Personhood' bill sparks local debate – Tahlequah Daily Press – By TEDDYE SNELL Staff Writer TAHLEQUAH — The Oklahoma Senate last week passed a bill, 34-8, that states life begins at “conception,” which is broadly defined as the moment a sperm fertilizes an egg. The issue is a volatile one, with Oklahomans … – – and more » – -

- – ABC News Oklahomans may still claim $15M in 2008 tax refunds – Tulsa World – In Oklahoma, some 16800 people qualify for a median potential refund of $620. Potential refunds for Oklahoma total $14787000. The IRS explains that in some cases, people may not have filed their 2008 returns because they had too little income to … – IRS owes $15 million in refunds to Oklahomans who failed to file 2008 return – NewsOK.com all 227 news articles » – -