Last month, Hurricane Sandy prevented Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan from addressing USDA employees and guests at the Open House planned for National Work & Family Month. However, she wanted to be sure to take the time to emphasize the importance of USDA’s Work/Life & Wellness programs and what they mean for employees, supervisors and managers at the Department.
As both a mother of two and caregiver to her father, Dr. Merrigan is passionate about ensuring employees are aware of how USDA’s Work/Life & Wellness Program can work for them. She encourages USDA leadership at all levels to support and utilize the flexibilities and programs available to help transform the workplace into one that is flexible, supportive and inclusive. From Telework and Flexible Work Schedules to the Nursing Mother’s Program, Work/Life and Wellness Programs are an integral component of USDA’s commitment to Cultural Transformation.
Deputy Secretary Merrigan is also proud to announce the accomplishments and awards the Work/Life & Wellness Program has achieved in just the last year. In 2012, USDA received the Excellence in Telework Leadership Award, the Work/Life Seal of Distinction and was named a 2012 Breastfeeding Friendly workplace. Although much progress has been made, she encourages us to keep pushing forward and to welcome change in order to make USDA an outstanding agency for its employees and for the American public it serves.