Minister Calleary promotes flexible work patterns as a way of maintaining jobs
The Minister for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary, TD, today (Monday 1st March 2010) welcomed the shift in focus in the information initiatives and activities at workplace level that are being planned by employers this year in connection with “Work Life Balance Day”.
The Minister said “I welcome the real-world focus of efforts being made at enterprise level to highlight the benefits of work life balance practices and alternative working arrangements in a time of economic difficulty. Implementing more flexible working arrangements can be a means of averting the threat of redundancies and job losses. All options must be kept under review by businesses to keep their enterprise going and to sustain jobs.”
Minister Calleary said that he hoped more SMEs would avail of a support scheme that is made available by his Department to assist small to medium sized enterprises in the development of a planned and systematic approach to work life balance at enterprise level. Under the scheme, an expert consultant can be made available free of charge to work with SMEs to assess both their employee and management needs, offer advice and training, and help tailor work life balance arrangements to suit the individual organisation.
The Minister added “Flexible, innovative work arrangements are not just for big companies. Too often, time and cost constraints deter small and medium enterprises from availing of advice on how to tailor work life balance arrangements to suit their company’s operations and the profile of their employees. This initiative offers some support to that category of business owner. I urge people to consider if there are flexible work arrangements that would be a win-win for both employee and business owner."
ENDS\LA360
Notes to Editors
1st March 2010 is Work Life Balance Day
Consultant support scheme
The National Framework Committee* provides support for SMEs interested in exploring alternative working arrangements for their employees in response to deteriorating economic conditions.
Under the consultancy scheme, applications can be made for assistance to cover up to 5 days consultancy support.
The support provided covers:
o advice on developing a work life balance policy/enhancing existing policies;
o advice on implementing work life balance arrangements on a partnership basis; and / or
o training for management and employees in designing and operating such arrangements.
The Scheme is managed by the Equality Authority on behalf of the National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Further information can be found on www.worklifebalance.ie. Posters and booklets relating to work life balance are available at www.worklifebalance.ie/index.asp?locID=5&docID=-1.
ENDS
* The National Framework Committee for Work Life Balance was established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness and comprises members from IBEC, ICTU, The Equality Authority, the Departments of Finance; Social and Family Affairs; Justice Equality and Law Reform and Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The funding support for the consultancy scheme for SMEs is provided by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Last modified: 01/03/2010
| © 2011 Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation | Privacy Statement |
,
