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Home About Us Services Publications Information FAQs Events Speech Archive Anti-Racist Workplace Week Worklife Balance Day Say No To Ageism Week European Year of Equal Opportunities 2007 Other Events Photo Gallery Research Equality Mainstreaming Unit Links Contact Us Translations Sitemap Gaeilge	Work Life Balance Day - 01 Mar 2007 Play Your Part www.worklifebalance.ie March 1st 2007 is Work Life Balance Day This day is organised by the Work Life Balance Framework Committee to stimulate and support organisations to take action to mark the day and to enhance work life balance for their employees into the future. 2007 is the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All The European Year provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made in promoting equality and to restate our commitment to building on this progress. Work Life Balance Day provides an opportunity for employers, employees and trade unions to play their part in achieving full equality in practice in their workplace. Work life balance means putting in place a range of flexible working arrangements which help workers to combine employment with other responsibilities and choices in their lives. Work life balance is good: for business, in that it enhances recruitment and retention of workers and builds workplace morale and productivity; for workers, in that it assists them to start, stay in or re-enter employment while dealing with other responsibilities and/or availing of other opportunities in their lives; for workplace equality in that it supports the presence and participation in the workplace of a diversity of workers from across the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion and membership of the Traveller community. Work Life Balance Day provides an opportunity to assess and further develop work life balance working arrangements within the organisation. The Framework Committee hopes that employers, employees and trade unions in organisations around the country will mark the day with: information events on work life balance, workplace initiatives to support work life balance, networking activities to find out more about work life balance Resources Information Booklet The Work Life Balance Framework Committee has published an information booklet on work life balance. This sets out steps that can be taken for a planned and systematic approach to work life balance at enterprise level. It also sets out a wide variety of work life balance working arrangements that can be used by enterprises. Support for a Planned and Systematic Approach to Work Life Balance The Work Life Balance Framework Committee has developed a support scheme to assist enterprises to develop a planned and systematic approach to work life balance. Under the scheme an experienced consultant can be made available to work with the enterprise in developing: a workplace policy on work life balance or training in the workplace on work life balance issues or a work life balance programme or support systems for work life balance. The consultant will work with the organisation for up to five days. This will be paid for by the Work Life Balance Framework Committee. Work Life Balance Framework Committee Website www.worklifebalance.ie is the website established and maintained by the Work Life Balance Framework Committee. It hosts basic information on flexible working arrangements, research in the area of work life balance, resources in relation to work life balance, case studies of work life balance and other work life balance initiatives. Work Life Balance - Congress Toolkit This toolkit provides support to trade unions in negotiating and developing work life balance initiatives at enterprise level. It provides information on the background, rationale and principles underlying work life balance policies, on definitions, on challenges and on statutory entitlements. It also provides a practical guide for introducing work life balance policies under the headings: Getting Started, Assessing Needs, Model Agreement, Mainstreaming, Networking and Resources. IBEC Family-Friendly / Work Life Balance Guidelines IBEC's Family Friendly/Work Life Balance Guidelines introduce companies to some of the issues involved in the introduction of work life balance policies. The guide outlines all of the options and introduces a step-by-step employee needs analysis which can help a company choose the correct work life balance policy for its workplace. Ideas for Action in your Workplace on Work Life Balance Day Information Events Organise information events through: a dedicated phone line for the day, the distribution of the Work Life Balance Day leaflet/poster, a dedicated webpage on website or intranet, a request to your CEO to issue an e-mail notifying all staff of Work Life Balance Day. Organise a question and answer session on work life balance for employees/managers. Include in-house case studies in your organisation's newsletter. Organise a work life balance exhibition / talk / workshop in your workplace featuring issues such as health, childcare, education, stress, pensions, care of older people and nutrition. Provide a suggestion box for employees. Initiatives Undertake surveys of the level of interest in various forms of work life balance arrangements in your organisation. Establish a workplace working group comprising management and trade union/employee representatives to consider the introduction of any or all of the following arrangements: flexible working , special leave, e-working, compressed hours, ways to facilitate childcare responsibilities (further information available on www.adm.ie). Monitor uptake of existing arrangements. Ask staff what are the barriers that exist for them when it comes to availing of such arrangements. Ask staff who are availing of work life balance arrangements if these arrangements are adequate or require adaption. Networking Contact Congress for a copy of the Work Life Balance Toolkit. Contact IBEC for guidelines and information on work life balance policies. Contact the Equality Authority for details of resources available to assist companies. Contact other organisations which have put in place work life balance arrangements and develop an exchange of information on work life balance. The Work Life Balance Framework Committee would welcome information on your initiative to mark the day. The Work Life Balance Framework Committee The Work Life Balance Framework Committee is chaired by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and includes as members Congress, IBEC, the Equality Authority, the Department of an Taoiseach, the Department of Finance, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Department of Social and Family Affairs. For further information contact: The Equality Authority Caroline Fitzpatrick 2, Clonmel Street Dublin 2 Telephone: (01) 417 3341 Lo-call: 1890 245 545 Text phone: (01) 417 3385 Facsimile: (01) 417 3377 Email: cfitzpatrick@equality.ie Website: www.equality.ie Irish Congress of Trade Unions Barbara Keogh 31-31 Parnell Square Dublin 1 Telephone: (01) 889 7777 Facsimile: (01) 887 2012 Email: barbara.keogh@ictu.ie Website: www.ictu.ie IBEC Finola McDonnell Confederation House 84-86 Lower Baggot Street Dublin 2 Telephone: (01) 605 1695 Facsimile: (01) 638 1695 Email: finola.mcdonnell@ibec.ie Website: www.ibec.ie Committee Secretariat Mary Dooley Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment Davitt House, Adelaide Road Dublin 2 Telephone: (01) 631 3281 Facsimile: (01) 631 3269 Email: mary_dooley@entemp.ie Website: www.entemp.ie	Search Tick the box to search just the current location and its sublocations Advanced Search

Work Life Balance Day - 01 Mar 2007

Play Your Part

www.worklifebalance.ie

March 1st 2007 is Work Life Balance Day

This day is organised by the Work Life Balance Framework Committee to stimulate and support organisations to take action to mark the day and to enhance work life balance for their employees into the future.

2007 is the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All

The European Year provides an opportunity to reflect on the progress we have made in promoting equality and to restate our commitment to building on this progress. Work Life Balance Day provides an opportunity for employers, employees and trade unions to play their part in achieving full equality in practice in their workplace.

Work life balance means putting in place a range of flexible working arrangements which help workers to combine employment with other responsibilities and choices in their lives.

Work life balance is good:

for business, in that it enhances recruitment and retention of workers and builds workplace morale and productivity;
for workers, in that it assists them to start, stay in or re-enter employment while dealing with other responsibilities and/or availing of other opportunities in their lives;
for workplace equality in that it supports the presence and participation in the workplace of a diversity of workers from across the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion and membership of the Traveller community.

Work Life Balance Day provides an opportunity to assess and further develop work life balance working arrangements within the organisation. The Framework Committee hopes that employers, employees and trade unions in organisations around the country will mark the day with:

information events on work life balance,
workplace initiatives to support work life balance,
networking activities to find out more about work life balance

Resources

Information Booklet

The Work Life Balance Framework Committee has published an information booklet on work life balance. This sets out steps that can be taken for a planned and systematic approach to work life balance at enterprise level. It also sets out a wide variety of work life balance working arrangements that can be used by enterprises.

Support for a Planned and Systematic Approach to Work Life Balance

The Work Life Balance Framework Committee has developed a support scheme to assist enterprises to develop a planned and systematic approach to work life balance. Under the scheme an experienced consultant can be made available to work with the enterprise in developing:

a workplace policy on work life balance or
training in the workplace on work life balance issues or
a work life balance programme or
support systems for work life balance.

The consultant will work with the organisation for up to five days. This will be paid for by the Work Life Balance Framework Committee.

Work Life Balance Framework Committee Website

www.worklifebalance.ie is the website established and maintained by the Work Life Balance Framework Committee. It hosts basic information on flexible working arrangements, research in the area of work life balance, resources in relation to work life balance, case studies of work life balance and other work life balance initiatives.

Work Life Balance - Congress Toolkit

This toolkit provides support to trade unions in negotiating and developing work life balance initiatives at enterprise level. It provides information on the background, rationale and principles underlying work life balance policies, on definitions, on challenges and on statutory entitlements. It also provides a practical guide for introducing work life balance policies under the headings: Getting Started, Assessing Needs, Model Agreement, Mainstreaming, Networking and Resources.

IBEC Family-Friendly / Work Life Balance Guidelines

IBEC's Family Friendly/Work Life Balance Guidelines introduce companies to some of the issues involved in the introduction of work life balance policies. The guide outlines all of the options and introduces a step-by-step employee needs analysis which can help a company choose the correct work life balance policy for its workplace.

Ideas for Action in your Workplace on Work Life Balance Day

Information Events

Organise information events through:

a dedicated phone line for the day,
the distribution of the Work Life Balance Day leaflet/poster,
a dedicated webpage on website or intranet,
a request to your CEO to issue an e-mail notifying all staff of Work Life Balance Day.

Organise a question and answer session on work life balance for employees/managers.

Include in-house case studies in your organisation's newsletter.

Organise a work life balance exhibition / talk / workshop in your workplace featuring issues such as health, childcare, education, stress, pensions, care of older people and nutrition.

Provide a suggestion box for employees.

Initiatives

Undertake surveys of the level of interest in various forms of work life balance arrangements in your organisation.

Establish a workplace working group comprising management and trade union/employee representatives to consider the introduction of any or all of the following arrangements:

flexible working ,
special leave,
e-working,
compressed hours,
ways to facilitate childcare responsibilities (further information available on www.adm.ie).

Monitor uptake of existing arrangements.

Ask staff what are the barriers that exist for them when it comes to availing of such arrangements.

Ask staff who are availing of work life balance arrangements if these arrangements are adequate or require adaption.

Networking

Contact Congress for a copy of the Work Life Balance Toolkit.

Contact IBEC for guidelines and information on work life balance policies.

Contact the Equality Authority for details of resources available to assist companies.

Contact other organisations which have put in place work life balance arrangements and develop an exchange of information on work life balance.

The Work Life Balance Framework Committee would welcome information on your initiative to mark the day.

The Work Life Balance Framework Committee

The Work Life Balance Framework Committee is chaired by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and includes as members Congress, IBEC, the Equality Authority, the Department of an Taoiseach, the Department of Finance, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Department of Social and Family Affairs.

For further information contact: