‘It’s about time to get the balance right’ – Minister Killeen

Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen today (Wednesday 1^st March 2006) stressed how important it is for organisations to have in place appropriate policies and practices which can accommodate our changing workplaces. Minister Killeen was speaking at an event to mark Work Life Balance Day, which was hosted by the National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance Policies.

Speakers, which included, Maria Cronin, Director of European and Social Affairs, IBEC, Niall Crowley, CEO of the Equality Authority and Sally Anne Kinahan, Assistant General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, discussed how work life balance policies can help accommodate diversity and play an important role in the efficient operation of the labour market.

Opening the event, the Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen TD, said that “Work-life balance is not just an issue for importance to the individual. It is also of strategic importance to the efficient operation of the labour market and is a key issue for competitiveness. The development of work-life balance policies for all workers is essential if we are to successfully increase the rates of overall employment and particularly female participation in the workforce”

He added that “Equally, we must facilitate the ongoing contribution of older, more experienced workers within the labour force and increase participation in the labour force of other excluded groups. Appropriate work-life balance policies and practices will help us accommodate diversity, to manage the shift to knowledge-based and service occupations and facilitate lifelong learning and up-skilling.

Maria Cronin, IBEC Director of European and Social Policy said: “To help businesses promote healthy living in work the Nutrition and Health Foundation has launched the Workplace Wellbeing Programme. The programme is available to all employers and provides a structured way for employers to promote healthy eating and exercise in the workplace. It is an ideal way for businesses to motivate people to become healthier. Exercise and healthy eating are not matters that we should think about just when we leave work. People are leading busier lives than ever and have less time to focus on a healthy lifestyle. Exercise and healthy eating are being neglected and this is affecting our quality of life at home and in the workplace,” said Ms Cronin

“Tremendous progress has been made on the work-life balance agenda over the past few years. 61% of companies in Ireland now offer flexible working arrangements and the new maternity and adoptive leave legislation that comes into force today is one of the most generous leave provisions in all of Europe,” she added. “In a study commissioned by the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, 87% of employees indicated that they are satisfied with their current hours of work.”

ICTUs Assistant General Secretary, Sally Anne Kinahan said “ For working parents, paid parental leave is essential if they are ever to achieve Work-Life Balance. Repeated studies have shown, and common sense tells us, that many, many people will never be able to afford to take up unpaid leave entitlements, especially with Ireland’s cost of living running well ahead of the rest of Europe.

In addition, unpaid leave discriminates in favour of the better off who can afford to take time off from work without pay.

This is patently unfair and will lead to the creation of a two-tier workforce. It also makes the achievement of Work-Life Balance more difficult for the majority of working parents. Congress expects progress to be made on the issue of paid leave, in the context of the current partnership talks.”

Niall Crowley, CEO of the Equality Authority, the venue for the event, explained that “objectives of high performance, equality and diversity in the workplace underpin the need for flexibilities in the organisation of work.

In responding to this situation we must ensure that flexible working arrangements are designed to respond not only to the needs of the organisation but also to the needs of a diversity of employees. We should seek a wider availability of flexible working arrangements across all sectors of the economy. We need to create a workplace culture that is supportive of this flexibility and of men and women availing of it.

The National Workplace Strategy has an important contribution to make in this regard. The implementation of this strategy should accord resources and priority to the issue of work-life balance.”

The event which was attended by employer and employee representatives, was hosted by the National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance Policies. For further information on the Committee, contact the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Secretary to the Committee) at 01 6313281 or visit www.worklifebalance.ie.

ENDS

LA166