Opening Address by Mr Frank Fahey TD, Minister for Labour Affairs

"Taking Stock and Looking to the Future of Work/Life Balance"

Seminar in Farmleigh, 27^th November 2003

(Hosted by the National Framework Committee for Work/Life Balance Policies)

I would like to begin by thanking the National Framework Committee for inviting me here today to open this seminar on an issue which has really come to the fore in recent times - work/life balance at the level of the enterprise. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Committee for the many achievements it has made to date and I am confident that much more good work will be done by them in the future. Indeed, today's seminar will inform the Committee going forward of issues which concern you - the policymakers and practitioners - in relation to work/life balance at the level of the enterprise.

The need to balance family responsibilities with the demands of the modern workplace is not new. The recent success of our economy has brought this issue into sharper focus in Ireland. This was recognised in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness by the establishment of the National Framework Committee for Family Friendly Policies at the level of the enterprise. The National Framework Committee comprises representatives from the Irish Business Employers Confederation (IBEC), the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), Government Departments and the Equality Authority and is chaired by my Department.The Social Partners have acknowledged the work of the Committee by agreeing that the National Framework Committee would continue under the current National Agreement, Sustaining Progress.

The Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, noted that the development of appropriate measures to assist in reconciling work and family life is important to underpinning economic, social and equality objectives. The challenge is to establish family-friendly policies that reflect the reality of the workplace and meet the many diverse needs of employees. Appropriately designed family-friendly policies can bring benefits to both employees and employers by contributing to the needs of the business as well as meeting the needs of employees with family responsibilities.

I believe, and I am sure you would agree that work/life balance is a broader issue than considering and making provision for balancing work and family responsibilities. Work/life balance is an issue that affects all workers at different stages in their lives. The remit of the National Framework Committee has been broadened under Sustaining Progress to examine work/life balance issues at the level of the enterprise. In particular, the Committee have been given the remit of examining how best to improve access to work/life balance working arrangements in order to realise the potential benefits that these arrangements would offer from both an equality and competitiveness perspective.

As set out in the research report "Off the Treadmill", which we will hear more about later this morning, work/life balance does bring benefits for employers and employees. For employers these benefits include: retention of skilled staff; reduced absenteeism; improved productivity and a more highly motivated workforce. Employees on the other hand benefit through having greater opportunities to better balance their working and family lives; greater equality of opportunity between men and women; and a fairer sharing of family responsibilities between men and women.

The demand for such working arrangements is driven by a number of factors including the increasing participation of women in the labour force; the labour market, family responsibilities and quality of life issues including increased commuting times; legislation; equality of opportunity; the use of advanced Information Communication Technologies; and the provision of quality customer service.

The National Framework Committee has undertaken excellent work to date. We are all familiar with Family Friendly Workplace Day, which has been an annual event since 2001. Some of you may also have benefited from direct financial assistance, which was provided by the Committee to assist organisations in implementing or enhancing work/life balance working arrangements.

In conjunction with this, the Committee also provided assistance to organisations, through the establishment of a panel of consultants, which were put in place to provide assistance to employers in implementing new working arrangements or developing existing work/life balance working arrangements.

An interactive website has been set up on behalf of the Committee by the Equality Authority. Both ICTU and IBEC have developed resources to assist their members in furthering work/life balance at the level of the enterprise. A number of very useful pilot projects and research projects have been undertaken on behalf of the Committee.

It is obvious that the Committee has been very active. The Committee are now reflecting on how it can continue to add value in this important area. The Seminar today offers each of you an opportunity to input into the Committee's future agenda.

We are all aware that the demand for work/life balance policies is increasing, indeed the National Economic and Social Council in its Strategy 2003 observed three factors, which underline the pressure on traditional arrangements for caring in Irish households. Firstly, the economic boom dramatically accelerated the rise in female participation in the labour force. Secondly, an unusually high proportion of the jobs that Irish women took in the 1990s were full-time rather than part-time. Thirdly, the rise in women's participation was particularly rapid for mothers with young children. Given that traditionally it was women in the home who provided care to vulnerable groups such as children, older people, people with disabilities and the sick, it is understandable therefore that, given the gaps in infrastructure for childcare, eldercare and care for people with disabilities, there is now a greater need for work/life balance working arrangements.

The Research Report, "Off the Treadmill", which was commissioned by the National Framework Committee confirms the fact that demands for work/life opportunities are increasing among a broad range of people who are at work or who may be seeking work, not just people who are seeking to balance work and family responsibilities. The increasing demand for work/life balance options will require both employers and employees to be innovative in their thinking and actions in this area.

As evidenced by the agreement of the social partners in Ireland to continue the work of the National Framework Committee, I am delighted to see that the work/life balance agenda is receiving consensual priority from all sides. There are challenges to be faced by both employers and employees in achieving work/life balance, but there is also the potential to achieve substantial mutual gains for all concerned.

I wish you the Committee every success with this morning's seminar and I look forward to receiving feedback from you on issues identified which will help you move your work agenda forward.

ENDS/LA 59