Many efforts to measure work-life have included checklists of specific programs and benefits.  These efforts do not assess the organizational cultural issues that can have an enormous impact on the acceptance and use of work-life policies and practices. A study by Boston College Overcoming the Implementation Gap: How 20 Leading Companies are Making Flexibility Work highlights many of the cultural obstacles that prevent greater success of work-life initiatives and programs.

In 2002, Boston College worked with many academics and practitioners to develop an index that would effectively evaluate these cultural elements.  This led to the original Standards of Excellence (SOE) Index that included 7 elements: leadership, strategy, infrastructure, accountability, relationship building, communication, and measurement.

From 2002 through 2007, more than 100 companies completed a Standards of Excellence assessment.  In 2004, the SOE Index received the Moving into the Future Award from the Conference Board’s Work-Life Leadership Council.

In 2007, Boston College completed the Work-Life Evolution Study which highlights the future needs of the work-life field.  As a result of this study, two new elements were added to the SOE Index: career/life planning and skills of work-life practitioners.

In 2008, more than 50 companies completed the newly revised survey, and we created a new national database to use for comparison and benchmarking purposes.