An index of guidance and information for freshmen Members of Congress about office and management-related issues, including district/state office setup, average office spending, and outside resources.

The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) released a ground-breaking report this week, “Life in Congress: Aligning Work and Life in the U.S. House and Senate.” The report is based on a survey of more than 1,400 congressional staff and is the first inside look at work-life issues in this unusual work environment.

Outside observers might conclude that the Congress lags behind the private sector in recognizing and adapting the work environment and policies for a 21^st century workforce. And while there is some data in the report to suggest this (notably, the significant gap in staffers’ attitudes about the “importance” of work-life balance and their “satisfaction”), it’s essential also to have some historical perspective.

Whether serious (how will your state fare in the allocation of federal education dollars) or frivolous (is your Member of Congress a Yankees or a Mets fan), constituents are genuinely curious about the views of their elected officials. Unfortunately, the opportunity to pose these questions doesn’t often present itself.

Enter VYou, the online Q&A forum where online participants can conveniently upload questions to celebrities, experts and even their Members of Congress … if that Member has decided to participate, he or she can answer the questions posed by their constituents  in an audio-visual format.