The Future of Work: Designing Family-Friendly Workplaces
by
Paige Coleman, Program Manager @ The Family-Friendly Workplaces Program, The Washington State Department of Commerce
and,
Ben Robinson, Senior Consultant & Data Storyteller @ FirstRule Group
in partnership with,
Aaron Weinberg, Economic Development Manager @ The Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC)
Date: Thursday, May 8th
Time: 7:30 am – 9:00 am
*****Hybrid Meeting Format*****
Location: In-Person: Skagit Station Community Room, 105 E Kincaid St, Mt Vernon, WA
Location: Virtual: Zoom [link will be shared morning of event]
Creating Family-Friendly Workplaces: A Smart Strategy for Recruitment, Retention, and Culture
Washington’s labor shortage is directly tied to a growing challenge for working families: the lack of access to affordable, high-quality child care. When care options are limited, participation in the workforce, job training, or educational programs becomes difficult—impacting both families and employers.
This session explores how family-friendly workplace policies are not just good for employees—they’re also good for business. Organizations that prioritize flexibility and care support see improvements in recruitment, retention, productivity, and culture.
By the end of this session, participants will have an understanding of family-friendly workplace policies and the impact those policies may have on employee recruitment and retention.
We’ll also introduce the Family-Friendly Workplaces initiative, a no-cost program offered by the Washington State Department of Commerce in partnership with the Association of Washington Business and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The program provides free consultations, tools, and resources to help employers design and implement effective, sustainable policies that support working families.
Key Learning Objectives:
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Identify and evaluate key components of effective family-friendly workplace policies—such as flexible work, leave programs, and dependent care support—to enhance employee well-being and organizational performance.
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Develop strategies to align family-friendly initiatives with business goals, legal compliance, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) priorities.
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Design and implement processes for assessing, communicating, and continuously improving family-friendly policies to ensure long-term impact and employee engagement.
You’ll also hear about recent efforts in Skagit County, including data from the 2024 Family-Friendly Workplaces Cohort Program led by the Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County.
Whether you're in HR, leadership, or operations, this session offers practical tools and insights to create a more inclusive, resilient, and family-forward workplace.
About Our Speakers
Paige Coleman, Program Manager @ The Family-Friendly Workplaces Program, The Washington State Department of Commerce
Paige Coleman brings extensive experience building effective strategic programs and entrepreneurial initiatives for private, non-profit and corporate entities, Paige works with a professional consulting team from FirstRule Group developing this program to support employers with best practices and solutions to address recruitment and retention of employees who have family care needs. Over the past year, they have been piloting a employer cohort approach in partnership with host organizations including Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC). With an MBA, Paige is a proud member of SHRM and a candidate for the SHRM SCP.
Ben Robinson, Senior Consultant & Data Storyteller @ FirstRule Group
Ben is a management consultant specializing in business operations, financial forecasting, and data analysis and reporting. He is an experienced financial leader who helps organizations speak the language of finance and uses financial planning and analysis to improve operations. Ben strongly believes in using technology to democratize access to essential business data for audiences with disparate levels of financial expertise. All aspects of an organization should leverage financial and operational data, not just the finance and IT teams.
Aaron Weinberg, Economic Development Manager @ The Economic Development Alliance of Skagit County (EDASC)
Aaron Weinberg joined EDASC in 2019 as the Communications & Community Relationships Specialist. Aaron brings over seven years of combined experience in communications, design and fund development. His duties focus on the implementation of EDASC’s communications and public relations strategies, as well as assisting in the execution of investor relations goals. Aaron is a former newspaper reporter, having earned his B.A. in journalism from Western Washington University. He served as a copy editor and sports reporter for the Skagit Valley Herald before transitioning to business reporter in 2015. Most recently, Aaron worked as development director for a small Bellingham-based health care nonprofit.
Attendees earn one (1) recertification credit for SHRM and/or HRCI certifications.
