Minister Tony Killeen launches Interagency Project on Work-Life Balance

On Friday 11 November 2005

The Finding A Balance Project (FAB), which aims to implement innovative working practices within four North West based organisations, was launched today in Bundoran.

Funded under the EQUAL Community Initiative programme, the project partners- HSE North Western Area, Donegal VEC, Donegal County Council and the Gender Focus Group of Donegal County Development Board (DCDB)- are committed to embedding work-life balance practices within their own organisations and influencing policy change at local, national and European level.

Speaking at the launch Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen said: “We all have to recognise that our workplaces are changing and that appropriate policies and practices must be in place which can accommodate those changes.”

“As Chairperson of the High Level Group charged with the implementation of the National Workplace Strategy, I am looking forward to progressing the implementation of the 42 recommendations, which comprise the National Workplace Strategy. The implementation Group has already agreed a framework that will progress the Strategy and drive it forward. In relation to work life balance, the Group recommended that “Work/life balance policies should continue to be promoted, consistent with individual business needs, in a manner that ensures that the careers of individuals who take up flexible arrangements are not adversely affected”. This is a huge challenge but I believe it is an agenda that needs to be moved forward,” Minister Killeen added.

Tom Daly, Corporate Management, HSE North Western Area during his address emphasised the interagency commitment to the project and the need to balance the needs of client, employer and employee.

“Embracing organisational change is central to embedding Work-Life Balance policies and practices and there is strong evidence of this within the partner organisations. Balancing the needs of client, employer and employee ensures that we offer a quality service across the public and NGO Sector organisations whilst also facilitating staff to more easily combine work and their other responsibilities”

Project Co-ordinator, Breege Doherty, gave an overview of the FAB project and outlined the specific actions which will be undertaken by each partner. She also emphasised the anticipated outcomes of the project. “Changes in the opening hours of services, the mainstreaming of new ways of working, sharing of best practice and an increase in the numbers availing of flexible working options, are some of the key outcomes we aim to achieve during the project lifetime. All of this impacts positively on an improved service to clients” she said.

Tony Tyrrell, Manager, National Support Structure, EQUAL spoke of how the Work-Life Balance agenda has broadened to facilitate the workplace participation of an increasingly diverse workforce.

"Work life balance issues, at one time understood as women’s issues and relating predominantly to childcare, are now understood in a much broader sense. Effectively managed work life balance measures can deliver individual, organisational and economic benefits. It can also act as a powerful tool to encourage and develop workforce diversity. So, while Work-Life Balance measures can facilitate the participation of those with childcare and other caring responsibilities, it can also be used to include people with health issues or others who may prefer or require atypical working patterns. Used creatively Work-Life Balance measures can be a means of retaining older workers who might otherwise retire if their only option is to work the standard week.”

Francine Blache Breen, Gender Focus Group of DCDB and Development Officer with Donegal Community Workers Co-operative spoke of the need to integrate equality as a central principle within the project.

The Finding A Balance Project runs until the end of December 2007. Each partner will implement actions within their own organisations. Donegal County Council will implement a flexitime system within a local public services centre. The Gender Focus Group of DCDB will host information sessions on work-life balance within the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) sector and deliver training on the implementation of work-life balance options within 3 NGO sector organisations. Within HSE North West, five sites will be selected where multi-disciplinary work-life balance teams will be set up, and new ways of working implemented and reviewed.

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FUNCAMP 05, a summer camp initiated by Donegal VEC for the children of employees of the four partner organisations has already been implemented over a three week period in July 05. Feedback was extremely positive and illustrates benefits such as reduction in stress for parents and retention of staff for employers during summer months.

ENDS

LA146

Contact Details

For more information contact Project Co-ordinator Breege Doherty at 071 9852886 087 2355078 Breege.Doherty@mailb.hse.ie

Finola Furey, Donegal VEC, 074 9161519, 086 2222753

Liam Ward, Donegal County Council, 074 9172492

Francine Blache Breen, 074 91 28792